Poor producers in Bolivia generate 83% of all employment, but only 25% of GDP. This Joint Programme supported initiatives in fair trade and organic farming as a way to generate income and provide jobs in Altiplano, the country's poorest region.

Although Panama's rate of human development has improved, inequalities have risen and 40% of the population now lives below the poverty line. In the last decade, homicide rates more than doubled, giving Panama one of the highest rates of violence in the region. This UN Joint Programme aimed to reduce violence and crime by strengthening institutional mechanisms and policies in the justice and security sectors, coordinating relevant stakeholders, and including vulnerable groups, particularly youth, in decision-making processes.

The 1994 clash between the Mexican State and the Zapatista resulted in tens of thousands of people being driven off their land. Many of these remain displaced, fueling strife and perpetuating poverty in Mexico's least developed state. The aim of this Joint Programme was to reduce conflict and tension in 25 communities in Chiapas by strengthening the criminal justice system, improving security and developing a culture of peace.

Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country, already struggled with high levels of youth unemployment and violence before the 2010 earthquake, in which more than 200,000 people lost their lives, 1.5 million were displaced and crucial infrastructure was destroyed. The lack of work and the living conditions in temporary settlement camps created new vulnerabilities and security threats. The Joint Programme's aim was to tackle the immediate causes of conflict in 10 violence-prone communities by supporting violence-prevention strategies, including improving the employability of at-risk youth and vulnerable women.