Poverty and exclusion :

1. Poverty and exclusion: closing gaps in thelives and realities of youngpeoplein LatinAmerica Alicia Bárcena ExecutiveSecretary EconomicCommissionforLatinAmerica and theCaribbean Dialogue of theExecutiveSecretaries of the Regional Commissionswith ECOSOC New York, 10 July 2012

2. WheredoesLatinAmerica and theCaribbean stand today? • Learningfromthepast • More prudent in macroeconomicterms • Progressive in social terms • Slower pace of economicgrowth in 2011 and 2012 than in 2010 • Urgentneedtorecast a new development agenda centredonequality and withenvironmentalsustainability as one of itsthemes • Productive and social gaps must be closed • Theregion has tofacehistorical and recentdebts →The region is aiming for structural change

3. And where do theyoungpeople stand? A generationbesetbytensions Young peopletoday are hit harderbythefollowingtensionsorparadoxesthantherest of thepopulation: Greater access to education Greater access to information More adaptable to productive change Greater expectations of autonomy Less access to employment Less access to power More excluded from that process Fewer opportunities to achieve it • They are in better health but less is known about the specific causes of morbidity and mortality affecting them • They are more prolific in terms of sensitivities but more segmented in terms of communication • They fall between policy receivers and protagonists for change • Their symbolic consumption has increased while their material consumption has been restricted • They are totally engaged in the present and ever greater demands are expected to be placed on them in the future Other tensions

4. Almost 10.5 millionyoungpeopleaged15 to 29 yearslive in extreme poverty, whilepovertyaffects 30.5 million LATIN AMERICA (18 COUNTRIES): POVERTY AND INDIGENCE RATES AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 15-24 YEARS, AROUND 2010 (Percentages) Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of data from household surveys conducted in the relevant countries.

5. Education and employment: two master keys to closing the social inclusion gaps affecting young people

6. Education: progressingsteadilythrough a highlystratifiededucationsystem LATIN AMERICA (18 COUNTRIES): TIMELY PROGRESSION THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM BY YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 15 TO 19 YEARS, AROUND 2008a (Percentages) Inequity in exercising the right to education exacerbates inequality problems in the region Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of data from household surveys conducted in the relevant countries. aRefers to students who attended and completed the appropriate grade at the appropriate age, considering a maximum delay of one year due to late enrolment.

7. Inclusive educational thresholds The region is falling short of its goal of achieving a 75% completion rate for secondary education LATIN AMERICA (19 COUNTRIES): COMPLETION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION BY YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 20 TO 24 YEARS AND GENDER PARITY INDEX, AROUND 2008 (Percentages and ratios) Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of data from household surveys conducted in the relevant countries. .

8. Completion of secondaryeducation: whereinequalityisalreadyentrenchedin the social system LATIN AMERICA (18 COUNTRIES):a COMPLETION OF HIGHER SECONDARY EDUCATION AMONG YOUTH AGED 20 TO 24 BY PER CAPITA INCOME LEVEL AND SEX, AROUND 2008 (Percentages) Source: Economic Commission for Latin Ameirica and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of household surveys conducted in the respective countries. a The figures relating to indigenous and non-indigenous youth relate to eight countries and to the year 2007.

9. And thenisperpetuated in labourincomethroughoutlife LATIN AMERICA (18 COUNTRIES): MONTHLY LABOUR INCOME OF THE EMPLOYED POPULATION AGED 15 TO 29, 30 TO 64 AND 15 YEARS AND OVER, BY LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED (Percentage and PPP dollars at 2000 prices) Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of household surveys in the respective countries , around 2008).

10. Apart from the socioeconomic differences, unemployment affects young people more than adults, although the youth unemployment rate has risen more slowly than the adult employment rate during the crisis LATIN AMERICA (18 COUNTRIES): UNEMPLOYMENT BY AGE GROUP, AROUND 1990 AND 2008 (Percentages) Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of household surveys conducted in the respective countries.

11. Despite the steady increase in social spending in the past two decades, Governments in Latin America play a limited role in financing consumption for children and young people SOURCES OF FINANCING FOR CONSUMPTION BY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, AROUND 2000 (Percentages of total consumption) LatinAmerica (fivecountries) Europe (sevencountries), Japan and theUnitedStates Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of information from the System of National Accounts project on intergenerational transfers, population aging and social protection in Latin America of the Latin American and Caribbean Population Centre (CELADE) – Population Division of ECLAC, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)