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Panama City, Panama – June 2026. The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) concluded the 31st Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Council, a meeting that marked the culmination of an institutional revitalisation process aimed at strengthening the Association, consolidating a shared vision for the Greater Caribbean, and presenting a renewed cooperation agenda to Member States, strategic partners, and international organisations. In this context, the Republic of Nicaragua was elected as the new Chair of the Ministerial Council for the upcoming period.

At the opening of the meeting, the Secretary-General of the ACS, H.E. Noemí Espinoza Madrid, highlighted that the Association is experiencing one of the most important moments in its recent history, following the adoption of the Greater Caribbean 2035 Strategic Plan, the institutional strengthening of the Secretariat, and a renewed international outreach that has expanded the ACS’s capacity to build partnerships, mobilise cooperation, and project the voice of the Greater Caribbean in regional and international spaces.

The Secretary-General underscored that, in an international context marked by fragmentation and the growing complexity of global challenges, multilateralism remains relevant when it is translated into concrete actions capable of generating cooperation, building partnerships, and delivering tangible results for the peoples of the region.

On behalf of the outgoing Chairmanship, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, reaffirmed that the challenges facing the region require collective responses based on effective cooperation, and recalled that “when the Caribbean speaks with one voice, the world listens,” emphasising that unity remains the Greater Caribbean’s greatest strength.

Upon assuming the Chairmanship of the Ministerial Council, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, H.E. Olimpia Raquel Ochoa Espinales, received the mandate to ensure continuity in this new phase of the Association, and also expressed her willingness to work closely with the Executive Board, the Special Committees, and the General Secretariat to consolidate a more dynamic and efficient Association, one that is closer to the priorities of its Member States and Associate Members.

As part of this new phase, the ministerial meeting opened a high-level dialogue with governments, international organisations, and strategic partners to present the renewed vision of the Association and explore new cooperation opportunities aligned with the Greater Caribbean 2035 Strategic Plan.

This strategic session featured the participation of Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir, Director of the OECD Development Centre; Omar Shehadeh, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates; Susana Sumelzo Jordán, Secretary of State for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World of the Kingdom of Spain; Andrés Allamand, Ibero-American Secretary-General; Mohamed Al Sharhan, Managing Director of the World Governments Summit; and Marko Đurić, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia.

The interventions highlighted the strategic potential of the Greater Caribbean to drive sustainable development through increased cooperation, connectivity, innovation, financing, and regional integration, while reaffirming the role of the ACS as a platform for dialogue, consultation, and partnership-building capable of connecting governments, international organisations, the private sector, and strategic partners around a common results-oriented agenda for the region.

The 31st Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Council thus marks the culmination of a phase of institutional strengthening and the beginning of a new cycle for the Association of Caribbean States. With a shared strategic vision, a strengthened organisation, and an expanded network of international partnerships, the ACS is better prepared to advance results-oriented initiatives and continue positioning the Greater Caribbean as a region of opportunities, cooperation, and sustainable development.

Under the Chairmanship of Nicaragua, the Association will continue advancing in the implementation of the Greater Caribbean 2035 Strategic Plan, consolidating a more modern and coordinated organisation capable of transforming regional cooperation into tangible benefits for the peoples of the Greater Caribbean.