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| The
Rio Summit reinforces Regional Integration |
By: Rubén Silié
March 14, 2007: THE PRESIDENT OF GUYANA, Bharrat
Jagdeo, inaugurated the successfully concluded 19th Rio
Summit In the presence of more than ten Heads of State and
Government. This event must be acknowledged for the high
level of the meeting, and also for the scope of the dialogue
among the leaders in attendance.
We understand that one of the major advantages of summits is
that they facilitate rapprochement among countries and
deepen levels of trust among leaders. During the course of
this meeting, work was carried out in official sessions,
where the planned agenda was completed, as well as in
bilateral sessions, several of which were held, according to
newspaper reports.
This Summit was unique since it is the first to be held in
an English-speaking country, such as Guyana, which is a
member of both the ACS and CARICOM. This is just one
indication of how much progress we have made in creating a
climate for rapprochement among the various sub-regions of
the continent, since the host was not the only CARICOM
country present at the meeting, but there were at least
three other member countries from that group. This
undoubtedly facilitated exchanges among the dignitaries on
several issues that were specific to each group of
countries, since Central Americans, South Americans, Mexico
and the Dominican Republic were represented on that
occasion.
The fact that this Summit was held in the CARICOM
headquarters country allowed many of the visiting
participants to learn about the headquarters of this
important Caribbean organisation. To a large extent, this
will help non-CARICOM countries to establish closer ties
with an entity whose international political weight has
grown in recent years. This group has managed itself quite
coherently within international organisations, both in its
defense of issues falling under its regional jurisdiction
and in its conduct in voting processes that have required
the fifteen votes of that Caribbean group. In that respect,
the leaders of other integration schemes were undoubtedly
able to capitalise on the visit to Georgetown and
familiarise themselves with the CARICOM agenda and establish
closer relations with its leaders.
The foregoing is also valid in the opposite sense, since
CARICOM leaders have been expressing growing interest in
forging closer ties with the countries of Central and South
America. They have therefore had to seize the opportunity to
make contact with their Latin American colleagues who do not
participate in all the international bodies in which they
are currently members. For CARICOM countries, their close
relations with Latin America are of great strategic interest
as they share quite an affinity with many of them and there
is a series of issues which, in order to be addressed, will
have to be tackled in conjunction with them.[1]
It is quite enriching to deal with issues from a
multilateral perspective, taking into account the interests
of each sub-region, since it is undeniable that discussion
among countries with similar profiles or with a certain
degree of homogeneity is not the same as discussion within a
group where diversity prevails; not only in terms of size of
economies but also differences in points of view regarding
their insertion into globalisation.
Among the most outstanding issues, mention could be made of
those pertaining to poverty, for which an appeal was made
for a new human and social development paradigm; in addition
to a plea for the fulfilment of the United Nations
Millennium Goals.
Also falling within the debate were issues pertaining to
security and the environment of peace needed within the
region; for which a strong condemnation of terrorism and
other sources of instability was proposed.
Regional integration was also strengthened by ratification
of support for the democratisation of international
relations, which is a cry from the countries of the South
that aspire to a vision of greater participation in
international relations.
[1] CARICOM and the Central American Integration System
recently signed a co-operation agreement.
Dr. Rubén Silié Valdez is the Secretary General of the
Association of Caribbean States.
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