The EU-LAC Digital Alliance is the first regional digital partnership between the EU and Latin American and Caribbean countries. It is based on a shared commitment to a human-centric vision of the digital economy and society, one guided by universal Human Rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and democratic principles, transparency and accountability, high levels of cybersecurity and protection of privacy and personal data.
(Source: Global Gateway) In October 2022, LAC and EU's Foreign Affairs Ministers called for setting-up an EU-LAC Digital Alliance. Indeed, LAC and the EU have a unique opportunity to position themselves as credible and trustworthy partners of the fourth industrial revolution on a global scale.
The EU-LAC Digital Alliance therefore creates a strategic framework to foster a substantial EU- LAC digital cooperation, which includes EU Member States' cooperation and EU-supported infrastructure in the region such as the BELLA programme, regional Copernicus hubs and the LAC Cyber Competence Centre, as well as other specific projects, such as ELPACCTO on cybercrime.
A high-level launch event of the Digital Alliance will take place on 14 March 2023 in Bogota, Colombia. It will be an occasion for participating LAC countries, the EU and its Member States to endorse a joint declaration to build a strong digital partnership based on a value-based and human-centric approach to digital transformation. The high-level event will set the foundation for a high-level digital policy dialogue, and discuss a digital investment agenda with the EU and LAC private sector in view of the EU-CELAC Summit in 2023
Concretely, the launch could be a suitable scenario to kick-start a digital dialogue with Ministers, representatives of finance institutions and private companies to provide the first elements of a digital investment agenda. The high-level session will be dedicated to explore areas of cooperation ranging from data governance, cybersecurity and private sector engagement, to digital inclusivity and connectivity aspects. The event will also provide for an occasion to present the concrete strands of work of the Alliance financed by the EU, which underpin this political initiative The afternoon will be dedicated to networking activities and sessions of more technical nature. including on Space and Earth observation, 5G and private sector cooperation and innovation.
The EU will be represented in person by the European Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, while LAC and EU Member States would be represented by their respective Ministers Representatives of international finance institutions. CEOs of EU and LAC companies, civil society and the academia will take part in sessions and networking activities Ministers are welcome to be joined by an economic delegation consisting of representatives of the public or private entities from their countries.
Further Information
The EU-LAC Digital Alliance is an informal, values-based framework for cooperation under the Global Gateway strategy. It does not aim to establish a new institutional mechanism of governance, but provides a forum for regular bi-regional high-level dialogue and cooperation on priority topics expressed by participating countries. It promotes concrete bi-regional cooperation across the full spectrum of digital and space issues including infrastructure, skills development, technology. entrepreneurship and innovation, and digitalisation of public services, as well as Earth observation data and satellite navigation applications and services. Governments, private stakeholders, international finance institutions, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, civil society and academia would be involved in its implementation.
Its light governance would be coordinated within the D4D (Digital4Development) Hub for coordinated action with Team Europe partners, and within CEPAL (UN Economic Commission for LAC) for Latin American and Caribbean partners The European Commission encourages countries or private sector entities not yet part of the D4D Hub to join, in order to be fully informed of the actions and opportunities for the EU in the digital cooperation with LAC
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 Investment Agenda, and in particular, a number of Global Gateway flagship initiatives. This year already, our cooperation will include among others the following actions:
- the extension of the BELLA fibre-optic cable, building secure digital backbone connectivity and bringing the research communities of the EU and LAC closer together;
- the implementation of a regional Copernicus strategy including two regional Copernicus data centres in Panama and Chile, and
- the establishment of an EU-LAC Digital Accelerator to foster multi-stakeholder and private sector collaboration, competitiveness, skitts and innovation in the digital area which includes promoting impact investments, fostering triple helix collaborations and supporting the delivery of e-services, by both public and private entities.
Streaming of all sessions of the event will be available to the general public in English, Spanish and Portuguese at the following link: https://d4dhub.eu/lac
