To support the Latin American region to emerge stronger, more resistant, sustainable and equitable from the situation generated by the pandemic, a meeting was organised between the foreign ministers of Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Objective: to step up cooperation and ensure a future partnership that harnesses the power of innovation and digitalisation.
The European Commission will invest around 2,400 million euros in response to the health and social emergency generated by the pandemic. Likewise, it has confirmed its support by launching LAGREEN, a green bond fund in Latin America and the Caribbean with the objective of financing investments for climate and natural resources. The initiative seeks to promote these bonds to mobilise local and international private capital in the region and will help to create almost 8.4 million jobs. In principle, this will serve to reduce poverty in the region.
Among other forms of support, Panama will receive a regional data centre of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service from the European Union that will manage risk reduction after a disaster and will give a long-term boost to health systems, water and sanitation to deal with potential complications and negative socio-economic impacts. The final communiqué of the meeting reflects the ministers’ interest in launching an effective, multidimensional response to fight inequality.
Response from the European Union
The activity was inaugurated by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, and chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The European Commissioner for International Associations, Jutta Urpilainen, said that “the EU will work closely with Latin America and the Caribbean, building a sustainable future based on our shared values and objectives”.
It should be noted that all the issues addressed during the meeting are among the EU’s main priorities for the region vis-a-vis environmental and cybersecurity issues and that they will be carried out throughout the cooperation programming until 2027.
EL PAcCTO, in line with EU actions and guidelines
The EL PAcCTO programme has promoted inter-institutional cooperation among the countries of the Latin American region. Currently, seven operational networks, five joint research teams and seven specialised multidisciplinary teams have been created between the two regions that act in specific research projects.
In environmental matters, EL PAcCTO works with the EU and Latin America through the Jaguar Network or the Environmental Protection Network of the AIAMP.
For more information about EL PAcCTO’s work on environmental crimes, click here .
The promotion of the digital agenda is carried out through the networks promoted between the two regions against cybercrime or the creation of specialised prosecutors in Peru and El Salvador.
The Elipsia Network against the sexual abuse of minors on the Internet is an example of cooperation between the two regions. See how it works here .
EL PAcCTO’s response for post-COVID recovery
One example of the results is the creation of COVID panels in Costa Rica and Ecuador, working meetings with prisons in the region and virtual activities on the most common crimes. The exchanges of experiences of the COVID Channel entailed 14 meetings with 23 countries in Latin America and Europe .
EL PAcCTO will tackle new challenges to continue supporting the fight against transnational organised crime in Latin America by promoting common strategies and determining public policies.