A report on the Third Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)

Adriano Timossi

09/02/2015

Opinión

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The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), inaugurated in Venezuela in 2011 and comprising all 33 nations of the region, held its third summit in San José, Costa Rica on 28-29 January 2015. The summit also marked the handover of the Presidency of CELAC from Costa Rica to Ecuador. CELAC is an important example of a developing country forum. It serves as a mechanism of dialogue and political coordination.

The Third Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) under the theme “Building Together” was held in San José, Costa Rica on 28-29 January 2015. At the summit, leaders of the 33 nations of the region reaffirmed the principles of the UN charter and international law, their commitment to dialogue between countries and peaceful resolution of conflicts, sustainable development, democracy and respect for human rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity, no interference in internal affairs, respect for independence and self-determination of people, eradication of hunger and poverty, the fight against inequality and all forms of racism, united action on climate change, and other issues of importance for the region as stated in the Belem Political Declaration of over 90 paragraphs adopted with an Action Plan for 2015 and nearly 30 other special declarations.

The Action Plan 2015 contains specific actions and targets on Food Security and Eradication of Hunger and Poverty, Family Agriculture, Education, Labour, Migration, Security, World Problems of Drugs, Prevention and Fight against Corruption, Women Empowerment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Industrial Productive Capacity, Infrastructure, Finance, Tariffs, Environment, Energy, Post-2015 Development Agenda, Relations with extra-regional partners, including China with the CELAC-China Forum already established, and with the EU, India, Russia and ASEAN.

In 2014, at the Second Summit of CELAC in Havana, Cuba, leaders of the region took the historical initiative of declaring Latin America and the Caribbean a Zone of Peace and Free of Nuclear Weapons and called upon the international community to “respect this proclamation in its relations with the member states of CELAC, including the commitment to non-intervention, direct or indirect, in the internal affairs of any other state and to respect the principles of national sovereignty, equal rights, and the self-determination of peoples.”

CELAC leaders gathered in Costa Rica reaffirmed their strong support for multilateralism and international cooperation as primary instruments to advance sustainable development. They committed to strengthen their coordination in multilateral negotiations and to consensus, speaking with one voice in the UN forums and negotiations. With regard to the upcoming Third Conference on Financing for Development, the 33 nations asked for the establishment of a concrete action plan to deal with systematic and structural problems that affect availability of financial resources for sustainable development in developing countries. “Goals for eradication of hunger, poverty and inequality require active participation and planning of States by, among others, guaranteeing that international and regional financial systems are at the service of human beings” and that allows them to better respond to the sustainable development goals.

CELAC leaders also endorsed the call for strengthening of the financial regional architecture reaffirming their commitment to continue the coordinated work already started in the fields of monetary and financial cooperation and integration including the Plan of Action of Caracas at their first summit in 2011 and in Havana in 2013, and the Declaration of Quito of the Second Meeting of Ministers of Finance of CELAC in November 2013.

A special declaration was adopted on “Solidarity with the states affected by interests of Transnationals”, expressing their solidarity with the Latin American and Caribbean countries affected by disputes with some transnational enterprises that have polluted their territories, ecosystems and communities. The declaration refers also to the Resolution A/HRC/RES/26/9 “Elaboration of an international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights”, adopted in the framework of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Furthermore, it also expressed the commitment of their efforts to “jointly continue strengthening policies and initiatives that allow for resolving difficulties amongst States and transnational enterprises.”

Leaders also endorsed their full support for legitimate rights of Argentina in the dispute for the sovereignty for the Islas Malvinas, Georgias del Sur and Sandwich del Sur and the surrounding maritime areas as well as the permanent interest that such dispute is resolved through pacific means and negotiation, according to Resolution 31/49 of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Eradication of hunger is another important element in the agenda of CELAC. A plan of action to eliminate hunger by 2025 has been submitted by the Director-General of FAO, Dr. José Graziano da Silva, who attended the meeting as a special guest. A follow-up meeting will take place in Venezuela in the second semester of 2015.

ECLAC Executive Director Alicia Bárcena presented an economic and social analysis of the nations that make up CELAC. The study shows a modest result in terms of economic growth in the region of only 1.1% last year, the slowest growth since 2009. Despite this scenario, she highlighted that modest performance did not affect the unemployment rate or harm spending or public investment in proportional terms. Referring to the cycle of high commodity prices, “which is reaching its end”, she said that it does not appear to have been taken advantage of sufficiently to strengthen social protection policies that reduce vulnerability in the face of economic cycles. “The challenges are latent, the region still needs profound structural changes to advance on the path of equality and prosperity for all,” she said.

The President of Cuba, Raul Castro, in his long speech, declared that the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States will not be possible “as long as the US economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba exists”, among other issues. The resumption of diplomatic relations is the start of a process towards the normalization of bilateral relations, but this will not be possible as long as the blockade exists, unless the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base is given back to Cuba, radio and television broadcasts which violate international norms stop and fair compensation is given to our people for human and economic losses”, said Raul Castro. He also said that the talks show that “governments with profound differences can find a solution to their problems through respectful dialogue and exchanges on the basis of sovereign equality and reciprocity for the benefit of the respective nations”.

Ecuador’s President, Rafael Correa, in his speech after his appointment as the new Presidency of CELAC, reaffirmed his commitment for a progressive agenda for CELAC under his presidency. Correa mentioned five main areas the body should focus on the next five years, which are: 1) to reduce extreme poverty and inequality; 2) to increase support for education, science, technology and innovation; 3) environment and climate change; 4) development finance, infrastructure and connectivity; and 5) develop and strengthen CELAC’s role as a bloc. “With these visible concrete goals and objectives for the benefit of the people, seeking specific solutions to their problems, our people will feel the benefits of integration and thus the spirit of integration that we seek will be strengthened”, said the Ecuadorian President. President Correa also stressed his firm belief on the importance of unity in the region in order to curb abuses of transnational corporations, which rely on Bilateral Investment Treaties to make use of arbitration tribunals of the Northern countries. He strongly criticised vulture funds for their role in threatening the economy and sovereignty of Argentina. He suggested that BRICS should provide “alternative financing routes”. He also said that “CELAC should propel a new financial architecture.”

President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil endorsed the establishment of a business forum of CELAC to have participation of government and business representatives of the region and aiming at improving trade relations, taking advantage of the diversified opportunities that economies of the region have to offer and stimulating productive integration in the CELAC region. It will also be an important instrument for dialogue with trade partners. Ms. Rousseff echoed the speech of all leaders in welcoming the recent developments in the Cuba-US relations, one of the key items in the CELAC agenda since its very beginning. In this regard, she stated that the economic, trade and financial embargo still exists and this coercive measure, without any support in international law, affects the well-being of the Cuban people and the development of the country and for this reason it has to be overcome. “Brazil has provided financing for the Port of Mariel, inaugurated on the side-lines of II CELAC,” she said while praising the work of Cuban doctors in Brazil in providing basic health services for 50 million Brazilians.

The Bolivian President, Evo Morales, spoke on the economic and social progress achieved in his country since 2005 after a long period of instability. Between 2006-2014, extreme poverty was reduced from 38% to 18%. President Morales said that under his government, he has nationalized natural resources and reinforced public enterprises. “Basic services cannot be a private business, it should be a public service”, he said. He remembered that at the UN, Bolivia worked for the approval of water as a fundamental human right that cannot be left for the interests of the private sector. Speaking on Cuba, he expressed his hope that President Obama would announce the end of the embargo on Cuba at the upcoming Organization of American States (OAS) Summit of the Americas to take place in Panama in April, in which Cuba will be invited for the first time in history.

Ecuador assumed the Presidency Pro Tempore in 2015 for a year to be followed by the Dominican Republic in January 2016. The Plurinational State of Bolivia offered to host the CELAC Summit in 2017

CELAC members include Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

- Adriano Timossi is Senior Programme Officer of the South Centre.

Contact:timossi@southcentre.int.

Source: Southnews No. 81, 6 February 2015

South Centre: www.southcentre.int.

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