For the first time in eight years, the heads of state and government of the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean are meeting in Brussels. We meet at a time of profound global change, with intersecting trends and crises reshaping the geopolitical landscape.
Global temperatures are set to break records in the next five years and extreme weather events are already causing pain on both sides of the Atlantic. Digital innovation brings unprecedented opportunities and unforeseen risks. Covid-19 has exposed global inequalities and set back progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is hampering global economic recovery and threatening geopolitical stability.
Democratic values are increasingly in question. But in this “perfect crisis storm” the EU must not turn its back on its partners, but rather strengthen their partnerships.
The EU-CELAC Summit is a pivotal moment
Latin America, the Caribbean and the EU share a long history of partnership based on shared values, vibrant human ties and strong trade ties. Together we represent almost a third of the members of the United Nations.
The association must now be adapted to the current challenges. The EU-CELAC Summit is the time to forge a stronger political alliance, strengthen our trade agenda and tackle global challenges together.
We must strive to promote just, green and digital transitions and reduce inequalities through sustainable investments. We must join forces to work together to promote peace, security, justice and human rights and uphold rules-based multilateralism.
connection between peoples
This partnership on both sides of the Atlantic must above all benefit the people. A long-term partnership will always be anchored in people.
Last week we organized the EU-LAC forum in Brussels. During this forum, young people, civil society and local authorities exchanged valuable perspectives on the needs and priorities of the communities they represent.
The EU-LAC Forum has produced a set of recommendations that will feed directly into the leaders’ meeting, and they should be listened to!
Equality and social cohesion are the only truly stable foundations for prosperity. Actions to promote cohesion and combat inequalities must be at the heart of our cooperation.
At the EU-LAC Forum, I was proud to launch a new €60 million EU program for inclusive and equal societies. Through this program we will invest in the development of innovative social policies.
It is precisely this aspect, the inclusion of the social dimension of sustainable development, that makes the EU’s offer of association unique. Our offering, Global Gateway, is an investment strategy that will mobilize sustainable investment in infrastructure while accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Global Gateway takes a 360-degree approach: we look at the entire ecosystem around flagship projects and also invest in an enabling environment. These include basic services such as education and health, skills and research, legal frameworks and well-functioning institutions, and tackling inequalities.
Global Gateway Investment Program
One of the main outcomes of the summit will be the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda. We know the most pressing political priorities of our time: promoting ambitious just, green and digital transformations. The investment agenda aims to deliver on these priorities through a range of transformational projects that meet the highest social, labor and environmental standards and help put the Sustainable Development Goals on track.
We will increase our collective efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss by collaborating on various Team Europe initiatives such as The Green Transition, The Amazon Basin and The Five Great Forests of Mesoamerica.
Fair and critical raw material partnerships are our tools to improve supply chains, diversify sourcing and drive the green transition in both regions.
On the digital side, initiatives like the EU-LAC Digital Alliance that we launched in Bogotá in March this year will defend human-centric digitization, connectivity for all, and networks that improve our position in the global economy.
The EU will support this effort with more than €10 billion, with Member States and the private sector contributing.
The private sector is a key player
Public sector investment alone will never be enough to drive the progress citizens deserve. The Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved with aid alone, and no partner country wants to be dependent on aid.
That is why we have to involve companies and investors comprehensively. As part of the summit, we are hosting a business roundtable. It brings together representatives of the private sector and decision-makers from both sides of the Atlantic.
Global Gateway’s global goal is to encourage private investment. Publicly funded projects by the EU, Member States and development finance institutions are designed to enable and attract private funding. We have innovative solutions such as guarantees and financing mixes and participate in political dialogue to improve the business environment.
Recent crises have highlighted the concept of strategic autonomy. It means neither a fortress Europe nor new trade barriers. On the contrary, it must be promoted openly, together with trusted partners and with a view to mutual benefit.
The future is already here: among young people
The summit between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean is an important moment, but neither the beginning nor the end.
On many fronts, the ball is already in motion. We have already worked on the expansion of the BELLA cable, the LAC Cybersecurity Center in Santo Domingo and the creation of two regional Copernicus Centers for disaster risk reduction, climate change and land and sea surveillance. We work to improve equal access to safe, effective, and affordable health technologies, medicines, and vaccines.
Let’s use them and don’t just dream of the future. The future is already here: we must remember that the greatest generation of young people in history is among us. We need your opinions, priorities and ambitions. We must promote the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Association with them and for them.
There is now a real political impetus to strengthen cooperation between our regions. We have been natural partners for decades. We are now working towards becoming voluntary partners.
Jutta Urpilainen is EU Commissioner for International Partnerships.
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