Held in Miami in 1994, the Summit was the first meeting of the region's leaders since 1967 and was attended by all 34 democratically elected heads of government in the region, excluding only Fidel Castro of Cuba. Between the 1994 Miami Summit and the 2009 Port of Spain Summit , there were three Summits of the Americas and two Special Summits of the Americas , each introducing new initiatives and producing extensive Plans of Action . The Declaration of Nuevo León set the goal of providing anti-retroviral therapy to 600,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the hemisphere by 2005. 2009 Port of Spain Summit

The fifth Summit of the Americas was held April 17-19, 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The theme of the Port of Spain Summit was, "Securing our citizens' future by promoting human prosperity, energy security, and environmental sustainability." In the years following the Summit, the United States had become even more isolated from the rest of the region. Likewise, a number of heads of state and government from the region—including some traditional allies—vocally blamed the United States for the global financial crisis and called for a new U.S. policy toward Cuba. Given these divisions, many observers had low expectations for the Summit and cautioned that President Obama needed to be careful not to let it turn into a political circus. Despite these challenges, a number of analysts were optimistic about the Summit. Several Latin American leaders had expressed hope for improved relations with the United States following President Obama's election, leading some analysts to believe that President Obama would have an opportunity to strike a new tone in U.S. relations with the region. Strengthening Democratic Governance

The nations of the Americas reaffirm their commitments to a variety of regional democratic initiatives in the Declaration, such as the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the Inter-American Conventional Against Corruption. Strengthening the Summit Process and Implementation

In order to improve the effectiveness of the Summit of the Americas and ensure that the commitments made at the Summit are met, the Declaration adopts a number of reforms to the Summit process. Initiatives

				Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas

During his speech at the Summit, President Obama proposed an "Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas." Microfinance Growth Fund for the Western Hemisphere

As part of his commitment to combating inequality and creating prosperity from the bottom up, President Obama introduced a $100 million "Microfinance Growth Fund for the Western Hemisphere" at the Summit. Hemispheric Relations

A number of analysts think that the most significant result of the Port of Spain Summit of the Americas may be an improvement in U.S. relations with the rest of the hemisphere. Despite speeches from some leaders that criticized past and current U.S. policies in the region and a few other confrontational incidents, the Summit was largely free of the contentious climate that characterized the previous Summit in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
The fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago was held April 17-19, 2009. It was the first hemispheric forum for President Barack Obama to engage with leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Port of Spain Summit was also the first meeting of all 34 democratic heads of government from Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States since the contentious 2005 Summit in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Despite some criticism of past and current U.S. policies in the region, the Summit was largely cordial and may provide the foundation for improved hemispheric relations.
There have now been five Summits of the Americas, two Special Summits of the Americas, and a number of ministerial-level summits held since 1994. Previous Summits led to a number of successful initiatives in the region, including the creation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, reductions in the cost of remittance transfers, and increased provision of anti-retroviral therapy to victims of HIV/AIDS. Despite these accomplishments, some observers have criticized the Summits of the Americas as lacking transparency, being ineffective, or failing to advance U.S. interests.
The theme for the Port of Spain Summit was, "Securing our citizens' future by promoting human prosperity, energy security, and environmental sustainability." Given the confrontational nature of the previous Summit and the actions of some regional leaders prior to their arrival in Port of Spain, many observers had low expectations for the Summit. Other analysts were optimistic about the possibility of improving hemispheric relations given President Obama's popularity in the region.
Disagreements over Cuba's reintegration into the Inter-American System and other issues such as the global financial crisis prevented the Summit from producing a unanimous Declaration of Commitment, though a somewhat vague document was adopted as the consensus thought of the countries of the region. While the Summit Declaration introduced few concrete initiatives, President Obama offered several proposals, including an "Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas" and a "Microfinance Growth Fund for the Western Hemisphere." President Obama received a warm reception from the leaders of the region, leading some analysts to assert the most significant result of the Port of Spain Summit may be an improvement in U.S. relations with the rest of the hemisphere.
On March 31, 2009, the Senate approved S.Res. 90 (Kerry) expressing support for the fifth Summit of the Americas and calling on the United States to reinvigorate and strengthen its engagement with the hemisphere, especially concerning the financial crisis, energy security, and public safety. The resolution also declared that the United States was prepared to work with the rest of the region to advance an agenda of human prosperity, implement a regional energy strategy, encourage the participation of non governmental organizations in the Summit process, and strengthen the Summit follow-up mechanisms.
This report will not be updated.