(VOVworld) – Twenty-two state leaders from 33 member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) participated in a summit on Wednesday in Quito, Ecuador to promote integration.

(Photo: andes.info.ec)

Delegates discussed the fight against poverty and inequality, the improvement of education and training quality, environmental protection and responses to climate change, the strengthening of financial resources, the improvement of infrastructure and connectivity, and the CELAC operation roadmap up to 2020.
The establishment of a CELAC observation mission to the United Nations to monitor the execution of bilateral cease-fire and disarmament in Columbia, and impacts of the decreasing prices of main exports on member countries’ revenues were also high on the agenda. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa urged member countries to enhance unity, reach consensus, and exert more efforts to accomplish the goals of the 2016 Action Plan.
The summit issued the Quito Declaration, the 2016 Action Plan, and a special declaration on food and nutrition security and hunger elimination by 2025. Ecuador transferred the CELAC presidency to the Republic of Dominica.