Its membership consists of 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries, although 15 nations participate as observers.

The CELAC resulted from the commitment to making progress in the gradual process of the regional integration, seeking balance between unity and the political, economic, social and cultural diversity of 600 million inhabitants of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The CELAC was founded in December 2011 and since then, it has contributed to deepening respectful dialogue among all countries in the region on issues such as social development, education, nuclear disarmament, family agriculture, culture, finance, energy and the environment, among others.

The bloc has encouraged Latin American and Caribbean to see themselves as a community of nations capable of dialogue and seeking consensus on issues of common interest.

With ups and downs, it has made progress in this direction, but it is far from meeting its needs about this issue.

The CELAC seeks to complement the already existing regional architecture based on non-duplication of efforts, in order to enhance common elements and promote complementariness.

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