Institutional Framework
Within the Costa Rican institutional framework, the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (MIDEPLAN) is the permanent government body responsible for population and development issues, as well as for the implementation and follow-up of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development. In addition, MIDEPLAN serves as the political and technical counterpart to the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (RCPD).
As part of MIDEPLAN, the Population Sub-secretariat of the Prospective Analysis and Public Policy Unit, established in 2017, is responsible for integrating population and development considerations into policies, plans, programmes and projects, in line with the Montevideo Consensus. The Sub-secretariat also leads collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including the public and private sectors, academia, non-governmental organizations and international organizations, in order to define the Montevideo Consensus agenda and prepare the country's Voluntary National Reports.
Accordingly, MIDEPLAN has incorporated the Montevideo Consensus as an international reference framework in the National Development and Public Investment Plan, the National Strategic Plan 2050, and the public policies for which it provides technical guidance.
Participation
Costa Rica has a permanent mechanism known as the Organizational Structure of the Montevideo Consensus, which facilitates the participation of and communication with civil society representatives through the Population Sub-secretariat of MIDEPLAN by means of a Steering Committee. Established in 2017, the Committee meets every two months and receives technical and professional support from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Two civil society organizations that are not part of the State structure participate as full members on an equal footing within the mechanism: the ACCEDER Citizens' Association and the LGTBI Costa Rica Sustainable Development Association. In addition, the mechanism includes working subcommittees whose purpose is to coordinate and articulate the actions of public institutions and civil society organizations involved in the implementation of the Montevideo Consensus.
Nevertheless, the country does not yet have a mechanism that guarantees broader representation of civil society within the institutional framework responsible for population and development issues. It is expected that, in the future, an Executive Decree will be adopted establishing regulations governing the governance model of the Montevideo Consensus and defining participation mechanisms for the country's institutions and organizations.
The information on Institutionality comes from the regional survey for the update of the Virtual Platform for the follow-up of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development, implemented by the technical secretariat in 2023, as well as from the country's Voluntary National Report submitted by the country in 2023.