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CELAC leaders meet in Ecuador to approve 2016 action plan

Xinhua, January 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Leaders of the countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) met here on Wednesday to approve the bloc's 2016 action plan during their fourth summit.

In the opening address, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, whose country is holding the rotating presidency of the bloc, called on Latin American leaders to strengthen intra-community cooperation and reach consensus on the "Agenda 2020."

"Agenda 2020" is a proposal submitted by Costa Rican President Guillermo Solis, whose country occupied the bloc's presidency in 2014, and approved by Correa during the 3rd CELAC leaders summit.

The agenda centers on such key areas as reducing poverty and inequality; education, science, technology and innovation; environment and climate change; infrastructure and connectivity; and financing for development.

"Unfortunately, due to lack of common ground and the different views of CELAC members, we have not been able to translate the agenda into measurable goals and actions," said Correa.

Correa emphasized that member countries should give convincing answers to inequality and poverty in the region without waiting for a supposed invisible hand.

"History shows that the pursuit of justice requires quite visible, collective action and the explicit will of societies," he said.

Moreover, Correa asked to seek funding for infrastructure development and connectivity for the region.

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America, the region needs to invest about 6.2 percent of regional gross domestic product (GDP) in infrastructure, representing an annual amount of 320,000 million dollars until 2020.

However, "over the past decade, the region only invested 2.7 percent, less than half," he said.

Some 21 heads of state attended the one-day summit. Participants debated on a variety of political and economic topics before approving the 2016 action plan, including the peace progress in Colombia and the electoral crisis in Haiti.

At the summit's conclusion, Ecuador handed over the bloc's rotating presidency to the Dominican Republic. Endi