REGION'S COUNTRIES HIGHLIGHT PLANNING AS AN INDISPENSABLE TOOL FOR DRIVING FORWARD POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

Brasilia, November 25- Gathered in Brasilia, Latin American and Caribbean Ministers and Heads of Planning highlighted the renaissance of development planning and its importance as a tool for driving forward a new culture of integration and the development agenda.

At the end of the 14th meeting of the Regional Council for Planning of ECLAC'S Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES), participants stressed the relevance of coordination, evaluation and forward-planning for driving structural change with equality.

Participants also called for the promotion of integration through the strengthening of the regional perspective in development planning and investment in physical and productive infrastructure.

The Regional Council for Planning was held following the 13th Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean, which was held on 21 and 22 November in Brasilia, organized by the Brazilian government and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

In the resolutions from the meeting, Ministers and Heads of Planning asked ILPES to promote applied research, technical cooperation and training in topics relating to the regional dimension of development, public and private investment, infrastructure and the role of the State.

They also noted the medium-term strategy for ILPES' cooperation with countries, which has three basic components. The first one is the creation of a knowledge center on planning for development and the second one is the incorporation of the regional perspective on the planning for development and governance for strengthening regional cooperation and integration.

The third component is the development of human and institutional capacities to strengthen the States in the field of public administration and planning.

Furthermore, the Regional Council for Planning emphasized that the regular system of governmental contributions is crucial for the institutional continuity of ILPES, and recommended the creation of a working group to analyse the Institute's financing system and to propose measures for the purposes of modernization. The proposals will be submitted to member countries for consideration at the next meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Council which will be held in Guatemala City, in the first semester of 2014.

Lastly, delegates agreed to hold the 14th Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean and the 15th meeting of the Regional Council for Planning in Quito on 23 and 24 November 2015.

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