After just one week of this country’s ascension to the Pro-Tempore Presidency (2023-2024) of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC), a ministerial briefing was held at the Foreign Affairs conference room on Thursday, 2nd February, 2023, to present a work plan and organizational structure for the way forward.
In his remarks at the briefing, Prime Minister Gonsalves emphasised that CELAC adds value to all member states, and every country must feed into the process framed by the fifteen specific declarations of Buenos Aires.
“CELAC is an umbrella organisation of an inter-governmental kind…that addresses a range of functional cooperation including economic and political matters,” Dr. Gonsalves said.
The Prime Minister added that a Disaster Fund has been established within CELAC, making it the the only entity in Latin America and the Caribbean that has instituted such a fund.
National Coordinator for the Presidential Secretariat of CELAC, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, His Excellency Dr. Douglas Slater, in delivering his remarks, underscored the importance of what he described as “…a national effort that requires the best of us.”
Dr. Slater also called for a collaborative approach between member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) sub-grouping.
Deputy Coordinator of the Presidential Secretariat of CELAC in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Andreas Wickham said the vast resources across CELAC member states such as oil, natural gas, precious metals and minerals strengthens the overall position of CELAC.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Keisal Peters described the advancement of this country to CELAC’s presidency as outstanding. Minister Peters listed food security, terrorism, gender equality, climate change, arms trafficking and the preservation of indigenous languages among areas of concern for CELAC member countries.