The Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Ambassador Clarems Endara, presented the annual report of activities of the Permanent Secretariat for the year 2024, highlighting the 85.1% compliance with the Work Programme approved by the XLIX Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council in 2023.

Out of 47 activities planned for 2024, SELA managed to implement 40 activities, with a high percentage of participation of the membership and always focused on offering concrete responses to the needs of the region, through actions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in order to advance towards the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the Preparatory Meeting for the 50th Latin American Council, the Permanent Secretary of SELA said that 19 activities of the Economic Recovery Area, 6 activities of the Digitalisation Area and 15 activities of the Social Development Area were conducted.

He also presented twelve proposals for regional public policies, with which SELA aims to contribute to sustainable and resilient development, namely: Sustainable development of coffee and cocoa; strengthening economic cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean and China, consolidation of best practices and strengthening of the regional competition regime, the Public Policy Index for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean (IPPALC), cyberdiplomacy, artificial intelligence and digital governance, public policies with a gender approach for sustainable MSMEs, strategies to strengthen cultural and creative industries, policies for port digital transformation and its commercial impact in Latin America and the Caribbean, strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in Latin America and the Caribbean, regional disaster risk management, public policies for the development of productive niches in the region and convergence and cooperation based on inter-secretariat work.

In this regard, he highlighted the promotion of convergence and synergy in the region, achieved through joint work with other integration mechanisms such as the Central American Integration System (SICA); the Andean Community (CAN); the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI); as well as the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP); the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR); the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO); the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and the Community of Caribbean States (CARICOM).

During the year 2024, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) made progress in convergence and synergy with other integration mechanisms in order to synchronize work agendas and projects in accordance with the needs of the region.

In addition, Ambassador Endara informed about the impacts generated by the organisation in each of the Member States and the region during 2024, especially in the promotion of public policies for the development of the region.

He also emphasized that the Permanent Secretariat of SELA, during the year 2024, committed itself to contribute to the promotion and dissemination of knowledge with the publication of seven books and two journals, focused on issues of regional interest.

These nine publications address crucial issues such as regional integration, competition in the Fintech sector, cyberdiplomacy, policies for SMEs, economic relations with China, artificial intelligence in diplomacy and public policy strategies for integration. In addition, case studies on various aspects of economic and social development in the region are included.

Through its publications, SELA provides its member states with essential tools and knowledge for the formulation of effective public policies. By addressing issues of regional and global relevance, these publications facilitate informed decision-making and promote cooperation and sustainable development.

The Permanent Secretary also presented SELA’s new Web page and the Directory of Cultural and Creative Industries in Latin America and the Caribbean (DICC).

The new Web site is updated under the commitment to dynamically accompany the strategic objectives of the organisation’s Work Programme and thus comply with the mandate of the Member States to present the activities of the Work Programme in a transparent and timely manner, as well as all the information that contributes to the construction of regional public policies.

The Directory of Cultural and Creative Industries of Latin America and the Caribbean (DICC), for its part, offers a harmonised systematisation of the diversity of cultural and creative industries in 29 Latin American and Caribbean countries that are members of the organisation.

The Preparatory Meeting for the 50th Latin American Council of SELA, held on Tuesday in Caracas, was led by the Bureau headed by Scarleth Romero, Ambassador of Honduras in Venezuela and Chair of the Latin American Council of SELA; Aquinas Clarke, Ambassador of Barbados in Venezuela and First Vice-Chairman; Alejandro Mora, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Colombia in Venezuela and Second Vice-Chairman; and Dagoberto Rodríguez, Ambassador of Cuba in Venezuela and Rapporteur of the Latin Council of SELA. The delegations of Bolivia, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Suriname and Venezuela participated in person, as well as the delegations of Peru, Panama, Brazil, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic in virtual mode.

The Latin American Council is the highest decision-making body of SELA and is made up of one representative of each Member State. Its powers include considering, evaluating and approving the Work Programme for the following year; the annual report submitted by the Permanent Secretariat; the budget and financial status of the mechanism; as well as analysing the activities of the Permanent Secretariat and the Action Committees.