United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
| Abbreviation | ECLAC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1948 |
| Type | Primary Organ – Regional Branch |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Santiago, 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 |
| Website | English version |
The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC, ECLAC or CEPAL, in Spanish: Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe) is a United Nations regional commission to encourage economic cooperation. The 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. The ECLAC publishes statistics covering the countries of the region and makes cooperative agreements with nonprofit institutions. The headquarters of ECLAC is in Santiago, Chile.
The ECLAC was established in 1948 as the UN Economic Commission for Latin America. 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).