Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean continues to take firm steps in the implementation of the Cáritas Internationalis Management Standards (EGCI), a framework that strengthens transparency, participation, responsibility and safeguarding in the mission that the Church carries out through its national Caritas.

A stronger network to serve better

Of the 21 national Caritas that make up the regional network, the majority are already in the Plan stage of improvement, after having completed their self-assessment and external evaluation processes. In this group there are 17 member organizations: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela, which are advancing in the consolidation of more solid and coherent institutions with the ecclesial mission.

For their part, the Antilles, Honduras and Panama are in full external evaluation, taking a fundamental step of independent validation to then design their improvement plan. Panama is currently in the external evaluation process, preparing the final documentation to formally present it, while Puerto Rico is in the readiness phase, beginning its path in this process.

At this moment, almost all national Cáritas have advanced at least one stage, and nineteen of them are already developing their improvement plan. A particularly significant case is Peru, which participated in the process for the second time, demonstrating an exemplary commitment to continuous improvement.

Organizations committed to transparency

The implementation of the EGCI is not only a technical exercise, but also represents an opportunity for institutional transformation. It involves strengthening governance, accountability, sustainability and, transversally, the safeguarding and culture of good treatment, fundamental pillars for building safe and reliable environments throughout the region.

This process also directly strengthens the regional campaign #ICompromime, as well as the efforts to safeguard and care for the Common House, which have had the decisive support of Porticus, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and Caritas Internationalis. Thanks to these allies, a regional path has been consolidated that unites institutional improvement with the promotion of a more synodal, protective Church committed to the dignity of people.

The progress in the implementation of the EGCI has been possible thanks to the collaboration between the national Caritas and the Regional Secretariat, with the support of strategic allies that provided resources and support. This synergy has consolidated a process that positions the regional network as a reference within the confederation, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability to strengthen the mission of service to the most vulnerable communities.