The Diplomat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation on Monday hosted the inauguration of the 7th edition of the Ibero-American Public Leadership Programme, which has been developed throughout this week, organised by the Carolina Foundation and Telefónica, in which nine representatives from a total of eight countries in the region are taking part.
This year’s edition, which took place in Madrid and Brussels until today, Friday, has de motto: “The socio-economic impact of the European Union – Latin America and the Caribbean digital alliance”.
According to the Carolina Foundation, the programme aims to reflect on the opportunities opened up by the Digital Alliance, and to exchange inputs and debate proposals aimed at generating sustainable and inclusive development processes, in line with the sectoral priorities defined by both regions, which include digital transformation, education, infrastructure, energy and the environment, among others.
The agenda, according to the Carolina Foundation, has been designed to discuss the strengthening of bi-regional economic and trade ties, as well as the conditions and instruments for their implementation: access gaps and digital infrastructure, digital skills training, public and private financial resources, regulatory frameworks, technical cooperation and institutional strengthening.
The participants in this edition come from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Uruguay, and hold relevant positions of public responsibility in institutions in their respective countries.
Over five days, the participants have completed a program of institutional meetings and academic sessions in which they have had the opportunity to speak exclusively with leading Spanish and European figures from both the public and private sectors on issues at the forefront of expert knowledge on management and public policies that form part of the public and government agenda.
At the inauguration, which was also attended by Trinidad Jiménez, Telefónica’s Director of Public Affairs, Fernández Trigo pointed out that “one of the main objectives of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU has been to strengthen the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean relationship, and we believe it is very important,” he said, “to have launched a bi-regional Digital Alliance”. He added that the objective is “to promote the technological development of the two regions and to promote the development of a democratic society and an inclusive digital economy that leaves no one behind”.
For his part, Sanahuja highlighted the “promising moment” in relations between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, pointing out that they are two regions that are defining new forms of cooperation to face a triple social, ecological and digital transition. “The latter, he stressed, not only refers to infrastructure needs, but also to gaps in access and skills that intersect with other existing inequalities in the region: income, gender, place of residence or ethnic-cultural group”.
After the inauguration, the participants in the programme attended a lunch in which the director of the Carolina Foundation spoke about the Triple Transition. The Programme will be closed today with a meeting with the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Pilar Cancela.
The Carolina Foundation recalled that the Ibero-American Public Leadership Programme was created with the aim of contributing to the strengthening of democratic institutions in Ibero-America, through the exchange of experiences and good practices, and has established itself as a key annual event for the system of technical cooperation and Ibero-American public administrations.
