On 26 November, the Sovereign Order of Malta was officially admitted as an Extra-Regional Observer to the Central American Integration System (SICA), an organization that brings together Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, and the Dominican Republic.

This new status will enable the Order of Malta – already active in these countries through its associations and diplomatic missions – to take part in regional healthcare and sanitation programmes and contribute more effectively to disaster response efforts. It will also strengthen its role in combating poverty, defending human rights, and improving living conditions in the region.

The agreement was signed at SICA’s headquarters in Antiguo Cuscatlán, El Salvador, by Secretary General Victoria Velásquez de Avilés and Juan Tomás O’Naghten y Chacón, Vice President of the Government Council of the Order of Malta.

During the signing ceremony, the Order’s Ambassador to El Salvador, Maria Emerica Cortese, stated: “This agreement will allow the Order to contribute its experience, especially that of Malteser International, in disaster prevention and emergency assistance—crucial in a region often hit by natural catastrophes.”

As an observer, the Order will not hold voting rights but will participate in debates and have access to information and negotiations concerning resolutions, policies, programmes, and regional projects.