 Saint Lucia's Prime Minister Honourable Philip J. Pierre made his first official out-of-state visit on the weekend, attending the Summit of Heads of State of Latin America and the Caribbean. As we hear from Lisa Joseph, Honourable Pierre used the opportunity to call for a unified approach to combating COVID-19 in the region. The sixth summit of the community of Latin American and Caribbean states, CELAC, was held September 18-19, 2021 in Mexico City, Mexico. CELAC is an intergovernmental body comprised in 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. CELAC was created in December 2011 in Caracas, Venezuela, with a commitment to deepening integration in the hemisphere, ensuring unity, political, economic, social and cultural diversity of the 600 million people of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Summit of Heads of State had an urgent atmosphere after not being held for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders discussed the region's response to the pandemic, as well as the creation of a fund to respond to disasters derived from climate change. Saint Lucia's Prime Minister Honourable Philip J. Pierre told the Summit, he firmly believes that CELAC can serve as an important voice for unity and cooperation in the region, particularly on self-sufficiency in health matters as member states are plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment among our people, especially the youth and women, the threat of climate change that can and has nearly wiped out our entire countries, the failure of the international financial community to recognize our vulnerability and hold the classification of our economies as male income countries, particularly now with the crisis of COVID. The unequal financial and trade restrictions placed on our small economies. In this regard, we know the ascension of Costa Rica to the OECD and trust that our issues will be raised in that important body. Since its launch in December 2011, CELAC has helped to advance dialogue among all countries in the region in the areas of social development, education, nuclear disarmament, family forming, culture, finance, energy and the environment. Prime Minister Pierre noted that consensus building on matters of common interest is imperative, as all member states face the same challenges. We need unity to fight the misinformation and vaccinations. CELAC believes that the international integration of the peoples of ECLAC can serve the people of our regions in good stead. We salute the struggles and hope for speedy resolution of the problems in Venezuela and Cuba. Mr. President, we affirm our commitment to true democracy and call for a peaceful and equitable opportunity for our people to survive and improve the quality of life. CELAC believes that regional economic integration provides a common platform for which members can best promote the interests of the rest of the international community. We respect this multilateral system. Honourable Philip J. Pierre indicated that organisations like CELAC share the same philosophy as his administration of putting people first and as such he looks forward to meaningful engagement and participation in the hemispheric grouping. From the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reporting.