As a United Nations regional body focused on economic development, ECLAC emerged in the case of Latin America in 1948. Its first executive secretary was Mexican Gustavo Martínez Cabañas, author of numerous studies on financial issues affecting several spheres in his country.
At that time the Cuban Revolution was not yet a reality, but 11 years later with the victory, the paths of Cuba and ECLAC began to advance together.
Argentine Raúl Prebisch was at the helm of the Commission, between May of 1950 and July of 1963, during a period when the body had a decisive influence on ideas and development paths in Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to UN efforts to achieve a more just international order, as is explained in his biographical profile.
Years later, Fidel would recall at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago de Chile, November 29, 1971, “We had the honor of receiving a visit from Dr. Prebisch. We showed him some things. We are sure that if he were to visit our country today, he would see many new things.”
In this same speech, the Comandante en Jefe said, “We do not hide our difficulties or our problems. But we have been able to create a solid society, united, with a highly development moral conscience, with a high level of political culture, with which we face the future.”
With respect to ECLAC as a public space, he commented that it was “an institution that was has been friendly toward us, which in an era of great restrictions, an era of great prohibitions, in an era when all means and influence of the world’s most economically, politically, and militarily powerful nation were used(against us), this institution maintained cordial relations with our country and its leaders made numerous friendly gestures.
“We admire your efforts, your struggles. You have played an important role in the field of ideas, in the dissemination of realities, of concepts that serve to create consciousness of these realities, that likewise serve to promote political consciousness, to reach the conclusion that only under conditions of political change, only under conditions of revolutionary change, are created the indispensable prerequisites for the real integration of our peoples,” he said.
When Fidel gave this speech, a Mexican engineer was serving as ECLAC executive secretary, Carlos Quintana, who held the position until 1972.
A symbolic historic event took place 36 years later, when well into the 21st century, another Mexican assumed this role. But this time, it was a woman, the first to serve as executive secretary of the Commission since its founding: Alicia Bárcena.
Her remarks during this 37th period of sessions in Havana have emphasized the human focus of development that Cuba has taken.
She thanked the nation for its confidence in ECLAC which has accompanied the process of implementing the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines, and noted the “unjust blockade” imposed on Cuba by the United States, which, she said, has had an enormous cost.
Fidel’s words show the early support for integration that Cuba projected to ECLAC, in opposition to hostile economic and social policies, saying, “Know that our country is open to integration and union, that our country is open to collaboration in accordance with our strengths and resources, to material cooperation, and above all moral cooperation of men who study, investigate, and work to find solutions to the serious problems of our peoples.”
LANDMARKS OF ECLAC’S 70 YEAR HISTORY
1948: The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean is founded.
1951: ECLAC’s sub-regional headquarters are established in Mexico.
1957: Created is the Latin American and Caribbean Demographics Center, later known as the ECLAC Population Division.
1962: The Latin American and Caribbean Economic and Social Planning Institute is established.
1966: Caribbean countries join and the Caribbean regional headquarters is established in Port of Spain.
1972: The first Earth Summit is held, laying the foundation for future UN conferences on the environment and sustainable development.
1976: ECLAC’s journal is founded, with Raúl Prebisch as its first editor.
1984: ECLAC assumes its current name.
1995: The 4th World Conference on Women approves the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan.
2015: The UN General Assembly approves the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
2017: The first Sustainable Development Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Countries is held.
2017: The 40th anniversary of the Regional Gender Agenda is celebrated.
2018: ECLAC celebrates its 70 years contributing to the sustainable development of Latin America and the Caribbean.
