Economic and Social Progress in Latin America: 1993 Report (Inter-American Development Bank)

The 1993 report on Latin American and Caribbean economies features updated summaries and ten-year statistical profiles of regional and national economic performance. It also includes year-by-year consolidated data on population, national accounts, central government finances, balance of payments, external debt, exchange rates and inflation since 1983. This year's Special Section examines the increasingly important role of human resource development in Latin America in the 1990s. An emerging Latin American consensus views human resource investments in education, training, health and nutrition as a key part of economic development, social reform and poverty reduction. Supporting the poor to become more productive and empowered, draws them into the development process and at the same time makes that process more equitable and sustainable. The Special Section also looks at the current status of human resources and how it relates to poverty, economic growth and technology. The decisions and policies determining human resource investments are examined through a survey of the strengths and limitations of human resource programmes in the region. Although human resource development and investment in Latin America vary from country to country, the Special Section delivers four major messages on current conditions. Firstly, human resources have an important positive impact on productivity and distribution. Secondly, while human resources fare relatively well by international comparison, important gaps and some evidence of inadequate investment in recent years are cause for concern. Thirdly, though much of the return on human resource investments is private, social benefits derived from these programmes make them effective from a public policy standpoint. Finally, changes or improvements in human resource policies and services have the potential to yield substantial returns in any number of areas of development.