News

Panama City – September 9, 2025.

The Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), H.E. Noemí Espinoza Madrid, participated in the academic panel “What is neutrality? A perspective from Panama, Switzerland and the Red Cross Movement”, held in Panama City on September 8, 2025.

The meeting aimed to create an academic and diplomatic dialogue space to reflect on what neutrality means today—not only as a legal or humanitarian principle, but also as a political stance and a tool for action in an increasingly polarized world.

The Secretary-General expressed that neutrality is neither silence nor paralysis: it is contemporary humanitarian diplomacy that seeks to build bridges and overcome divisions, because it is not about who is right. It is about defending human rights and dignity above all else—a neutrality with principles: impartiality, yes, but never indifference.

She added that we live in an international system marked by intensifying rivalry between major powers, which is why neutrality is an instrument to preserve dialogue, facilitate cooperation, and uphold international institutions in the storms of global politics.

She further stressed that neutrality is reemerging as an ethical principle and strategic pillar to preserve autonomy, stability, and diplomatic effectiveness, and that it is especially relevant for regions such as the Greater Caribbean, characterized by political diversity and shared vulnerabilities. In this context, she emphasized that neutral actors have the responsibility to act as bridges, propose initiatives, and bring efforts together.

She also addressed the case of Haiti, noting that although the Greater Caribbean is characterized as a region of peace, there are serious and concerning situations: half of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and faces challenges of insecurity, hunger, displacement, and extreme poverty.

Finally, she affirmed that neutrality is a strategy to protect interests, facilitate cooperation, and preserve autonomy, allowing States and peoples with diverse visions to find common ground on what is essential: peace, humanitarian concerns, and social priorities. For international relations students, it represents intelligent resistance to systemic pressure, and for organizations like the ACS, it is a condition to unite diverse voices in a region that is vulnerable yet committed to peace and cooperation. In short, neutrality remains necessary to sustain dialogue and multilateralism.

Following the event, a working meeting was held between the Chair of the Ministerial Council of the ACS and the Secretariat, advancing the coordination of their joint work agenda.

About the Association of Caribbean States

The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1994 through an international convention, with the aim of promoting consultation, cooperation, and concerted action among the countries of the Greater Caribbean. It currently comprises 25 Member States and 10 Associate Members, and is guided by the principles of multilateralism, respect for sovereignty, and a unity that values the diversity of the Greater Caribbean region.