The United Nations Documents Index covers documents and publications issued by United Nations offices worldwide. The publication indexes a wide variety of documentation such as major reports and studies, resolutions and decisions, draft resolutions and meeting records, including documents of restricted distribution. The information in this publication is arranged in the following nine sections: documents and publications; official records; sales publications; United Nations maps included in UN documents; United Nations sheet maps; United Nations document series symbols; author index; title index and subject index.

This abridged report reviews the development challenges facing the Latin American and the Caribbean region today. It provides an overview of global trends together with the associated challenges in the areas of human rights and equity; as well as the economic, social and environmental conditions in the region during the 1990s. Issues considered include: poverty reduction, education, employment, social security and social spending, social cohesion and citizenship, macroeconomic growth and stability, the regulation of public utilities and the consolidation of sustainable development.