On 13 April 2026, the first virtual meeting of national focal points and responsible officials under the EU–LAC Bi-Regional Care Pact took place. During the meeting, which brought together more than 110 participants from both regions, representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the previous and current Pro Tempore Presidencies of CELAC (Colombia and Uruguay, respectively) presented the background and objectives of the initiative. The discussion also covered the issues that will form part of the agenda for the first in-person meeting of the focal points, scheduled for 4 May 2026 at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Berlin.
The main topics include:
- the working methods and coordination mechanisms of the Network of National Focal Points for the Bi-Regional Care Pact;
- defining the scope and thematic priorities of the Network’s work for the 2026–2027 period;
- policy coherence and complementarity with other international and bi-regional mechanisms, programmes and initiatives related to care; and
- modalities for involving governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, as well as specialised institutions, in the development of the Network’s activities.
Through a range of interventions, participants exchanged initial views on these issues and were invited to coordinate potential positions and concrete proposals over the coming weeks, with a view to presenting them and reaching consensus at the May meeting.
The European Union and 16 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean — Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay — launched the Bi-Regional Care Pact during the Fourth CELAC–EU Summit. This framework for cooperation places people’s well-being, dignity and equality at the heart of the partnership between the two regions. The declaration remains open to additional signatories.
The Pact will serve as a permanent forum for dialogue and cooperation on the legal, social and economic dimensions of care systems. Regular exchanges are envisaged on developments in policies and good practices, regulatory frameworks, infrastructure and the institutional architecture of care systems. These exchanges may also focus on the working conditions of care workers, professionalisation and skills development strategies, initiatives aimed at recognising unpaid care work and reducing the burden on those who provide it, as well as sectoral, local and community-based experiences and strategies for financing care systems.
Through the Pact, the partners aim to undertake comparative studies on care-related issues. It also seeks to stimulate the development of concrete proposals for consideration by authorities in both regions, while exploring opportunities to create decent jobs and expand multi-stakeholder financing mechanisms and strategies through innovative investments in the care economy.
