“Regional convergence is a priority goal for sustainable development and the reduction of inequalities in our region,” the Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Ambassador Clarems Endara, said during the XLIX Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council of the organisation, held on Wednesday 06 December.

“SELA is moving towards the integration of the region, through the construction of common strategies to strengthen cooperation, development and social integration,” he stressed, pointing out that the economic and social heterogeneity of our countries “is one of the main challenges of convergence for integration.” Then, he highlighted that “is urgent to look further into the region to discover and reinforce the advantages that reaffirm our common goals and needs, in order to build on this for better development.”

The Permanent Secretary said that SELA is leading a work with the Secretariats of Regional Integration Mechanisms to strengthen the positive impact on our membership. “We believe that we are facing a real opportunity to strengthen the brotherhood that has united us and allows us to work together to provide solutions to our peoples,” he added.

“From SELA we ratify the ties that unite us and our commitment to continue weaving in this complex and exciting task of integration. SELA is built by all of us, and it will always be our space to join forces for more and better integration,” Ambassador Clarems Endara said during the XLIX Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council of the organisation, which was attended by representatives of the Member States, Observers and Special Guests.

The Latin American Council is the highest decision-making body of SELA and is made up of one representative of each Member State. Its attributions 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 examining the activities of the Permanent Secretariat and the Action Committees

In its 48 years of uninterrupted work, SELA has become a regional organisation of reference, conducting consultation and coordination, cooperation and joint economic and social promotion tasks, of a permanent nature, with international legal personality, before countries, groups of nations, forums and international organisations.