The 22nd Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government
What are the Ibero-American Summits of Heads of State and Government?
News - 2012.6.4
The host country proposes a central theme on which to focus the discussions that take place at the meetings. A Political Declaration, an Action Programme and declarations on topics of particular interest are usually pronounced at the end of each summit.
The first Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government was held in 1991, in Guadalajara (Mexico).
The Final Declaration from the 1st Summit in 1991 is focused on politically recognising the existence of this community, a common Ibero-American space.
This community is strengthened and further enhanced every year.
The institutionalisation of the Ibero-American community is reflected in the final paragraph of that first declaration:
"… we have decided to create the Ibero-American Conference of Heads of State and Government with participation from the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking sovereign States of America and Europe".
The Ibero-American Conference and the Secretariat pro-Tempore
The central backbone of the annual schedule of the Ibero-American Conference is the organisation of the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. It is a diplomatic conference that takes place at the highest level, an expression of the "summit diplomacy" that characterises the current international panorama.
The Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, followed by the Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers, is the highest level political event organised by the Ibero-American Conference.
The host country in which the Summit is to be held each year also acts as the Secretariat Pro-Tempore. The Summits themselves are organised with support from the Ibero-American Secretariat-General (Spanish acronym: SEGIB).
The National Coordination Meetings and Cooperation Ministers are responsible for general management and discussion, and meet several times a year. The Sectoral Ministerial Meetings take place on an annual basis and are attended by the Ibero-American ministers and high-level officials from all areas; preparatory meetings of a technical nature are also held.
The high-level meetings represent an excellent forum for discussing multi-lateral affairs. They create a climate of trust among the various stakeholders that leads to the exchange of experiences, the establishment of shared analyses and the agreement on shared positions with regard to the challenges faced by the entire Ibero-American community.
