SOCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
17
SUSTAINING GROWTH, SECURING PROSPERITY
underweight than children in urban households
with the largest gap existing in LAC. In this
region, 8% of children are underweight in rural
areas, which is more than double the rate in
cities. Poorer children are almost three times as
likely to be underweight as are children in the
wealthiest 20% of households.
However, based on a January 2013 report by
the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) on Latin America and the Caribbean’s
progress
towards
achievement
of
the
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 —
“Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger” in LAC,
a reduction in both the number and proportion
of undernourishment has continued in recent
years,meaning that the region is almost on track
for achieving its MDG 1 hunger target.
7
2. E
MPLOYMENT
AND
S
OCIAL
P
ROTECTION
The average regional urban unemployment rate
could decrease by up to 0.2 percentage points
to stand between 6.4% and 6.2% in 2013, the
lowest rate in recent decades, according to a
current report by the Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and
the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
There is cautious optimism regarding the
performance of the region’s labour markets. If
projections of an increase to 3.5% in the region’s
economic growth in 2013 are realised, labour
indicators should continue to gradually improve.
• Eight Caribbean Labour Ministers’ Meeting
The Eight Caribbean Labour Ministers’ Meeting
was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
from July 2–3, 2013. The Meeting provided,
among others, an opportunity to review items
on the agendas of the International Labour
Conference and the Governing Body of the ILO
and to takeaCaribbeanpositiononcritical issues
7
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Conference-Media-Release-Final.pdf
CHAPTER 2: THE CARIBBEAN SOCIAL SITUATION
related to employment and labour. The Meeting
also allowed Caribbean Ministers to discuss
progress made in their respective countries
towards achieving the targets set by the Decent
Work Agenda in the Caribbean. The theme of
the two-day meeting was “The Caribbean and
Labour 2013 and Beyond — Strengthening
Decent Work for Development”.
• Promoting Social Protection
Social protection aims to provide a basic level of
economic and social welfare to all members of
society. In particular, it should ensure a level of
welfare sufficient to maintain a minimum quality
of life necessary for human development;
facilitate access to social services; and secure
decent work (Cecchini and Martínez, 2011). It
also provides a range of instruments to reduce,
mitigate and cope with different types of income
risks that are especially relevant for the poor.
It comprises: pension reforms, labour market
policies, social safety nets and protection of
children and youth (World Bank).
In December 2012, the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$30
million loan to support social protection
programmes in Jamaica. The funding will target
beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement
through Health and Education (PATH) and the
School Feeding Programme, which include
children up to 18 years of age, pregnant and
lactating women and adult members of PATH
beneficiary households.
One of the components will finance “conditional
grants” ranging from $750 to $1,265 per month
to eligible children and pregnant women.
Another component will support parent
education workshops for households. There
are other initiatives geared towards improving
labour market outcomes and the modernisation
of the School Feeding Programme.
