strategic vision

Type: Inter-regional forum on migration (regions covered: Europe - Latin America– Caribbean)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: European Union (EU) and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)

Established: 2009

Objectives

The European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean Summit is a biennial meeting of heads of state and government of Latin America, the Caribbean (LAC) and the European Union (EU), which was inaugurated in 1999 to develop a strategic partnership focused on strengthening democracy, the rule of law, international peace and political stability. Since its foundation in December 2011, CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) acts as the partner in this bi-regional process. Brazil has suspended its activities in CELAC as of January 2020. The United Kingdom has let the European Union on 1 February 2020.

The Structured and Comprehensive bi-regional Dialogue on Migration was launched on June 30, 2009 as a follow up to the commitments of the 5th EU-LAC Summit of Heads of States and Governments of May 2008. The meeting formally adopted the joint document “Basis for Structuring the EU-LAC Dialogue on Migration ”, which outlined the expected structure and content of the Dialogue and includes an indicative calendar of meetings for the coming years.  

The dialogue's objectives include: (i) identification of common challenges and areas for mutual cooperation, (ii) building a stronger evidence base for EU-LAC migration in order to better understand its realities, based on the principle of shared responsibility, (iii) strengthening the commitment and willingness of both sides to discuss migration issues.

Current Thematic Focus

  • Border management and combing document fraud
  • Combatting discrimination, racism and xenophobia
  • Combatting human trafficking
  • Combat migrant smuggling
  • Irregular migration
  • Labor migration
  • Migrant's rights
  • Migration and development
  • Data migration
  • Remittances
  • Voluntary return and reintegration

Chairing country

The Dialogue is co-chaired by the EU (Council of the EU and the European External Action Service) and CELAC.
Current Co-Chairs: Mexico for CELAC (until January 2021) and Croatia (January-June 2020)/ Germany (July-December 2020) for the Council of the EU.

Secretariat

The European Commission European External Action Service Americas acts as the Secretariat.

Until 2015 the IRF was supported through the Project “Strengthening the dialogue and cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to establish management models on migration and development policies”, implemented by IOM in coordination with FIIAPP. 

Members
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Latvia
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Suriname
  • Sweden
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela

*Brazil suspended its activities in CELAC as of January 2020.

Observers

Observer Organizations

Meetings
Documents
Contact information

Security, Drugs, Climate change, Regional Affairs Americas
European External Action Service Americas
European Commission
Email: Arpad.CSEKO@eeas.europa.eu
https://eeas.europa.eu

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Rue Belliard, 20 (7th floor), 1040
Brussels - Belgium
Phone: +32.2.894.92.30
Fax: +32.2.894.92.49
Email: info@migracion-ue-alc.eu

International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP)
c / Beatriz de Bobadilla, 18. 28040
Madrid - Spain
Phone: +34. 915.914.600
Fax: +34.915.342.314

Website
https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/regions/latin-america/eu-celac_en