Ministerial Meeting for the Central American Agricultural Council of SICA
Belmopan. December 7, 2018. The Ministry of Agriculture hosted a Ministerial Meeting of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC) in furtherance of Belize’s Presidency of the SICA. Hon. Senator Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture, in his capacity as President Pro Tempore of the Council presided over the meeting.
During Belize’s presidency, one of the major focuses was the implementation of a roadmap for the formulation and presentation of a Regional Agricultural Policy 2018-2030. The initiative, which was led by the Regional Technical Committee, has had the input of the Technical Working Groups, international organizations and representatives of the private sector.
During the Ministerial meeting several updates on regional project initiatives were presented, including the proposal for establishment of a Regional Agricultural Innovation Centre, Implementation of a Cooperation Agreement with the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) – Central American Bank on Economic Integration (BCIE) – CAC on Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change; and the institutionalization of the Regional Markets Network.
Other related meetings were held during this encounter. These included the 20th Regular Meeting of the Superior Council of CATIE; the LXV Extraordinary Meeting of the Regional Agricultural Health International Committee (CIRSA) the governing body of OIRSA currently chaired by Honduras and the Council of Ministers of The Central America Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization (OSPESCA) currently chaired by Guatemala.
This is the final meeting under Belize’s Presidency. At the end of its term, Belize will transfer the rotating Presidency to Guatemala.
Ministry of Agriculture Holds over the Central American Agricultural Council Pro Tempore Presidency
The Ministry of Agriculture is currently holding over the Central American Agricultural Council Pro Tempore Presidency from July to December 2018. The Ministry of agriculture is a member of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC in Spanish) as one of the sub-organs of the Regional system for Economic Integration.
Through this framework, the Central American Agricultural Council entered a new phase of institutional development from April 2017 under the SE-CAC (Executive Secretariat-CAC). The commitment of the Ministers of Agriculture was manifested in decisions that sought to increase the ownership of the countries by the regional forum, increase the effectiveness of the Council and provide the necessary financial, technical and political instruments to achieve its purposes.
In the political sphere, the commitment of the Ministers is acknowledged, expressed through active participation in meetings and actions, and efforts to provide the necessary contributions to guarantee the financial health of the Council. In the technical field, the definition of an annual work plan, the continuity that each Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) has given to priority issues and the strengthening of regional technical bodies have allowed generating better proposals and consolidating products that add value to national actions.
The Central American Integration System (SICA) is the institutional framework for the regional integration of Central America and has the objective of constituting it as a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development.
In the institutional framework, important steps have been taken to guarantee the independence of the Council, in accordance with the mandates of the Heads of State and Government and in full compliance with the legal norms of the Central American Integration System.
