When it comes to regional and hemispheric institutions, the Caribbean and Latin America have become a crowded space. Over the last few years an extraordinary number of bodies have appeared, expanding their agendas to promote regional integration, sustainable development, political cooperation, a single approach in international forums, and the promotion of dialogue with other states and institutions. Three examples will suffice.
The first is the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) that met in Ecuador in late January, agreeing a wide-ranging action plan. This politically significant grouping is now focusing on delivering an expanded economic and environmental agenda. Not only does CELAC bring together all of the countries of the Americas other than the US, Canada and all non-independent overseas territories, but it has also become a primary focus for the European Union and China’s relations with the Americas, and is intent on developing a similar interface with Russia, India, Korea and Turkey. Moreover, some countries like Cuba and Venezuela clearly regard it as the future authentic alternative to the Organisation of American States (OAS).
Then there is the Trinidad based Association of Caribbean States which met in Havana on June 4. This grouping, which is being reinvigorated under the pro-tempore presidency of Cuba, adopted at the end of its meeting a 44-point declaration and an
