The Center for Development Studies and Promotion – DESCO, is a non-governmental development institution that has been part of Peruvian civil society for 55 years.
Recently, it initiated an internal process of institutional restructuring to adapt to the new socio-political and economic context of the country and the changes that are being experienced in international cooperation.
In this measure, it reformulates its statutes to adopt an operating modality adjusted to these requirements, converting its old programs and units into legal entities, articulating its actions at the national level. It is currently made up of the following legal entities.
descoCiudadano 
descocentro 
descosur
desco articulates its intervention at the national level. All members guide their actions according to principles, policies and norms agreed in the institutional statute.
The exclusive purposes of desco are
- Education and scientific and cultural development that contributes to equitable, sustainable and decentralized national development, based on a democratic and participative institutionality; as well as the development of critical knowledge oriented to human development.
- Democratization and diversity of society to generate alternative policy proposals; promoting the exercise of the rights and ways of life of populations and approaches.
- Local development, human rights, promotion of gender and gender equality, resource management and interculturality. We work on productive issues.
