The Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries, or GRULAC, is one of the five United Nations Regional Groups composed of 33 Member States from Central and South America, as well as island nations in the Caribbean. Its members compose 17% of all United Nations members. The bloc overlaps with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States based in Uruguay.

The Group, as with all the regional groups, is a non-binding dialogue group where subjects concerning regional and international matters are discussed. Additionally, the Group works to help allocates seats on United Nations bodies by nominating candidates from the region.

In 1985, the group was known as the Latin American Group. Starting in 1986, the name Latin American and Caribbean Group is used in statements by the group chair.

Member States The following are the Member States of the Latin American and Caribbean Group:

Representation

Security Council The Latin American and Caribbean Group currently holds two seats on the Security Council, both non-permanent. The current members of the Security Council from the Group are: Country Term 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2026

Economic and Social Council The Latin American and Caribbean Group currently holds 10 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are: Country Term 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2021 1 January 2020 – 31 December 2022

Human Rights Council The Latin American and Caribbean Group currently holds eight seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are: Country Term 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2021 1 January 2020 – 31 December 2022

Presidency of the General Assembly Every five years in the years ending in 3 and 8, the Latin American and Caribbean Group is eligible to elect a president to the General Assembly.

The following is a list of presidents from the Group since its official creation in 1963: Year Elected Session Name of President Country Note 1963 18th Carlos Sosa Rodríguez 1968 23rd Emilio Arenales Catalán 1973 28th Leopoldo Benítes Also chaired the sixth special session of the General Assembly 1978 33rd Indalecio Liévano 1983 38th Jorge E. Illueca 1988 43rd Dante M. Caputo 1993 48th Samuel R. Insanally 1998 53rd Didier Opertti Also chaired the 10th emergency special session of the General Assembly 2003 58th Julian Robert Hunte 2008 63rd Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann 2013 68th John W. Ashe 2018 73rd María Fernanda Espinosa 2023 78th Dennis Francis Future 2028 83rd TBD TBD 2033 88th TBD TBD

Timeline of membership YearsNumber of membersNotes1946-196220Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela1962-196622Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago1966-197324Guyana, Barbados1973-197425Bahamas1974-197526Grenada1975-197827Suriname1978-197928Dominica1979-198029Saint Lucia1980-198130Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1981-198332Antigua and Barbuda, Belize1983–Present33Saint Kitts and Nevis The Latin American Group has existed since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, before the UN first met in 1946. It was initially the largest regional group, containing over 43% (20 out of 46) of the electable members.

In 1962, the group had its first non-Latin American member (Jamaica).

Role The Group plays a major role in promoting the region's interests. It provides a forum for Member States to exchange opinions on international issues, carry out follow-up on the topics that are being discussed in international organisations, build common positions on complex issues and prepare statements reflecting the joint position of the Group.

However, most importantly, the Group allows for the discussion and coordination of support for candidates for different United nations organisations from the region.

Regular meetings of the Group take place in Geneva. The most common topics discussed at these meetings are human rights, environment, intellectual property, labour rights, trade and development and telecommunications.

Locations The Group maintains various offices across the globe:

Rome The two offices in Rome focus on bilateral and multilateral issues, particular those of the United Nations agencies based in Rome. Vienna The office in Vienna focuses candidate memberships to the Group. It also deals with issues relating to: the United Nations Office at Vienna, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The office also acts as the Group's liaison to the Group of 77 and China and the Non-Aligned Movement New York The office in New York deals primarily with candidacy issues and other general topics.

See also United Nations Regional Groups List of members of the United Nations Security Council List of members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council

References