
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) - the Spanish acronym is CEPAL - is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. It was founded in 1948 with the purpose of contributing to the economic development of Latin America, coordinating actions directed towards this end, and reinforcing economic ties among countries and with other nations of the world. The promotion of the region's social development was later included among its primary objectives.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
- How does ECLAC’s work and activities specifically touch upon e-commerce and the digital economy?
ECLAC unveiled in February 2024 its Digital Development Observatory (DDO), a new instrument that aims to produce, gather and analyze relevant data and information to identify trends, evaluate progress and support policy formulation and implementation on digital transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The DDO’s website contains more than 100 indicators and qualitative information in 12 thematic areas seen as key for countries’ digital transformation, including connectivity and digital inclusion, businesses and productive digital transformation, e-commerce and digital services, digital skills, digital government and artificial intelligence.
The Observatory also compiles information on national digital agendas, as well as the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC).