The 1st EU-LAC Foundation - UNED Pontevedra Days "Relaunching EU-CELAC bi-regional cooperation: Financial flows, funding mechanisms and inequalities" took place on 16-17 October. The event was jointly organised by the EU-LAC Foundation and the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) in Vigo, Spain.
The conference brought together representatives of international organisations, the academic community, and leaders from various sectors to analyse the relationship between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean in various economic dimensions. The meeting was open to students and remote participants, facilitating dialogue and access to knowledge on bi-regional relations.
The opening ceremony was presided over by UNED's Vice-Rector for Internationalisation and Multilingualism, Laura Alba Juez, the Director of UNED in Pontevedra, Víctor M. González, the Vice-President of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra, Marta Fernández-Tapias, and the Councillor of Vigo, Carlos López Font. The President and Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, Leire Pajín and Adrián Bonilla, were also present.
Pajín described these conferences as necessary for the joint construction of a common future. She particularly stressed the role of universities and research centres as places where "the necessary analyses of the complex issues raised by the global agenda emerge".
At the opening conference, Mario Cimoli, former Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC, stressed the need for dialogue in relation to the results of the 3rd EU-CELAC Summit. Cimoli emphasised the importance of investment, stressing that "investment and cooperation are essential to create a complex economy".
Across four panels on financing, economic growth, climate change and inequalities addressed the complex issues facing the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean from different perspectives. The conference brought together panellists from the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG-INTPA), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB/IADB), Spainsif, Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris -3, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Policy (FIIAPP), the OECD Development Centre, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and EUROCLIMA.
At the closing ceremony of the event, the Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, Dr Adrián Bonilla, stressed the importance for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to continue to cooperate closely on the three transitions.
More information about the EU-LAC Foundation - UNED Pontevedra Days here.
