EUROsociAL+, the European Union's Latin America cooperation programme, is organising its first major meeting of 2022 in Valparaíso with a view to ensuring the sustainable recovery of the region based on social cohesion and good governance.
Inaugural session of the Valparaíso Meeting. Photo: Ernesto Zelada.
One hundred diverse voices, those of women and men from different sectors and territorial levels of Latin American public systems, regional networks and civil society organisations, will be answering a single question: What political and social protocols do we need for a new, post-pandemic Latin America? For three days, those responsible for implementing public policies will be seeking answers and building options with social cohesion as the beacon of these policies at the “SOCIAL AND POLITICAL AGREEMENTS FOR A NEW LATIN AMERICA” meeting organised by EUROsociAL.
“Regional programmes are a fundamental pillar of the cooperation relationship between Chile and the European Union. Among them, EUROsociAL has a central place, thanks both to its continuity and to the impact and sustainability of its initiatives” said Enrique O’Farrill, Executive Director (S) of the Chilean International Development Cooperation Agency. “Latin America faces numerous challenges in the face of the current complex scenario. International cooperation has a central role, not only in creating bridges between our region and Europe, but also in contributing solutions and concrete initiatives aimed at a sustainable, equitable and inclusive recovery. With this aim as the national focal point, we at the Chilean International Development Cooperation Agency are celebrating the holding of this regional meeting and wish it the best of success”, he added.
León de la Torre, the European Union’s ambassador to Chile, said that “the construction of political and social protocols for a new Latin America is leading us towards a world in transformation, which the COVID pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated. The solutions to the great challenges that we face at a global level have to be based on alliances between regions of the world that share values, principles and common interests. The European Union considers Latin America to be a strategic partner with which we can jointly undertake the recovery from the crisis and achieve sustainable and more equal growth. We are aware that together we are stronger.”
The meeting has been organised in two symbolic spaces in the Valparaiso Cultural Park: the Plaza de la Cohesión Social and Calle de la Gobernanza. The squares in which the open plenary sessions will be held have historical significance in terms of collective construction. The opening session was held here, attended by Enrique O’Farrill, executive director(s) of the Chilean Agency for Development Cooperation, Anna Terrón, director of the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) and León de la Torre, the European Union’s ambassador to Chile. Jolita Butckevicienne, director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships attended in a virtual capacity.
The second day will feature a Knowledge Marketplace with stands and round-table discussions in Calle de la Gobernanza, while the third day will see the signing of the Ibero-American Declaration for Access to Justice which will be signed by the regional justice networks – the Conference of Ministers of Justice of Ibero-American Countries, the Inter-American Association of Public Defenders’ Offices and the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors’ Offices.
“Chile is an example of how the social discontent that is erupting in the streets through institutional channels – and that could increase with the inequality aggravated by the pandemic – can be channelled to transform it into public policies that put people at the centre, capable of uniting a fractured society with renewed ideas and energy to write this page of its development. Now more than ever, it is time to sign new agreements to improve the relationship between State and citizens which has deteriorated somewhat in recent times at a global level” concluded Anna Terrón, director of FIIAPP, the Spanish cooperation entity specialising in the strengthening of public policies, led by EUROsociAL+ in coordination with Expertise France, the Italian-Latin American International Organisation and the Central American Social Integration System.
About EUROsociAL+
EUROsociAL+, in coordination with the Chilean International Development Cooperation Agency, promotes national processes in the country, also working with regional organisations and networks. It has a significant impact on improving social cohesion, contributing to equity, good governance and social inclusion. As a milestone in this journey last year, the European Union launched the Chile-EU Forum initiative, inviting representatives from Chile’s political, social and economic sectors. This has contributed to public debate by sharing the diversity of the European experience in a number of spaces for dialogue within the framework of the constitutional process.
Over the past five years, cooperation between the European Union and Chile through EUROsociAL+ has also led to the implementation of 60 joint initiatives. In the field of justice, we have worked with the Public Criminal Defender’s Office on criminal defence protocols for the migrant population, women deprived of liberty and for detainees during the first few hours of their detention. In the field of gender equality, work has been jointly carried out with the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity on the training of public agents on forms of violence against women. In the regionalisation of policies, we have worked with the Department of Regional and Administrative Development to improve multi-level management and regional taxation, setting up regional human and social development divisions. In terms of good governance, we have worked with Chile Transparente in the creation of the Anti-Corruption Legal Assistance Centre.
