The Latin American Economic System (SELA) is a regional intergovernmental organization that groups 27 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Its headquarters are in Caracas, Venezuela. SELA was established on 17 October 1975, by the Panama Convention, and currently counts on the membership of the following countries: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
PROMOTE a consultation and coordination system for the consensus on joint positions and common strategies for the Latin American and Caribbean region on economic issues vis-à-vis countries, groups of countries, international fora and organizations.LAUNCH cooperation and integration among the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
SELA carries out consultation, coordination and cooperation activities in the following work areas:
Analysis of international scenarios of change, through networks and meetings of experts and academic centers, and follow-up of policies related to international macroeconomic coordination.
Evaluation and follow-up of the relations of Latin America and the Caribbean with other countries and regions - the United States of America, Canada, Japan, the European Union, Central and Eastern Europe, the Asian Pacific region – in order to raise mutual awareness, take advantage of business and investment opportunities, and increase international cooperation. The Secretariat provides technical assistance to the Group of Rio, to GRULAs, and other subregional and regional coordination bodies.
Analysis of trends and negotiations in hemispheric and multilateral trade, particularly World Trade Organization (WTO) decisions, trade in services, the link between trade and environment, rules of origin, and the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements.
Studies on the situation of capital flows, regional external debt, and domestic savings, analysis of multilateral financial institutions, and exchange of experiences and information on the modernization of national financial systems.
Analysis of intraregional trade and investments, follow-up of integration mechanisms - MERCOSUR, Andean Community, Central American Common Market, CARICOM, Group of Three, Association of Caribbean States, and ALADI - and the process of creating the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), as well as the analysis of possibilities for linkage and convergence of integration schemes.
Analysis, exchange of experiences, and identification of cooperation programmes among Latin American and Caribbean countries on privatization, industrialization and technical innovations, competition policies, and consensus on intellectual property issues. SELA also fosters joint reflection and exchange of national experiences regarding the articulation of economic and social policies.
SELA acts as the focal point for Latin America and the Caribbean for Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and coordinates joint positions for the region on the basis of the annual meetings of Directors of International Technical Cooperation. It also promotes horizontal cooperation activities among its Member States in the different areas of its Work Programme.
The Latin American Council is the principal decision-making body of SELA. Each Member States has one (1) Representative to this Council, which meets regularly once a year. Its responsibilities include determining the institution's general policies and formulating specific declarations in the form of Decisions approved on a consensual basis.
The Action Committees are flexible cooperation mechanisms set up when more than two Member States voice interest in promoting joint programmes and projects in specific areas. These Committees are dissolved once their objectives are fulfilled or they may become Permanent Bodies of the System. The permanent bodies currently functioning are the Latin American Technological Information Network (RITLA) and the Latin American Fisheries Development Organization (OLDEPESCA). There are also cooperation mechanisms, such as the Latin American Commission for Science and Technology (COLCYT), the Latin American and Caribbean Handicrafts Cooperation Programme (PLACART) and the Latin American and Caribbean Trade Information and Foreign Trade Information Programme (PLACIEX).
A Permanent Secretary who is elected by the Latin American Council every four years heads the Permanent Secretariat, technical administrative organ of SELA. For the 1995-1999 term, Mr. Carlos Juan Moneta, an Argentinean citizen and specialist in international relations, shall be at the helm of this Permanent Secretariat, backed by a highly qualified team of specialists.
Annually holds the meeting of the Latin American Council, at ministerial level, and convenes regional consultation and coordination meetings with high-level officials of its 27 Member States.
Organizes fora with the participation of government and private sector representatives, and organizes meetings of experts on specific issues of the regional and global economic agenda.
Maintains close relations, based on cooperation, with the most important organizations, public institutions, and private entities at regional and international levels.
Develops seminars, courses, and workshops on issues of economic interest for the Latin American and Caribbean region, addressing the needs of government officials, businesspeople, workers, parliamentarians, and academicians.
For more information, visit SELA's home page: http://www.sela.org
Address of the Permanent Secretariat
Av. Francisco de Miranda, Torre Europa, 4to piso, Chacaíto,
Caracas. Venezuela.
Phone numbers: (582) 905.5111 y 905.5208,
Fax numbers: (582) 951.6953 / 7263 / 6780
e-mail: difsela@true.net
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