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FUNDESA
The Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (FUNDESA) presents, as a balance for 2010, an index comparison with other Central American countries and lists 5 groups considered priority actions when promoting better development conditions for Guatemala, expecting better index evaluations for the future:
1. Reverse the vicious cycle of low productivity and low levels of development. To do this, there are two key points: training people and improve physical and technological infrastructure to adapt to the information age.
2. Quality standards in social investment. For years there have been extensive amounts of resources from domestic and foreign entities destined for social investment. There are many examples of programs to improve education, health and reducing malnutrition rates; but these programs are lacking results.
3. Improve governance. Several indicators show that some of the biggest issues the region must work on are the development of democratic institutions, reducing impunity, generating confidence in public officials, control excessive corruption, implementing financial standards against the misuse of funds and money laundering and promoting the rule of law.
4. Contribute to environmental sustainability. Given the different natural shocks which the region has faced, it is clear there is extreme vulnerability on issues like infrastructure, agricultural production and disaster reduction. The costs associated with repair and reconstruction of countries could be reduced if investment is made in mechanisms which protect the environment.
However, one must be emphatic that while been an advocate for the preservation of the environment at the same time you can enjoy its benefits to combat poverty. New mechanisms used are: production with "zero footprint", community involvement in preservation of species and eco-tourism. These are just some examples of how profitable can be to preserve natural and cultural diversity in the region.
5. Construction of Citizenship. All this has no merit if it does not come from the result of cooperation between different sectors of society. It emphasizes the need to build based on a vision of the country and dreaming of a regional view.
Source: Gutemala Development Foundation
More on this topic
April 2012
Heads of state and business leaders will seek to join efforts for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean at a Business Summit, which will precede the Sixth Summit of the Americas.
Executives of large companies operating in Latin America and the Caribbean will meet April 13–14 with heads of state and government to discuss prospects for economic development in the region.
November 2010
Sixteenth "State of the Nation" report covering Sustainable Human Development.
The Sixteenth report announces major findings and follows up on trends identified in areas covered by each of its chapters:
Equity and social integration
-Accumulation of capacity in 2009
-Inequality, poverty and social exclusion
October 2011
The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean 2011-2012.
ECLAC, FAO and IICA press release:
San Jose, Costa Rica, October 21 (ECLAC/FAO/IICA). Despite the current context of volatility and high food prices, in the long term, the agricultural sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will be able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by having available land - albeit concentrated in a few countries- a relative abundance of water, biodiversity and well-educated human resources.
November 2011
According to the UN Development Program (UNDP) index, within Central America Panama comes first at no. 58 followed by Costa Rica (69), El Salvador (105), Honduras (121), Nicaragua (129) and Guatemala at no. 131.
While Panama's ranking has moved up one spot since the last time the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) was published, Costa Rica and Honduras have slipped back a place.
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