(from left) SICA Secretary General, Ambassador Dr. Juan Daniel Alemán Gurdián, ACS Secretary General, Ambassador Luis Fernando Andrade Falla, and CARICOM Secretary General, H.E. Edwin Carrington

Port of Spain (April 20, 2009) – On April 20, 2009, following the conclusion of the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the Secretaries- General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and the Central American Integration System (SICA), met to examine the scope for further strengthening coordination among said Secretariats and exchanging opinions regarding their common objectives.

In that regard and in the spirit of their respective mandates, the Secretaries-General reached agreements that are indicative of their commitment to ensuring greater collaboration in the thematic areas that are of common interest to their organisations, which demonstrates the links shared among CARICOM, the ACS and SICA.

The Secretaries-General agreed to promote increased coordination among the three Secretariats and to establish focal points in their respective Organisations who will be responsible for, inter alia, coordinating the follow-up to the SICA-CARICOM Plan of Action.  These focal points would provide regular status reports on the implementation and advancement of the Plan of Action.

The Secretaries-General also agreed to hold consultations among their Organisations, particularly regarding issues of priority interest to both the CARICOM and SICA regions, which include the international financial crisis, regional security and climate change.  They also agreed to promote greater participation by the Secretariat of the Association of Caribbean States in the development of the SICA-CARICOM Plan of Action, especially concerning matters related to the environment, natural disasters, trade and investments, air transport, tourism and Caribbean Sea issues.

The Secretaries-General further agreed to encourage increased participation by the Caribbean and Central American entrepreneurs in the development of initiatives in both regions, in addition to greater coordination with the ACS, SICA and CARICOM Secretariats.

They also concurred on the importance of ensuring the holding of the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of SICA and CARICOM, in Managua, Nicaragua.  In this regard they agreed to consult their respective regions with a view to holding the Summit before the end of June 2009.

In addition, they expressed their appreciation to the Representative of the President Pro Tempore of SICA, and to the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, for their participation in the meeting and for their continued support of the ACS, CARICOM and SICA Secretariats.