CLAC prepares ninth General Assembly
The IX General Assembly of the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC) will be held in a hybrid form (virtual and in person in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico) on November 19, 20 and 21 as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the foundation of CLAC.
The General Assembly is CLAC’s highest authority and will elect the new board of directors and the supervisory board and the new strategic plan 2024 – 2026 will be presented for approval.
A total of 222 delegates representing the more than 940 member organizations of CLAC will be able to participate in the IX General Assembly. In addition, about 30 observers from the membership and external organizations are expected to participate (see below for details on how to participate as an observer).
The delegates have been elected in assemblies organized by the National Fair Trade Platforms in each country, in accordance with the current regulations for the election of delegates.
The motto of the IX General Assembly is: When sowing Fair Trade, we harvest hope; which is linked to the campaign of celebration of the 20 years of foundation of CLAC.
The registration fee for delegates and observers for producers and workers organizations participating in person is as follows:
a. Registration Fee in Double Room US$410.00
b. Registration fee for Single Room US$590.00
This fee is preferential for CLAC members, and includes lodging for the nights of November 18, 19, 20 and 21, lunches and dinners for November 19, 20 and 21, and breakfasts for November 19, 20, 21 and 22. Includes materials and transportation from the airport to the hotel and vice versa.
The week of the General Assembly
Within the framework of CLAC’s IX General Assembly, a meeting of Universities for Fair Trade will be held on November 18 and 19 at the campus of the Benito Juarez University.
On November 21, the CLAC Hope Awards Ceremony will be held, which recognizes CLAC member organizations that have excelled in best practices in relation to the services they provide to their associates, development of human rights initiatives, innovation, and also the most active Fair Trade community.
Meanwhile, on the 22nd, a visit will be made to the facilities of CEPCO, a coffee producer organization from Oaxaca, Mexico.
Membership and external observers
To participate as membership or external observers, please send an email to [email protected], indicating why you are interested in participating and detailing whether you belong to a CLAC Member Organization or if your participation would be as an External Observer.
The CLAC Board of Directors will be evaluating the applications received, to ensure a balance in the number of observers from different sectors; and you will be notified no later than September 30th, if your application has been approved or not.
The registration fee for external observers, i.e. those who are not part of the membership, who participate in person, is as follows:
a. Registration Fee in Double Room US$533.00
b. Registration Fee for Single Room US$713.00
This fee includes lodging for the nights of November 18, 19, 20 and 21, lunches and dinners for November 19, 20 and 21, and breakfasts for November 19, 20, 21 and 22. It includes materials and transportation from the airport to the hotel and vice versa.
Origins of CLAC
CLAC was created in 2004 from the Constitutive Assembly held in Oaxaca, Mexico by members of the Latin American Coordinator (CLA), which brought together Fair Trade coffee growers, PAUAL (Small United Beekeepers of Latin America) and banana producer organizations, who decided to unite to give more strength to the voice of small producers in Latin America and the Caribbean.
CLA and PAUAL emerged as continental networks of small producers in 1996, a year before the creation of FLO.
CLAC’s legal status was established in 2005 in El Salvador, the country where the organization’s regional headquarters is currently located.
