What documents will be discussed at the 7th Summit of CELAC?

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 24 (ACN) At the 7th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which meets today in Argentina, representatives of the 33 member countries are to discuss and adopt the Declaration of Buenos Aires and 11 special statements, said Cuban deputy foreign minister Anayansi Rodriguez Camejo.

The CELAC National Coordinators, she said, concluded the negotiation of these documents on Monday, in a meeting held at the Argentine foreign ministry's headquarters, the San Martin Palace.

Rodriguez Camejo commented to the Communication Team of the Cuban Presidency that the Declaration of Buenos Aires is a very substantive and forceful document that addresses a broad spectrum of the most important issues currently being debated at the international level at the United Nations, such as climate change, migration, the advancement of women and the protection of people in vulnerable situations.

She affirmed that the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace has been ratified; issues related to human rights, the protection and promotion of all rights for all have been addressed, and sustainable development issues, particularly in the region, have also been dealt with in a broad manner.

Among the 11 special statements, three were presented by the Cuban delegation, and have received unanimous and strong support from the CELAC membership, at the level of national coordinators, and it is expected that they will also be adopted at the Summit, the Cuban diplomat added.

The first is on the Community's demand for the lifting of the U.S. blockade against Cuba; while the second is on the issue of terrorism, the international fight against this scourge, and the express request by CELAC members for the exclusion of the island from the spurious list of sponsoring countries, which is drawn up unilaterally by the U.S. State Department.

A third statement presented by Cuba, commented Rodriguez Camejo, is on the issue of nuclear disarmament, also a matter very much welcomed by the Latin American and Caribbean region.

According to the deputy minister, the other documents, also of great relevance, for example, are on the advancement and empowerment of women, on harmony with nature, on languages and the diversity that must exist on the planet regarding indigenous issues, and on the subject of cooperation in energy matters.