Recently, the external affairs Minister highlighted India’s deepening engagement with the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) during the India-SICA Foreign Minister’s Meeting.

About Central American Integration System.

The Central American Integration System (SICA) is the institutional framework for regional integration in Central America.
It is composed of eight member countries: Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. 
History

• SICA succeeded the Organization of Central American States (ODECA), founded in 1951. The current framework was established by the Tegucigalpa Protocol in 1991, which reformed the ODECA charter to focus on peace, democracy, and development. It became operational in 1993. 

Objectives

SICA aims to create a region of peace, liberty, democracy, and development, based on human rights.

Key objectives include: 

• Consolidating democracy and strengthening regional security.
• Moving towards economic integration, including a Free Trade Area and eventual Customs and economic union.
• Promoting social and cultural integration to improve human development and quality of life.
• Developing integrated regional infrastructure.
• Coordinating a common foreign policy.
• Creating common policies for regional mobility.
• Balancing economic development with environmental conservation. 

Structure and functions

SICA has various bodies, including a rotating Presidency, biannual Summits, and a General Secretariat in El Salvador.
 It also includes the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) (not including Costa Rica), the Central American Court of Justice (CCJ) to resolve disputes, and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) for financing. Other specialized bodies exist, such as SIECA. 

Observers

SICA has both regional and extra-regional observer countries and organizations. Regional observers include countries like Mexico and the United States, while extra-regional observers include the European Union and Spain.

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