Representatives from Latin American governments and experts met in Brasilia to exchange experiences on multidimensional poverty indicators

Brasilia, 14 of September 2015 – Despite the progress made by Latin America in reducing extreme poverty and inequality over the past 15 years, countries in the region have demonstrated that they are well aware of the risk of setbacks that could undermine the social agenda as well as the challenges that lie in store.
About 60 representatives from Latin American governments and international institutions, and experts in social protection policies, met in Brasilia on August 25 and 26, to attend the Technical Workshop on Multidimensional Poverty organized by WWP.
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Opening session of the Technical Workshop (left to right): Martin Raiser, the World Bank Country Director for Brazil; Jorge Chediek, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Brazil; Tereza Campello, Minister of Social Development and Fight against Hunger in Brazil; Laís Abramo, Chief of the Social Development Division of the ECLAC; and André Calixtre, Director of Social Studies and Policy of the Ipea. Photo: Ana Nascimento/MDS.

At the opening session, Laís Abramo, Chief of the Social Development Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), noted that the encouraging results achieved by the region were due to strategic options and policies as a result of which social inclusion and the eradication of poverty and hunger have been placed at the forefront of the agenda.
André Calixtre, Director of Social Studies and Policy of the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea), stressed the importance of the labour market when it comes to devising a development model for the region. “The combination of these factors has resulted in the success we have experienced in recent years,” he added.
Tereza Campello, Minister of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger in Brazil, emphasized the need to maintain momentum in the social agenda. “The analysis of social indicators demonstrates that we need to overcome poverty. And we can go even further,” she said.
Jorge Chediek, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Brazil and the representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Brazil, praised that country’s role. “The example of Brazil is essential because it shows that a democratic country, one that is multicultural and multiracial and is located in the tropics, can change its social situation in a generation.”
Martin Raiser, the World Bank Country Director for Brazil, gave primacy to the importance of the World without Poverty Initiative in replicating the progress made by Brazil in combatting poverty. “The World Bank has learned a lot from the Brazilian experience and has galvanized other countries into participating in the WWP initiative,” he clarified.
Further reading: 
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Photo: Ana Nascimento/MDS

Indicators
The first day of discussions at the Technical Workshop on Multidimensional Povertylooked at how poverty measurement indicators can help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set for 2015-2030. The SDGs will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as of this month and the initial goal is the eradication of extreme poverty.
“The biggest challenge facing the SDG agenda is to transform the indicators into an operational agenda”, said Dr. Romulo Paes de Sousa, Director of the World Centre for Sustainable Development (the Rio + Centre).
Among the various possible poverty indicators, measurement methods reflecting a multidimensional perspective constituted the focus of the workshop. To calculate poverty in a specific population, the indicators address not only income but also deprivation of social rights such as access to water, health and education.
According to Luis Henrique Paiva, former National Secretary of Income and Citizenship at the Brazilian Ministry of Social Development, monetary and multidimensional indicators (to understand the difference between these concepts see here) can complement one another while serving to provide accurate assessments for public policy.
On the second day of the workshop, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Uruguay presented their experiences with regard to the development of multidimensional poverty indicators.
Continue reading about the technical workshop here.
Access the presentations:
Marianna Rios, WWP