Between June 2023 and February 2024, the Israel Ibero-America Chamber of Commerce (CILIB) developed a line of cooperation between Israel and Central America with the Central American Integration System (SICA) and its educational and cultural body, CECC/SICA. The relationship included a cooperation agreement, a mission to El Salvador, the presentation of a program for single-teacher schools and support for CECC’s strategic planning.
This article brings together those activities based on the news published by the Chamber (formerly the Multilateral Chamber of Commerce and Cooperation Israel Ibero-America) and links to each of them.
What are SICA and CECC/SICA?
The Central American Integration System (SICA) is the institutional framework for regional integration in Central America. It was created by the Tegucigalpa Protocol, signed in 1991, and its members are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Its General Secretariat is headquartered in San Salvador.
The Central American Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC/SICA) is the SICA body specializing in education and culture. Its Council of Ministers of Education brings together the education authorities of the member countries.
Cooperation agreement with CECC/SICA (June 2023)
On June 29, 2023, Paul Stephen, the Chamber’s regional director, visited the headquarters of the CECC/SICA Technical Secretariat in Costa Rica to sign a cooperation agreement in the cultural and social fields. Its main purpose is to promote innovative projects that drive the social, educational and cultural development of SICA member countries and the private sector of the State of Israel. The cooperation covers:
- promoting the exchange of technological knowledge;
- supporting rural single-teacher schools;
- developing human talent;
- implementing initiatives that foster social development.
The agreement also provides for regular meetings, seminars and forums on topics of common interest, such as strengthening education at the Central American level. During the signing, Stephen stated:
“This agreement represents a unique opportunity to further strengthen, from the private sector, the ties that bind Israel to the countries of the SICA region. We are convinced that, through this joint effort, we will be able to drive projects that generate a positive and lasting impact on our economies and societies.”
Mission to El Salvador (September 2023)
In September 2023, Paul Stephen held a series of meetings in El Salvador with authorities and business associations to promote trade and cooperation with Israel:
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador: with its president, Jorge Hasbún, he explored opportunities for trade exchange and business collaboration between the two chambers.
- Salvadoran Ministry of Foreign Affairs: on September 25 he met with Deputy Foreign Minister Adriana Mira. They discussed strategies in technology, agriculture and tourism, and lines of work such as the exchange of business delegations, training in e-commerce and innovation, and the organization of trade fairs.
- Ministry of Tourism: on September 27 he was received by Minister Morena Valdez at GastroLab, a culinary training project for young people developed with the support of the World Food Programme.
- Salvadoran Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CAMPAC): they addressed the incorporation of technological innovations and good practices in fishing and aquaculture.
Meeting with the SICA General Secretariat
Also in September 2023, Stephen met with Werner Vargas, Secretary General of SICA. The main purpose was to coordinate and support projects that drive integration in the Central American region. They discussed initiatives to promote cooperation among the countries of the region and foster more cohesive economic and social development.
The IDB, an ally for regional development
On October 10, 2023, Stephen met with Javier Francisco Urra, representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Costa Rica, to strengthen relations between the two organizations and foster economic development opportunities between Israel and Latin America. Bilateral trade, international investment and technological innovation were identified as key areas, and the IDB reaffirmed its interest in collaborating to strengthen regional infrastructure and sustainable development.
The IDB, founded in 1959 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is one of the main sources of development financing in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Educational cooperation in Central America
Visit to CECC-SICA (October 2023)
On October 31, 2023, David O. Abraham, CILIB President, and Paul Stephen visited CECC-SICA in San José. Abraham highlighted CILIB’s role in facilitating access to educational technologies, and Stephen stressed the need to create programs that promote sustainable development and the optimization of the regional education system. The visit concluded with a commitment to keep working together on educational projects.
Single-Teacher Schools Strengthening Program (November 2023)
In November 2023, Stephen attended the 37th Ordinary Meeting of the CECC/SICA Council of Ministers of Education, where he presented the Single-Teacher Schools Strengthening Program that CILIB is developing for the region. Single-teacher schools are schools in which a single teacher teaches students from several grades, a common model in rural areas. The proposal includes teacher training and the use of technology in the classroom.
CECC Strategic Planning Workshop (February 2024)
In February 2024, the Chamber presented the Report of the CECC Strategic Planning Workshop, in collaboration with Fundepos, CENECOOP R.L. and UNESCO San José. The report is the first step in building CECC’s Institutional Strategic Plan and included an analysis of its current situation and of the opportunities and challenges of the regional context.
Timeline of cooperation with SICA
- June 29, 2023: cooperation agreement with CECC/SICA.
- September 2023: meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador.
- September 25, 2023: meeting with El Salvador’s Deputy Foreign Minister.
- September 27, 2023: visit to GastroLab with the Minister of Tourism.
- September 2023: meeting with CAMPAC on fisheries and aquaculture.
- September 2023: meeting with the Secretary General of SICA.
- October 10, 2023: meeting with the IDB in Costa Rica.
- October 31, 2023: visit to CECC-SICA.
- November 2023: single-teacher schools program presented to the Ministers of Education.
- February 2024: report of the CECC Strategic Planning Workshop.
The Chamber and Central America
The Israel Ibero-America Chamber of Commerce works in foreign trade, training and cooperation between Israel and the Ibero-American countries. See the Chamber’s cooperation agreements, the El Salvador country profile and the Chamber’s services.
