SELA PARTICIPATED IN V MEETING OF NATIONAL COORDINATORS OF CELAC

Caracas, May 16- Upon invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) participated in the V Meeting of National Coordinators of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Havana, Cuba, on 9 and 10 May 2013.

Under the direction of the Pro Tempore Presidency of CELAC, being held by Cuba, and the support of the enlarged troika of CELAC (Chile, Costa Rica and Haiti), the Permanent Secretariat of SELA and representatives of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Regional Office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) were invited to join efforts towards the compliance and implementation of priority plans and programmes identified at the Summits of Caracas (December 2011) and Santiago (January 2013), as well as to report progress on those issues entrusted to them at such events.

The V Meeting of National Coordinators adopted the CELAC Action Plan 2013 and took note of the progress reports presented by the invited regional integration and cooperation mechanisms.

In addition, National Coordinators requested regional organizations to provide cooperation in other topics considered of priority interest within the framework of CELAC. These activities will be reviewed and adopted by the respective authorities of the Community and, eventually, submitted for consideration of the next Summit, to be held in Havana, Republic of Cuba.

For the time being, the V Meeting of National Coordinators authorized the Permanent Secretariat of SELA to convene, in its role as facilitator and in coordination with ECLAC, a meeting of senior officials of Member States of CELAC on productive development and industrialization, to be held at the headquarters of SELA in late August 2013.

This meeting will be in compliance with the mandate of the Caracas Action Plan to “consider the possibility of holding a Latin American and Caribbean conference on productive and industrial development,” whose results will be submitted for consideration of the next Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC.

In dealing with the strategic topic of regional development and facilitating discussions and exchanges on this matter, with an emphasis on intra-regional cooperation, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA meets the goals set forth in the Panama Convention establishing SELA, while following the path laid down by Latin American and Caribbean countries as regards their consultation, coordination and cooperation efforts within the framework of CELAC. Thus, the Permanent Secretariat complies with the decision of the Latin American Council to attach priority and provide the technical support to the activities carried out by CELAC.

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