The Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales) or FLACSO, is an intergovernmental academic organization founded on April 17, 1957, in Costa Rica. Headquartered in San José, Costa Rica, FLACSO promotes graduate-level teaching, research, and technical cooperation in the social sciences, including sociology, political science, economics, and public policy.  Since its founding, it has grown into a regional network comprising 18 member states and two observer countries, with academic units operating in 13 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.