ECLAC Participated in Special Meeting of the Economic and Social Council on Care and Support Systems

Gender affairs

19 July 2024|News

During the event, which featured remarks by Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, the first document prepared by the United Nations system to amplify the promotion of comprehensive care systems was launched.

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The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) reaffirmed today its commitment to a society where care is a central part of prosperous, sustainable, and just economies during a special meeting on care and support systems organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York.

In a recorded message, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, ECLAC's Executive Secretary, stated that "care is at the foundation of life's sustainability and is key to achieving social justice and renewing the social contract. The concept of a care society excites, calls upon, and renews our hopes for a better future."

The meeting, convened by Paula Narváez, President of ECOSOC, featured initial interventions from Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General (via video); Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs; and Laura Pautassi, Principal Researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina.

Subsequently, the document Transforming Care Systems in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals and Our Common Agendawas launched during a high-level panel in which the Executive Secretary of ECLAC participated alongside representatives of the United Nations system agencies involved in its preparation.

The highest representative of ECLAC highlighted that the recent ECOSOC resolution presented by Chile-on behalf of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, and Paraguay-marks a milestone as the first global provision focused exclusively on care. It invites member states to examine the benefits of implementing an agenda in this area. "The centrality of care for advancing towards substantive equality has become a priority," he emphasized.

During his intervention, the Executive Secretary highlighted that "the Buenos Aires Commitmentadopted in November 2022 within the framework of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean is fundamental for advancing towards a care society. This pioneering commitment, linked to the presentation of the United Nations interagency study, proposes concrete measures to overcome inequalities and promote a fair organization of care."

José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs argued that "we are facing a structural care crisis that disproportionately affects women and girls, deepening inequalities and the feminization of poverty." In this regard, he called for intensified efforts and accelerated action, emphasizing that the document presented is an excellent guide and a great tool for this task. He invited member states to examine the benefits of the care economy and adopt, for example, recommendations based on the 5 Rs: recognition, reduction, redistribution, remuneration, and representation, as proposed by the Guide.

The document aims to promote care and support systems as foundational pillars of gender equality, human rights, and sustainable development. It also seeks to articulate good practices and lessons learned about the contribution of care and support systems to ensure the well-being and rights of care recipients and caregivers through coherent and gender-sensitive policies.

Throughout the day, experiences, good practices, and main challenges related to promoting and investing in care systems were evaluated, and the potential of investing in the care economy to reduce time and income poverty for women and to promote women's participation in the workforce and expand decent employment opportunities in the care sector was discussed.