United Nations- The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, pointed today here that in 2017 a growth of 1.3 percent in regional gross domestic product.

'After two years of negative growth, the region is picking up again, although very modestly,' she specified in statements to Prensa Latina, speaking about her speech on the eve in a meeting of the Plenary Committee created in 1948 by United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Bárcena presented at the meeting the socio-economic panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean, something encouraging in a context of crisis.

We came from minus 1.1 percent in 2016, so raising to 1.3 is already good news, but modest, she insisted.

According to Bárcena, it is urgent to find new styles and development models in the region, marked by economic growth with social inclusion and environmental sustainability, she added.

The expert also advocates that Latin America and the Caribbean have their own projections into the future, given the global and hemispheric political events.

According to the official, the Mexican forum will be an opportunity to address the common problems and challenges facing the implementation of the human development platform adopted in September 2015.