A summit meeting is an event held in order to discuss issues of common interest. These issues can be economic, social, or military in nature. Summit meetings are typically hosted by governments and aim to bring together leaders from a wide range of sectors in order to address a specific topic. These events are often characterized by high-level discussions and presentations, and may lead to concrete outcomes such as partnerships or funding opportunities.
During the first Summit of the Americas, the leaders of 19 countries of the Hemisphere came together in Miami in 1994 to seek common solutions to issues that affect all nations of the Americas. The Miami Summit marked the beginning of a process that would result in the creation of an Inter-American system capable of managing hemispheric issues at the highest level of government decision-making.
Following the Summit, the countries of the Hemisphere established the multilateral Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) to manage the implementation of the Summit mandates, identifying the responsibilities and coordinating the work of international organizations in accordance with the Santiago Plan of Action. SIRG consists of 34 countries of the Hemisphere, including Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, and it meets on a regular basis (see schedule).
The SIRG also hears reports from the different Units and Offices of the Organization of American States charged with implementing Summit items. In addition, the Organization of American States invites other international organizations to participate in the SIRG meetings, such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the Pan American Health Organization and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
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