Our mission is to deepen the understanding of the development challenges facing the Caribbean and contribute to solutions by conducting research and analysis and providing sound policy advice and technical assistance to Caribbean Governments, focused on growth with equity and recognition of the region's vulnerability.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), headquartered in Santiago, is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations. The Commission was established in 1948 by ECOSOC Resolution 106 (VI) in order to foster cooperation in Latin American and Caribbean countries for economic development, social development and expand and strengthen trade relations.

Our office, ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean was established in 1966 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to assist in the economic and social development of the Caribbean. In 1984, the widened role of the Commission in the Caribbean was officially acknowledged when ECLA modified its title to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Our mandate has since been expanded to foster Caribbean economic integration; to promote implementation of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals; to support sustainable development. Other areas of our mandate include statistics, knowledge management, and disaster management and risk reduction. We undertake research and analysis, conduct workshops and training programmes, convene technical and ministerial meetings and provide technical assistance and advisory services to governments within the region.

In 1975 the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) was created by Resolution E/CEPAL/989/Rev.1, as a permanent subsidiary body of ECLAC. The fundamental goal of the CDCC is the economic and social development of ECLAC Member and Associate Member States. The Member States are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The Associate members are Anguilla, Aruba¸ British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, and United States Virgin Islands. The Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean acts as the secretariat of the CDCC.

ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean provides a variety of services, which include:

• Formulating policy proposals on regional issues;
• Supporting Caribbean social and economic development and sustainability;
• Assessing the socio-economic and environmental impact of disasters;
• Conducting research, gathering information, and publishing a wealth of statistical and analytical data;
• Planning, organizing and executing programmes of technical cooperation among regional governments and institutions and providing advisory services to governments;
• Providing secretariat services to the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC)
• Bringing a Caribbean perspective to global forums and a global perspective to Caribbean forums;
• Organizing intergovernmental and expert group meetings;
• Coordinating ECLAC regional activities with other United Nations agencies and intergovernmental organizations

General Assembly resolutions

Through various United Nations General Assembly resolutions on the Caribbean, the United Nations system assists governments in addressing their economic and social challenges.

Other ECLAC Offices

• ECLAC Headquarters, Santiago, Chile
• ECLAC Subregional Headquarters, Mexico City, Mexico