United Nations Development Program

REGIONAL CENTER - PANAMA

 

About us

The Regional Center of the United Nations Development Program supports the support activities provided by the Country Offices, seeking to strengthen their capacities in project management, formation of strategic alliances and distribution of knowledge in priority areas in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Center is made up of a growing team of professionals and experts who stand out in initiatives aimed at promoting human development in the field of Democratic Governance, Energy and the Environment, Crisis Prevention and Recovery, HIV / AIDS, Gender, Capacity Development and, Poverty Reduction and the MDG. Additionally, the Knowledge Management team counts, aimed at strengthening the capacity of governments and communities, promoting sustainable development, and providing support for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

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News

World Bank and UNDP, towards improving the performance of security and justice institutions

 

Daniel Luz (UNDP), Juan Belikow (World Bank), Ellis Ríos (Ombudsman), Sonia Arbeláez (UNODC), Rafael Partenain (Roster UNDP) and Erik Alda Sánchez (Roster UNDP). Photos: UNDP, 2014.

 

Panama, November 26, 2014 . Up to  40 specialists  from United Nations agencies (United Nations Development Program UNDP, United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime UNODC), the World Bank, the Organization of American States, the Latin American Institute of United Nations for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders, government institutions and academia,  from different countries in the region,  met in the workshop  "Indicators of Institutional Capacity of Security and Justice Operators". 

The event took place on November 25 in Panama and was jointly organized by  the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank  with the aim of advancing  the discussion on  the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses  of the current indicators. institutional capacity and in the  proposal of a  more precise denominator for the collection of these data, comparable to all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. To this end, various areas of citizen security were analyzed, from the operators of prevention policies, police and criminal investigation, public ministries, justice, the prison system, to the rehabilitation systems for offenders.

This activity is part of an  initiative of both organizations  to carry out a preliminary survey on indicators of institutional capacity of security and justice operators in the Latin American region, which is part of an effort that the World Bank and the Organization have been carrying out of the United Nations (UN) for  responding in a coordinated manner  to the challenges of the region in terms of citizen security. 

UNDP Participates in the Second Forum for Dialogue and Development

Rebeca Arias, Director of the UNDP Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean

Photo Credit: National Office for Dialogue and Sustainability (ONDS)

The II International Forum for Dialogue and Development had as its main objective to present the Peruvian model of prevention and management of social conflicts and the achievements of two years of management to specialists from different Latin American countries and representatives of international organizations, as well as representatives of civil society and companies, in an environment of exchange of experiences and knowledge.

From the United Nations system, this pioneering process in the region has been followed with interest, understanding the urgency of a new approach to transform conflicts into opportunities for the development of peoples and, therefore, to position a new relationship between the State, Civil Society organizations, the private sector and, of all of them, with the sustainable use of resources.

Between 2000 and 2010, mining investment in the Latin American region alone increased sixfold, from 25,000 to 180,000 million USD, that is, the equivalent of almost a third of global mining investment. For the year 2012, extractive activity represented more than 10% of GDP and more than 50% of total exports in at least 8 countries in the region.

Currently, 10 countries in the region occupy a position among the 15 largest metal producers in the world. In addition, Latin America and the Caribbean concentrate one third of the world production of bioethanol, about 25% of biofuels and 13% of oil, and it maintains large reserves of lithium, silver, copper and tin metals, among others. This is why the sustainable use of natural resources is, without a doubt, a topic of capital importance for the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean and for the Millennium Development Goals.

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OCTOBER 24 - United Nations Day

UNDP Nicaragua, the Virtual School and UNAN officially launch the second diploma course in current debates on Human Development in Nicaragua

On September 27, with the face-to-face session held at the facilities of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, the second version of the Diploma in Current Debates on Human Development in Nicaragua was officially launched. The event was attended by the Coordinator of the Human Development Unit of UNDP Nicaragua, the Secretary General of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua UNAN, experts from the Virtual School. The first version of the diploma course was held in 2013, in the context of the annual Conference of the World Association of the focus on capabilities and human development, held in Managua. The version of this year will have the participation of 24 people from different disciplines, experiences and nationalities and will last 11 weeks. Throughout these,

The diploma seeks that the participants appropriate the human development paradigm and be able to implement it in the design and evaluation of public policies, programs and initiatives. This constitutes the fundamental strategy for strengthening the capacities of counterparts in the country of the Human Development Unit. It is expected that, based on the joint work of the related parties, it will be possible to consolidate a postgraduate offer in human development in the country that calls for the participation of other higher education institutions. For more information contact the Virtual School at email: escuela.virtual@undp.org

Ibero-American Climate Change Negotiator's Manual

Negotiator's Handbook 2014

UNDP, with the support of the government of Spain, presents the second version of the IBEROAMERICAN CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATOR'S MANUAL. The first version of this manual was published in 2010 and has served over the years as a fundamental guide for negotiators and national policy makers. This second edition updates a series of essential topics of the negotiations

 

"Gender and Corruption in Latin America: Is There Any Connection?" new knowledge product explores the gender-corruption relationship in Latin America

In the constant task of continuing to analyze the different manifestations of the phenomenon of corruption and its impact on democratic governance, this study addresses the issue of gender and corruption in Latin America. This Working Document is a joint effort between the Democratic Governance Practice Area and the Gender Practice Area of ​​the Regional Center of the United Nations Development Program-UNDP for Latin America and the Caribbean / Regional Directorate for Latin America and the Caribbean.

This Working Document wants to contribute to laying the foundations for dialogue and analysis on gender and corruption in Latin America. To do this, it defines a basic conceptual framework on corruption and gender and develops an analysis methodology based on 3 case studies: Chile, Colombia and El Salvador. Before being prescriptive, this study is exploratory as it aims to begin to shed light on a still new topic.

The document presents a conceptual introduction of the corruption / gender relationship as well as its different approaches, proposing to approach corruption from a gender perspective, including an analysis of corruption as a social phenomenon and a public problem. Highlighting the phenomena of exchange that are the object of corruption, and analyzing both small and large corruption, its actors, victims and exchange currencies.

It also offers some clues that may turn out to be starting points in research, not only at the theoretical level, but also in terms of social practices and concrete policies.

The preparation of this document was possible thanks to the support of the Global Anti-corruption Initiative (GAIN), the Regional Initiative for Transparency and Accountability in Local Governments (TRAALOG) of the UNDP Regional Center for Latin America and Caribbean; the Gender Practice Area, and the collaboration of three UNDP Offices in Latin America (Chile, Colombia and El Salvador).

For more information contact Gerardo Berthin or Neus Bernabeú .

To download the document in Spanish click here .

 

The Modernization of the Supreme Audit Institutions and their Role in the Fight Against Corruption are analyzed

UNDP participates together with the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the OAS and the Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS) in a regional event to promote transparency and accountability .

As part of Sandra Morelli Rico, Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia;  Leonardo Arbelaez, Delegate for Mines and Energy, Comptroller General of Colombia;  Josué Claudio de Souza Filho, Court of Accounts of Amazonas;  Marcos Bemquerer, Substitute Minister Court of Accounts of the Union of Brazilthe activities in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of its creation, on 17 and 18 July in the city of Bogotá, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia organized a regional event to analyze the role of the supreme audit institutions in the fight against corruption.

Corruption continues to be a challenging factor for democratic systems, especially in countries in the process of consolidating their development, and has been identified as one of the great obstacles to reducing inequalities. The regional seminar organized by the Office of the Comptroller General of Colombia brought together representatives of regional organizations (IDB, OAS, OLACEFS), representatives of supreme audit institutions (Court of Accounts of Brazil, Chamber of Accounts of

the Dominican Republic, General Comptroller of Ecuador), and representatives of the private and academic sector, who analyzed the measures that the states are adopting to prevent and sanction corrupt practices Gerardo Berthin, Advisor on Governance and Decentralization Policies of the UNDP Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama;  Ronald Myers, Former World Bank Manager for Public Sector Reform in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia;  Lourdes Sanchez Alvarez, Senior Financial Specialist, IDB Office of Financial Management Services and Procurement for Operations..

The Governance and Decentralization Policy Advisor of the UNDP Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama, Gerardo Berthin, participated in a discussion with representatives of the IDB and the World Bank offering an analysis from the perspective of democratic governance on the modernization of Supreme Audit Institutions and their role in the prevention of corruption in Latin America.

Similarly, the discussion offered the opportunity to highlight some of the initiatives carried out by UNDP in the region. For example, in the case of Chile, where a broad alliance was promoted between UNDP, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, and other Chilean institutions and organizations (including the private sector and civil society) to evaluate Chapter II and V of the Convention. of the United Nations against Corruption, among various activities; in Colombia where UNDP is accompanying the Presidency's Secretariat for Transparency in the participatory construction of a comprehensive anti-corruption public policy, and in sector risk maps; and in the Dominican Republic, where UNDP (together with the IDB and the European Union) is strengthening the Chamber of Accounts in its capacities to efficiently audit,

For more information go to CGR Colombia .

Top image: Sandra Morelli Rico, Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia; Leonardo Arbelaez, Delegate for Mines and Energy, Comptroller General of Colombia; Josué Claudio de Souza Filho, Court of Accounts of Amazonas; Marcos Bemquerer, Substitute Minister Court of Accounts of the Brazilian Union .

Bottom image: Gerardo Berthin, Advisor on Governance and Decentralization Policies of the UNDP Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama; Ronald Myers, Former World Bank Manager for Public Sector Reform in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia; Lourdes Sanchez Alvarez, Senior Financial Specialist, IDB Office of Financial Management Services and Procurement for Operations.

Join the XX International Conference on HIV

UNDP AND THE CITY OF KNOWLEDGE FOUNDATION IN COLLABORATION WITH UNAIDS, UNFPA AND UNODC BRING TO PANAMA THE XX INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AIDS ON JULY 24 AND 25, 2014. 

Latin American companies promote gender equality in the workplace

Second Regional Forum Companies for Gender Equality starts in Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena , July 2 - More than 250 representatives of public, private and specialist companies from more than 20 Latin American countries met today at the  II Regional Forum of Companies for Gender Equality to promote equal opportunities for men and women in the work environment.

Participating in the Forum are companies such as Unilever, Manpower, Nutresa, Telefonica, Codelco, Coopertec and Bayer, among others, who share their experiences in advancing gender equality practices together with other representatives of companies, from the public service related to the subject , unions and international organizations

The forum that takes place in Cartagena, Colombia, on July 2 and 3, 2014 is organized by the Colombian Ministry of Labor, the Presidential High Council for Equity of Women of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia, the Program of the United Nations for Development (UNDP) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

44th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly - Paraguay 2014 - REDLACTRANS is present

With the support of UNDP, REDLACTRANS has been participating in the OAS since 2009, as part of an alliance with the LGBTTTI coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean. In this 44th General Assembly, which is being held in Asunción from June 3 to 5, new trans referents from Chile, Bolivia, Honduras and Panama participate, in addition to referents from Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala .  

The objective of REDLACTRANS is to train new referents from the countries on the OAS systems and mechanisms for claiming rights. This space is essential for the organization of trans people to receive strategic information and carry out political advocacy so that member states know the importance of having a gender identity law in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

On the other hand, REDLACTRANS advocates for countries to approve the  resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity , adopted in April 2012 and the signing of the convention against discrimination and intolerance approved in 2013.

Get to know  the REDLACTRANS Declaration  before the heads of the delegations of the OAS member states.

Pages

 
  • Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
  • Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
  • Goal 3: Promote gender equality and women's autonomy
  • Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
  • Goal 5: Improve maternal health
  • Goal 6: Combat HIV / AIDS, malaria and other diseases
  • Objetivo 7: Garantizar la sostenibilidad del medio ambiente
  • Objetivo 8: Fomentar una asociación mundial para el desarrollo
  • Millennium Development Goals
 

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