Institutional framework
In Ecuador, the National Secretariat for Planning is the permanent body responsible for coordinating population and development issues and serves as the technical and political counterpart to the Regional Conference on Population and Development (RCPD). The Secretariat led the preparation of the country's Second Voluntary National Report on the implementation of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development, which is aligned with the National Development Plan, the country's principal planning instrument.
In this context, the National Secretary for Planning issued Agreement No. SNP-SNP-2023-0004-A, dated 23 January 2023, approving and issuing the Methodological Guidelines for the Alignment of the Priority Measures of the Montevideo Consensus with the National Development Plan. This methodology, which includes a matrix designed to demonstrate the alignment between the priority measures of the Montevideo Consensus, the objectives, policies and targets of the National Development Plan (NDP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), strengthens the institutional framework and coherence of public policies on population and development in Ecuador.
Participation
The Ecuadorian State has not established mechanisms guaranteeing the participation of the various representative sectors of society within the institutional framework responsible for population and development issues and for monitoring the implementation of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development.
However, in the preparation of the Second Report on the Implementation of the Montevideo Consensus in Ecuador, civil society participated actively and meaningfully throughout all stages of the process through a variety of inclusion mechanisms. Key informants were identified from social organizations, including Fundación Desafío, SENDAS and the National Women's Coalition, among others. In addition, group interviews were conducted with organizations from different parts of the country (Guayas, the southern region, the Amazon region and national-level organizations), and participation was broadened through a virtual survey administered to 131 individuals from 23 cities in 13 provinces, the majority of whom were women (94%).
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.