The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is a regional bloc of states.
The decision to establish CELAC was made on February 23, 2010 during the joint summit of the Rio Group and the Caribbean Community. The founding summit of CELAC was held on December 3, 2011 in Caracas.
The main document of the organization, the Caracas Declaration adopted on December 3, 2011 defines the structure, basic principles and initial goals of CELAC.
The main goals of CELAC:
- sustainable development of the region and strengthening its independent role in the international arena,
- improving the wellbeing of peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean,
- deep political, economic, social and cultural integration of the states of the continent while respecting the diversity of opinions,
- reduction of US influence on the politics and economy of the Region,
- speaking as a united front on the global problems of mankind,
- building a just, democratic and free society,
- assertion of a multipolar, just, equitable and non-violent world.
CELAC includes Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Grenada, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador.
The supreme body of the association is the meeting of heads of states that annually determines the main directions of policy, action plans for the near future.
On September 29, 2015 in New York within the framework of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, a decision to establish the Permanent Mechanism for Political Dialogue and Cooperation "Russia – CELAC" was made.
The youth dimension of the dialogue and cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States has been implemented since 2018 in the format of the Russia – CELAC Youth Forum at the initiative of the Iberoamerican student clubs of MGIMO University, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, National Research University Higher School of Economics, the International Centre of the Student Council of Moscow State University, the Iberoamerican Cultural Centre of the Rudomino All-Russian State Library for Foreign Literature and a multinational group of Hispanic students from various universities in Russia. Since 2020 the forum has been supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the National Youth Council of Russia and MIREA – Russian Technological University.
The program of the Russia – CELAC Youth Forum is aimed at strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between Russian youth and youth of the Latin American and Caribbean States for expanding multidisciplinary mutually beneficial cooperation along the Russia – CELAC line. It traditionally includes the Russia – CELAC International Dialogue Model with the participation of students as well as a discussion platform with the participation of the leaders of the largest youth public associations of Russia and the Latin American and Caribbean States.
Sources: the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the collection "30 years of state youth policy of the Russian Federation" (30 years of state youth policy of the Russian Federation / MIREA – Russian Technological University. – M., 2022. – 340 p.)