The presentation examines the role of Caribbean SIDS, particularly the CARICOM member States, in CELAC as the regional mechanism that includes all Latin American and Caribbean countries.

1. Latin American-Caribbean regional integration
The experience of CELAC
Jacqueline LAGUARDIA MARTÍNEZ
Institute of International Relations, The UWI
November 30, 2023
Webinar
Latin America-Caribbean
relations in a multipolar world

2. Comunidad de Estados
Latinoamericanos y Caribeños (CELAC)
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https://www.gob.mx/sfp/documentos/comunidad-de-estados-latinoamericanos-y-caribenos-celac-19841
✓ Created in
2011.
✓ Mechanism for
political
coordination,
cooperation
and
negotiation
with
extraregional
actors.

3. The Caribbean in CELAC
CARICOM or CARIFORUM (before the ACP group) / Caribbean SIDS
1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Bahamas
3. Barbados
4. Belize
5. Cuba
6. Dominica
7. Grenada
8. Guyana
9. Haiti
10. Jamaica
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11. Dominican Republic
12. Saint Kitts and Nevis
13. St. Lucia
14. St.Vincent and the Grenadines
15. Suriname
16. Trinidad and Tobago
The SIDS group includes Anguilla,Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin
Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat,
Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten,Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United
States Virgin Islands.

4. The Caribbean in CELAC
• CELAC has echoed the asymmetries and
vulnerabilities that separate Caribbean
SIDS from its Latin American neighbors.
• At CELAC summits, Special Declarations
are approved on issues of interest to the
Caribbean such as climate change or the
CARICOM Reparations Commission.
• At the Havana Summit in 2014, the
“Troika plus one” was formally
constituted as a Quartet to integrate a
CARICOM representative as a permanent
member.
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as
CELAC PTP during 2023.
Why CELAC?
✓ Recognition by extraregional
actors: EU-CELAC strategic
partnership, China-CELAC
Forum.
✓ Efforts to relaunch CELAC
and LAC regionalism
propelled by Mexico during
the VI Summit held on
September 2021.
UNITY IN DIVERSITY

5. Caribbean [potential] contribution to CELAC
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• In the context global dynamics’ shifts from the Atlantic to the Pacific
axis together with changes on world power balance in detriment of
the U.S. hegemony, LAC need to explore effective means to promote
cooperation and sustain a fluid dialoguing capacity to solve
intraregional conflicts and face extraregional threats.
• The Caribbean can provide moral leadership in negotiations on
climate change and the reform to the international financial
architecture (COP 28, IV SIDS Summit in Antigua and Barbuda,
Bridgetown Initiative).
• The Caribbean possesses international networking through the
AOSIS group, the Commonwealth, OACPS, SIDS, European small
island states.
• Caribbean diplomacy is skilled and understands consensus building.
• The Caribbean cumulates valuable experiences of
(intergovernmental) regional integration: CARICOM and OECS.

6. III EU-CELAC Summit 2023
• First EU-CELAC Summit in Santiago de Chile in 2013.
• The environmental issue was at the center of the agenda and the EU committed to
sustaining cooperation on environmental matters and climate action.
• EU-Caribbean Leaders Meeting was held on July 17. In addition to addressing points
of interest for Caribbean SIDS linked to climate change, environmental and economic
vulnerability, access to financial resources, the meeting emphasized requesting the
support of the EU to mediate the solution to the instability in Haiti.
• Cooperation with the Caribbean was ratified including the Global Gateway strategy.
• It was announced the signing of the association agreement between the OACPS and
the EU (How it would complement the 2008 EU-CARIFORUM EPA?).
• The Final Declaration denounced the blockade against Cuba and criticized its
inclusion on the list of terrorist States.
• The Final Declaration supported the principles of the Durban Declaration and Program
of Action but did not include demands for reparations for slavery.
• The Final Declaration expressed concern about the situation in Haiti.
• The Final Declaration echoed the Bridgetown Initiative. 6

7. Third Ministerial Meeting of the China-
CELAC Forum on December 3, 2021
• The China-CELAC Forum was established in 2014.
• China has published two policy documents on LAC
in 2008 and 2016, respectively.
• Emphasis on South-South cooperation.
• Cooperation Plan 2015-2019.
• Cooperation on Priority Areas 2019-2021.
• Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas 2022-2024.
• Belt and Road Initiative.
• COVID–19.
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Seven CELAC members that do not have diplomatic
relations with the PRC but with Taiwan : Paraguay,
Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

8. What to pay attention to:
To strengthen the role of Cuba and the Dominican
Republic as insular states, Belize in Central
America, and Guyana and Suriname in South
America as the Caribbean interlocutors in CELAC.
Guyana and Suriname participate in the -very
weakened but still existing- UNASUR while Belize
and the Dominican Republic are part of SICA.
✓ Haiti
✓ Guyana – Venezuela border
controversy (other border
conflicts remaining)
Proclamation of
Latin America and
The Caribbean as a
Zone of Peace
(II Summit, Havana,
2014)
Common values and principles (…) : respect for
international law, self-determination, sovereignty and
territorial integrity; peaceful settlement of disputes; the
prohibition of the use and the threat of use of force; non-
interference in the internal affairs, and the protection and
promotion of human rights and democracy .
(Caracas Declaration, 2011)
The strengthening of CELAC
(vs the OAS?)
Key changes in global
geopolitics, multilateral order
and emerging crises

9. 9th Summit of the Americas 2022
• USA-Caribbean (CARICOM + DR) Leaders Meeting with President Biden and Vice
President Harris on June 9.
• Cuba and St. Vincent and the Grenadines did not attend.
• Joint position against not inviting Cuba and Venezuela, and against the embargo/
blockade to Cuba.
• Cooperation within the framework of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI)
and complementary agreements (human trafficking, cybersecurity and cybercrime).
• President Biden announced USD 28 million in food security assistance to Caribbean
countries (Caribbean Zero Hunger Plan).
• US-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis (PACC 2030).
• Establishment of three joint committees: energy security, food security, and
development financing and debt.
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