Global Gateway: Leaders endorse EU – Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Digital Alliance for a human-centric digital transformation

During the EU – CELAC summit, taking place on 17-18 July, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen,  the European Council, Charles Michel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, on behalf of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union José Manuel Albares Bueno, High Representative for Foreign Affairs (HRVP) of the European Union, Josep Borrell and European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen met Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) leaders and heads of state to endorse a Joint declaration on the EU – LAC Digital Alliance.

The joint declaration sets out a value-based forum for regular bi-regional dialogue and cooperation on digital matters, placing in its centre the benefit of the people. It is endorsed by all European Union Member States and 20 Latin American countries. Global Gateway investment strategy – the EU’s positive offer to build sustainable infrastructure with partner countries – will act as the motor for innovative projects that deliver the EU-LAC Digital Alliance’s objectives, driving both region’s digital and green transitions.

High Representative / Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “This Digital Alliance will bring our two regions closer together in the digital domain, which is so crucial for our common future in the 21^st century. Our digital cooperation is vital for our economic strength and trade, for education and science and for social inclusion. Together, our two regions will stand for a human-centric digital transformation, creating a digital world that puts people in the centre, protects their data, rights and freedoms, and reduces social and digital gaps.”

Commissioner Urpilainen said: “With the EU-CELAC Summit, we are stepping up our partnership with our friends in Latin America and the Caribbean. The new EU-LAC Digital Alliance conveys a powerful message of teamwork and confidence to investors, and I am proud to see how we are strengthening the links that bring our two regions and people closer. EU-LAC Digital Alliance illustrates what the EU’s Global Gateway strategy is all about: accelerating the twin transition, creating more opportunities for our citizens and businesses and delivering trusted, sustainable and human-centric infrastructure with our partner countries.”

Participants at the highest level included Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Presidents and Prime Ministers from the following partner countries:

1. European Council President Charles Michel
2. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
3. Spain: Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares Bueno
4. HRVP Josep Borrell
5. European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen
6. Argentina: President Alberto Fernández
7. Brazil: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
8. Chile: President Gabriel Boric
9. Costa Rica: President Rodrigo Chaves Robles
10. Dominican Republic: President Luis Abinader
11. Ecuador: President Guillermo Lasso
12. El Salvador: Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco
13. Guatemala: President Alejandro Giammattei
14. Mexico: Vice Foreign Minister Carmen Moreno Toscano
15. Panama: Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo Jaén
16. Paraguay: President Mario Abdo Benitez
17. Suriname: Head of State, President Chandrikapersad Santokhi
18. Peru: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ana Cecilia Gervasi Diaz
19. Trinidad and Tobago: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Amery Browne

The EU-LAC Digital Alliance is a pioneering bi-regional multi-stakeholder digital partnership and a flagship initiative of the Global Gateway. Rooted in a human-centric approach to digital transformation, it provides a guiding framework for all digital cooperation actions between the EU and participating Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries. EU financial support currently amounts to €172 million with contributions and technical assistance from Team Europe. This includes EU Member States France, Germany, Finland, Italy, Estonia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The Alliance is composed of all European Union member states and twenty Latin American and Caribbean partner countries - Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

The EU-LAC Digital Alliance was launched at a high-level event attended by Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager in March 2023 in Bogota, Colombia.

Background

The EU-CELAC Ministerial Meeting of 27 October 2022, co-chaired by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Argentinian Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero, called for setting-up an EU-LAC Digital Alliance, underlining its benefits for both regions.

In order to promote connectivity, innovation and the digitalisation of government and business, the EU-LAC Digital Alliance will support the digital projects of our EU-LAC Investment Agenda, that will be discussed at the Summit and in particular, a number of Global Gateway projects. Notable examples of the Digital Alliance in action include:

• Extension of the BELLA fibre-optic cable, building secure digital backbone connectivity and bringing the research communities of the EU and LAC closer together;
• Implementation of a regional Copernicus strategy including two regional Copernicus data centres in Panama and Chile;
• Establishment of an EU-LAC Digital Accelerator to foster multi-stakeholder and private sector collaboration, competitiveness, skills and innovation in the digital area. This will include the promotion of impact investments and support to the delivery of e-services by both public and private entities.

Press Release: Global Gateway: EU, Latin America and Caribbean partners launch in Colombia the EU-LAC Digital Alliance