The 22nd Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government

The principles and values of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 (signed in Cadiz), which impacted the processes of emancipation undertaken by the modern Ibero-American nations, remain valid today and are a source of inspiration for the work carried out by the Ibero-American Community.

The Ibero-American Summit in Cadiz will take place at a time of considerable transformation for Ibero-America due to its economic dynamic, the strengthening of democracy and the progress made on regional integration. For this reason, the meeting will provide a magnificent opportunity to add new momentum to the summits and strengthen relations between Ibero-American countries.

The Cadiz Summit will seek to strengthen the structures for dialogue and agreement, integration and cooperation in the Ibero-American community to promote its important presence in the international economy and international relations, to benefit from the opportunities offered by its privileged ties with other parts of the world and to participate in a process of joint growth capable of responding to the real problems of the people in terms of wellbeing, employment and social cohesion.

To that end, the 2012 Ibero-American Summit will pay particular attention to economic growth policies aimed at reducing poverty, fostering equal opportunities and stimulating the creation of new jobs.

The Summit itself will be preceded by a series of sectoral meetings that will lay the groundwork for achieving those targets and will be focused on four main areas: economic growth to help the people; the development of transport, telecommunications, energy and water infrastructures; the promotion of small- and medium-sized enterprises as a driving force for growth and job creation; and strengthening institutions to foster economic growth and social cohesion. All this will be encompassed by a main overarching theme - the creation of jobs - through making the most of the great wealth represented by our common languages and cultures for joint development and the creation of a true Ibero-American market for culture.