OFFICIAL PRESENTATION SPEECH BY AMBASSADOR JAVIER PAULINICH, PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM (SELA)

Official Presentation of the new Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA).

Speech by Ambassador Javier Paulinich, Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)

24 August 2017.

SP/APOSP/Di N° 1-17

The Honourable

Ms. Betina Rodríguez

Representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua

Chairperson of the Latin American Council

Her Excellency

Ms. Marilyn Miles

Ambassador of the Republic of Guyana

First Vice-Chairperson of the Latin American Council

The Honourable

Ms. Rosa Álvarez

Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Peru

Second Vice-Chairperson of the Latin American Council

Your Excellencies Ambassadors and Chargés d’Affaires of the Member States of SELA

Your Excellencies Ambassadors of the Diplomatic Corps and Representatives of International Organizations accredited to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Dear officials of SELA

Representatives of the mass media

Ladies and gentlemen:

It is an honour for me to express my sincere gratitude to the Member States of SELA for having endorsed my nomination and having elected me, during the XII Special Meeting of the Latin American Council, as Permanent Secretary of SELA. I also wish to express my gratitude to the Government of Peru for the honour of nominating me to conduct the tasks of the organization, which I will meet in accordance with its purposes and goals, faithfully contained in the Panama Convention establishing SELA, with responsibility and commitment.

I intend to make SELA a regional benchmark institution, effective and useful for its Member States, in particular with the introduction of new issues, such as global production value chains and internationalization of SMEs. In addition, actions that contribute to the support and promotion of cooperation and integration in Latin America and the Caribbean will remain the priority.

I intend to redesign the works developed by SELA so far, with the purpose of channelling them to the current needs of the member countries, keeping those that are currently successful.

Thus, we will avoid the duplication of activities with other organizations and the current dispersion of topics that make up the Work Programme of SELA.

We will support the initiatives of the Central American and Caribbean countries and their corresponding regional integration mechanisms so as to improve their economic and social conditions.

In addition, SELA will continue to promote the search for new and additional resources from international cooperation in order to use them for the implementation of the programmes, projects and activities of the organization.

We will submit for consideration by the next Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council, as well as in each of the upcoming meetings to be held during this administration, comprehensive and concerted Work Programmes that meet the needs and realities of Latin America and the Caribbean; all of them with the purpose of contributing to promote economic growth and social development in our region.

I am confident that I will achieve relevant results with the proposed modality of work that I have presented to you, with the purpose of conferring the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System the position and hierarchy that it deserves, which will be possible through the rapprochement, support and dialogue with the Member States.

I must also refer to the progressive incorporation of innovative instruments for institutional management within the Permanent Secretariat of SELA. Such is the case of the implementation of the Budget by Results methodology, whose purpose will be to provide the organization with an important tool to follow up its objectives and Work Programme execution, and achieve a better management of the resources allocated by the Member States and the organization’s accountability.

In view of the situation currently faced by the economies of our region, characterized by constant changes in the social, political and economic areas, SELA, which will mark its forty-two years of existence on 17 October, has the challenge to respond to such requirements. For that purpose, it is a privilege to assume and confront this important challenge.

Thank you very much.

Official Presentation of the new Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Ambassador Javier Paulinich.