FORUM: Responding to the challenges of integration for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean. Proposals from regional and subregional integration mechanisms

Justification

Integration in our region is a heritage that has been developing and enhancing for more than seven decades, with its mechanisms adapted to the specific needs of each region and subregion and with an ambitious vision that has allowed the accumulation of great achievements in different areas, enriching its normative and institutional acquis. However, the efforts to achieve convergence in a full, harmonised and articulated integration that includes the entire Latin American and Caribbean region have not yielded the expected results.

In a global context characterised by political and military conflict on the one hand and the persistent onslaught of the global emergency crisis caused by Covid-19 on the other, Latin America and the Caribbean is once again facing the possibility of reaffirming itself as a region, with a clear geopolitical and geostrategic profile, which allows it to jointly develop production linkages that, in addition to satisfying the needs of its own markets in the areas of infrastructure, energy, food security, and cross-border cooperation, can largely meet the demands of the international market.

On 18 August, the international seminar Latin America and the Caribbean, the future of integration, organised by CELAC and CAF, highlighted the challenges that would contribute to the construction of regional integration in a challenging international scenario.

The CELAC-SELA Forum Responding to the challenges of integration for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean. Proposals from regional and subregional integration mechanisms aims to consolidate a roadmap that makes it possible to achieve clear and defined goals that contribute to integration and promote the necessary productive development of the region, taking advantage of the role played by the organisations in projecting their achievements with a regional vision and scope.

Objectives of the forum

Analyse and contextualise the challenges of integration for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Discuss joint support strategies that can be implemented in regional, subregional and multilateral mechanisms in favour of integration for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Promote cooperation and convergence among the various regional stakeholders with the aim of fostering integration for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Information on the Event

Date: 16 December 2022.

Time: 10:00am (Argentina)

Site: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Languages: Spanish and English.

Modality: face-to-face and virtual

Participants

Representatives of regional, subregional and multilateral integration organisations in the region, delegates from CELAC and SELA member countries.

Agenda

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 am	OPENING PANEL Santiago Cafiero, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic Ambassador Walter Clarems Endara, Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
10:15 am - 11:00 a.m.	Panel 1: The new challenges of integration for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean Moderator: Ambassador Gustavo Martínez Pandiani, Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, National Coordinator of the Presidency Pro Tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States - CELAC. Purpose: To develop a geostrategic analysis on the importance of addressing the priority challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean from the perspective of specialised regional organisations. Regional productive value chains, potential strategic sectors for development Permanent Secretary of SELA, Ambassador Clarems Endara. Director of ECLAC's office in Buenos Aires, Martín Abeles. Cross-border cooperation and infrastructure for integration Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming at CAF-development bank of Latin America, Christian Asinelli. Sustainable energy integration Director for Integration at OLADE, Guillermo Kaoutoudjian. Secretary General of SICA, Werner Vargas Torres. Food security. FAO Representative ad interim, Jorge Meza.
11:00am – 11:20am	COFFE BREAK
11:20 am – 01:40 pm	PANEL 2: CONVERGENCE FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN INTEGRATION Moderator: Latin American and Caribbean Economic System - SELA Purpose: To develop an initiative-taking dialogue between regional and subregional integration mechanisms that favours the identification of common stances and a framework of recommendations on how to address, from the convergence of institutions, the challenges of integration for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean Ambassador Gustavo Martínez Pandiani, Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, National Coordinator of the Presidency Pro Tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States – CELAC Ambassador Walter Clarems Endara, Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) Ambassador Oscar Laborde, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Sergio Abreu, Secretary General of the Latin American Integration Association – ALADI Jorge Pedraza, Secretary General of the Andean Community – CAN Werner Vargas Torres, Secretary General of the Central American Integration System – SICA Ambassador Federico González Perini, Undersecretary for MERCOSUR and International Economic Negotiations of the Argentine Foreign Ministry - Presidency Pro tempore of the Common Market of the South – MERCOSUR Rodolfo Sabonge, Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States - ACS
1:40 pm – 02:00 pm	SESSION OF QUESTIONS AND DEBATES Participation of delegations
02:00 pm	CLOSING PANEL Ambassador Cecilia Todesca Bocco, Secretary for International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic Ambassador Walter Clarems Endara, Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)