United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
AbbreviationECLAC
Formation1948 (1948)
TypePrimary Organ – Regional Branch
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersSantiago, Chile
Head
Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs
Parent organization
United Nations Economic and Social Council
WebsiteEnglish version

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC or ECLAC; Spanish: Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe, CEPAL) is a United Nations regional commission to encourage economic cooperation. ECLAC includes 46 member states (20 in Latin America, 13 in the Caribbean and 13 from outside the region), and 14 associate members which are various non-independent territories, associated island countries and a commonwealth in the Caribbean. ECLAC publishes statistics covering the countries of the region and makes cooperative agreements with non-profit institutions. The headquarters of ECLAC is in Santiago, Chile.

ECLAC was established in 1948 as the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA). In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name. It reports to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).