In a context of development crisis, cooperation and strategic alliances are urgent to move towards a more equal and sustainable future, says ECLAC

In a context of development crisis, cooperation and strategic alliances are urgent to strengthen democracy, sustainable development, and human rights. “The care society is the transformational change needed to build a new development pattern that puts equality and sustainability at the center”, explained the Director of ECLAC's Division for Gender Affairs, Ana Güezmes García, during the panel "Partnerships and multi-stakeholders' opportunities for engagement on Gender Equality, Knowledge and Just Transitions", which was held on the occasion of the EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Forum "Partners for change" (July 13 and 14, 2023).

The Director highlighted the recommendations and proposals adopted within the framework of the EU-LAC Gender Equality Forum (Berlin, May 11 and 12, 2023), the EU-LAC Knowledge Forum (Montevideo, April 24 and 25, 2023), and the EU-LAC Just Transition Forum (Barcelona, May 15 and 16, 2023). In particular, Güezmes emphasized the agreement to promote a Bi-regional Care Pact, in compliance with the Buenos Aires Commitment adopted by the member States of the ECLAC in November 2022, and the European Care Strategy adopted by the EU in September 2022.

In addition, she  stressed the recommendation related to transparency and public access to information on environmental impacts, climate finance, respect for indigenous peoples and local communities rights, as well as investment in technological infrastructure and connectivity to close the digital divide, with emphasis on the Escazú Agreement of Latin America and the Caribbean, adopted in September, 2018. Moreover, the Director highlighted proposals that seek to strengthen cooperation in science, technology and innovation, and the enhancement of access to andquality of education.

Güezmes stressed the importance of dialogue between civil society organizations, particularly women’s and feminist organizations and movements, and local and national governments of Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe, as well as to strengthen international cooperation between both regions in the framework of the III Summit of EU-CELAC Heads of State and Governments. “The convergence of Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean on a cooperation platform is necessary to build a path towards a more equal and sustainable future”, she asserted. The Director concluded her intervention by reiterating the call to move towards a care society, as an ambitiousand transformative response to overcome the development crisis.

The event was opened by Leire Pajín, President, EU-LAC Foundation and moderated by Adrián Bonilla, Executive Director, EU-LAC Foundation. In addition, Soledad García de la Oliva, Vice-president - Working Group on Latin America, Coimbra Group – Brussels Office, Belgium, and Myriam Moise, Secretary General - Universities Caribbean (UC), participed as EU-LAC Knowledge Forum panelist; Elektra Lagos, Director - International Network of Human Rights Europe (RIDHE) and Javier García de la Oliva, Head of Country Support Europe and Americas – Action Aid International, Spain; Secretary of Board – CONCORD, as panelists of the EU-LAC Gender Equality Forum; and Maiara Folly, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Plataforma CIPÓ, Brazil, and Mark Urban, Director of International Cooperation, Academic Relations and Communication, RedClara, as EU-LAC Just Transitions panelist. Cecilia Alemany, Officer in Charge at the UN Women Americas and the Caribbean Regional Office, Ana Güezmes García, Director of ECLAC's Division for Gender Affairs, Kristin Lang, Head of Division Global Partners, European Investment Bank, and Fazia Pusterla, Representative of IDB Group Office in Europe conducted the round of comments.

See the document “Investment and cooperation opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union”, prepared by ECLAC as a contribution to the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (17 and 18 July in Brussels), is available in  https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/48984/S2300118_es.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y   

More information about the event is available at https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/eu-latin-america-and-caribbean-forum-partners-change_en