The sixth State of the Region report was issued by the State of the Nation Program (PEN) in early October. PEN is a participatory research and innovation center based in San José, Costa Rica. According to the report’s mandate, “The purpose of the State of the Region Report is to contribute to the promotion of sustainable human development by providing timely, truthful, complete, and legitimate information on the performance of Central America and the Dominican Republic, and to strengthen the dialogue and negotiation capacities of various social, institutional, and political actors, both at a national and regional level. To this end, the State of the Region offers a regional performance measurement and evaluation system that enjoys broad institutional support, legitimacy, and social participation.”
The report comprises 14 chapters ranging from topics including the COVID-19 pandemic, effects on sustainable human development, and measures taken to address these issues. The report also explores the views on Central American and regional integration, climate change, environmental conflict, and an approach for analysing pressures on ecosystems and their resources, networks, productive, employment linkages, and new migratory dynamics.
The most recent report comes after 48 months of research completed in 2021. It is not a governmental or official document, but neither is it an anti-government one. It does not specialize in criticizing public action, but neither in its defense. The State of the Region report is conceived as an instrument to reflect in an informed way about Central America and the Dominican Republic’s present and future. The aim is also to promote the effective petition and accountability processes, identify possible actions to expand opportunities, and enhance the population’s skills. To provide the technical bases for a social and political dialogue conducive to promoting sustainable human development in the region.
According to Alberto Mora, research coordinator based in San José, most Central American countries are highly ranked in the global climate change index, and several countries could be severely impacted. Some of the areas that may be affected are agriculture, energy, and production. He added that countries lose 1% or 2% of the Gross Domestic Product every due to disasters. Mora says that as per the report, these resources could be allocated to other development priorities like education, health, and nutrition, for instance. These are some of the challenges identified in most of the Central American countries.
The report was prepared using a methodology based on three principles: academic rigor, social legitimacy, and broad dissemination. A decentralized research strategy was used to encourage the participation of academic centers, universities, and information sources from different Central American countries. The research strategy was based on the premise that a regional study is more than the sum of national reports.
The project was made possible with the sponsorship of the National Council of Rectors, an institution that brings together Costa Rica’s public universities and financial support from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the European Union. Other partners include the ATEPECA Program executed by the General Secretariat of the CAIS, together with specific contributions from international and regional organizations specialized in various topics.
To review the report in its entirety, click here https://bit.ly/3Bi0yXL
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