The Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Rodolfo Sabonge, acknowledged the efforts of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) to strengthen synergies with the rest of the mechanisms in the region to promote integration in favour of the development of the membership.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Permanent Secretary Clarems Endara for his efforts to strengthen relations among the different mechanisms, and I congratulate SELA for its work in the search for greater integration,” the ACS Secretary General said during his virtual participation at the 50th Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council of SELA, held on Wednesday, 11 December in Caracas.

Rodolfo Sabonge stressed the importance of greater complementarity among integration mechanisms to promote an articulated regional development policy. He also stressed that it is essential to accelerate joint action on climate change and the use of public-private partnerships as a way forward to optimise connectivity and trade in the region.

SELA and ACS have made progress in the inter-secretariat project led by the Caracas-based organisation, in order to offer concrete responses to the needs of the region, together with other regional integration mechanisms such as the Central American Integration System (SICA); the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI); the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP; the Caribbean Community (CARICOM; the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO).

During the 50th Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council, SELA renewed its commitment with its Member States and regional mechanisms to achieve more and better integration through a common regional agenda that contributes to the growth of Latin America and the Caribbean.