EU-CELAC Summit: local governments want to be part of the new EU – Latin America and the Caribbean relations

In a joint Declaration, local and regional leaders of the Latin America Caribbean region (LAC) and of the European Union (EU) call on Heads of State and Government of the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (EU-CELAC) to recognise the importance of the decentralisation agenda, and the key role played by municipalities and regions in achieving the joint objectives of the “New Agenda for relations between EU and Latin America and the Caribbean”.

This Declaration was adopted on Friday 14 July at the end of a 2-day Forum oganised on 13 and 14 July in Brussels (Belgium), ahead of the EU-CELAC Summit (17-18 July). It was signed by the associations of local and regional governments involved in the Forum, namely PLATFORMA, CEMR, Flacma, CLGF and Mercociudades.

Moreover, local and regional leaders of both sides of the Atlantic call on international leaders “to recognise sub-national governments’ direct cooperation (also known as decentralised cooperation) in both the EU and the LAC region as an important modality of cooperation”, the Declaration reads.

• Read the full Declaration
• Learn more about the EU – Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Forum on DG INTPA’s website.
• Watch the video message from the EU-LAC Forum. The local government representative is Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel, Mayor, Castries Constituency Council, St. Lucia, CLGF.