The European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean discuss policies for development cooperation in a changing global environment
The European Commissioner for Development and Cooperation, Neven Mimica, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Roberto Ampuero, were the keynote speakers of the High Level Dialogue held in Santiago, Chile on October 4, on cooperation for development between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean. The event -organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations- was inaugurated by Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, and focused on the development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean in a world changing, in particular growing inequalities, climate change and security.
Commissioner Mimica commented: "Today's meeting is an excellent opportunity to explore how we can take development cooperation to a new level with our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean. We need to adapt our tools to the specific circumstances of each country and to a global context that is increasingly dynamic and changing. We must work together more efficiently to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our future cooperation should be more innovative and focused on the exchange of good practices, the transfer of knowledge, financial instruments for development, as well as other mechanisms, such as triangular cooperation. "
The European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean are actively cooperating in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. In line with the new European Consensus on Development, the EU is committed to launching more innovative development cooperation with the most advanced developing countries, within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. Cooperation with the countries that are Moving from middle income to higher income levels should focus particularly on the exchange of good practices, knowledge transfer and triangular cooperation.
BACKGROUND
The partnership for the development of the European Union with Latin America and the Caribbean has a long history and has evolved as the priorities and development needs of the partners have changed.
Currently, the European Union's cooperation with Latin America focuses mainly on regional programs. For example, the regional cooperation program for Latin America for 2014-2020 amounts to 805 million euros and covers issues as diverse as environmental sustainability and climate change, inclusive and sustainable growth, and education and security. The Caribbean Regional Program of 346 million euros, meanwhile, focuses on climate change, energy, regional economic integration and security.
