Latin American and Caribbean Group explained

Latin American and Caribbean Group
Type:Regional Group
Leader Title:Head
Status:Active

The Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries, or GRULAC, is one of the five United Nations Regional Groups composed of 33 Member States from Central and South America, as well as some islands in the West Indies. Its members compose 17% of all United Nations members.

The Group, as with all the regional groups, is a non-binding dialogue group where subjects concerning regional and international matters are discussed. Additionally, the Group works to help allocates seats on United Nations bodies by nominating candidates from the region.[1] [2]

Member States

The following are the Member States of the Latin American and Caribbean Group:[3] [4]

Representation

Security Council

The Latin American and Caribbean Group currently holds two seats on the Security Council, both non-permanent. The current members of the Security Council from the Group are:[5] [6]

CountryTerm
1 January 2021 – 31 December 2022
1 January 2022 – 31 December 2023

Economic and Social Council

The Latin American and Caribbean Group currently holds 10 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are:[7] [8]

CountryTerm
1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023
1 January 2019 – 31 December 2021
1 January 2020 – 31 December 2022

Human Rights Council

The Latin American and Caribbean Group currently holds eight seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are:[9] [10]

CountryTerm
1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023
1 January 2019 – 31 December 2021
1 January 2020 – 31 December 2022

Presidency of the General Assembly

Every five years in the years ending in 3 and 8, the Latin American and Caribbean Group is eligible to elect a president to the General Assembly.[11]

The following is a list of presidents from the Group since its official creation in 1963:[12]

Year Elected Session Name of President Country Note
1963 18th Carlos Sosa Rodríguez
1968 23rd
1973 28th Also chaired the sixth special session of the General Assembly
1978 33rd
1983 38th
1988 43rd
1993 48th
1998 53rd Also chaired the 10th emergency special session of the General Assembly
2003 58th
2008 63rd
2013
2018
2023 78th TBD TBD
Future
2028 83rd TBD TBD
2033 88th TBD TBD

Timeline of membership

As the Latin American and the Caribbean changed significantly over time, the number of its members had also changed.

YearsNumber of membersNotes
1966-197324Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
1973-197425Bahamas
1974-197526Grenada
1975-197827Suriname
1978-197928Dominica
1979-198029Saint Lucia
1980-198130Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1981-198332Antigua and Barbuda, Belize
1983-Present33Saint Kitts and Nevis

See also

Role

The Group plays a major role in promoting the region's interests. It provides a forum for Member States to exchange opinions on international issues, carry out follow-up on the topics that are being discussed in international organisations, build common positions on complex issues and prepare statements reflecting the joint position of the Group.[13]

However, most importantly, the Group allows for the discussion and coordination of support for candidates for different United nations organisations from the region.

Regular meetings of the Group take place in Geneva. The most common topics discussed at these meetings are human rights, environment, intellectual property, labour rights, trade and development and telecommunications.

Locations

The Group maintains various offices across the globe:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) . . n.d. . Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia . 28 February 2019.
  2. Agam, Hasmy . Sam Daws . Terence O'Brien . Ramesh Takur . 26 March 1999 . What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century . United Nations University . 27 February 2019.
  3. Web site: United Nations Regional Groups of Member States . . n.d. . United Nations Department for General Assembly and Conference management . United Nations . 28 February 2019.
  4. Book: . United Nations Handbook 2018–19 . 56 . Wellington . Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand . 15–17 . 2018 . 0110-1951.
  5. Web site: Current Members . . n.d. . United Nations Security Council . United Nations . 28 February 2019.
  6. Web site: Brasil no CSNU . . n.d. . Ministério das Relações Exteriores . . 14 February 2022.
  7. Web site: Members . . n.d. . United Nations Economic and Social Council . United Nations . 26 February 2019.
  8. Web site: General Assembly Elects 19 Economic and Social Council Members to Terms Beginning 1 January 2020, Adopts Resolution Commemorating Signing of United Nations Charter . . 14 June 2019 . United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases . United Nations . 1 January 2020.
  9. Web site: Current Membership of the Human Rights Council, 1 January - 31 December 2019 by regional groups . . n.d. . United Nations Human Rights Council . United Nations . 26 February 2019.
  10. Web site: General Assembly Elects 14 Member States to Human Rights Council, Appoints New Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services . . 17 October 2019 . United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases . United Nations . 1 January 2020.
  11. Web site: What Are The Five Regional Groups of the United Nations? . Wanza, Serah N. . 27 November 2017 . Worldatlas . 26 February 2019.
  12. Web site: Past Presidents . . n.d. . United Nations General Assembly . United Nations . 27 February 2019.
  13. Web site: Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries in the United Nations (GRULAC) . . n.d. . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . 28 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141025133120/http://www.rlc.fao.org/en/initiative/management-and-follow-up/grulac/ . 25 October 2014 . dead.