In a landmark address at the 51st Ordinary Session of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Haiti’s Ambassador Lesly David charted a bold course for regional cooperation. The session, convened in Caracas, Venezuela on December 11, 2025, marked a historic moment as Ambassador David, who also serves as Haiti’s envoy to Colombia and Ecuador, addressed the ministerial meeting in his new capacity as the elected Permanent Secretary of SELA—the first Haitian national to hold this prestigious position.
Ambassador David positioned regional integration as ‘the most powerful tool’ available to counter global uncertainties, emphasizing that this approach transcends mere economic considerations. ‘It is not just about the economy, but about building collective unity, even from our differences,’ he declared before the assembly of member state representatives. The diplomat highlighted the paradoxical reality of a resource-rich region of approximately 660 million inhabitants that simultaneously remains ‘the most unequal region on the planet.’
Drawing attention to persistent structural challenges, David noted that ‘millions of our citizens still live in poverty, and extreme poverty, remaining at alarming levels, particularly affecting women, young people and vulnerable communities.’ In response to these pressing issues, he presented the Permanent Secretariat’s Work Programme as a ‘concrete response to these challenges, a roadmap that transforms good intentions into measurable actions.’
The comprehensive strategy rests on three foundational pillars: economic recovery, social development, and digitalization with infrastructure modernization. For economic revitalization, SELA committed to aggressively advance trade facilitation measures and organize the ‘Third China-Latin America and Caribbean Investment Cooperation Forum’ to attract essential foreign resources and technologies.
Regarding social development, the organization will prioritize poverty eradication initiatives, formulate cooperative development policies, and implement virtual workshops focused on educational strategies for integrating migrant women and girls. These efforts specifically aim to transform migration from a potential source of exclusion into a development opportunity incorporating gender perspective frameworks.
Concerning digital transformation, SELA pledged to promote comprehensive digitalization and develop sustainable, intelligent infrastructure throughout the region. Ambassador David emphasized that ‘modern infrastructure is the essential platform for the digital economy and that the synergy between these two pillars is crucial for development.’
The session reaffirmed SELA’s continuing role as a principal mechanism for fostering regional integration through intra-regional cooperation, ultimately aiming to stimulate economic recovery and comprehensive development across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela, SELA represents 28 member states after five decades of continuous operation. The organization specializes in promoting economic coordination, developing unified strategies for international engagement, and strengthening South-South cooperation through its recognized international legal personality.