05/11/2018
EUROsociAL+, SOCIEUX+ and the Social Cohesion Laboratory II symbolise the coordination of stakeholders and mechanisms to reduce inequalities
Some participants during the event
A commitment to social cohesion and fighting inequality have always played a large part in relations between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union, as well as being backed at the highest level at CELAC-EU summits, as occurred this year. Therefore, at a time when a new focus on cooperation between the two regions is being proposed to confront the global challenges of the 2030 Agenda, there was a wish to endorse this commitment.
Therefore, EUROsociAL+ (a programme whose management is headed by FIIAPP) and SOCIEUX+ (in which the Foundation also participates), took part in exchanges regarding cooperation on social cohesion between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean. Both programmes for cooperation between the European Union and Latin America looked for synergies with a bilateral instrument with Mexico, the Social Cohesion Laboratory II, all of which presented experiences that transform policy discussions into palpable results. Some of the outstanding examples were including women in the labour market and a care system with a gender perspective (EUROsociAL+ with INMUJERES México and the Uruguayan National Care System); green jobs for young people (SOCIEUX+ with the Peruvian Ministry of Labour); and the multilevel cooperation on reducing inequalities (Social Cohesion Laboratory II in Mexico).
Klaus Rudischhauser, head of the European Union Delegation to Mexico, emphasised that “social cohesion cannot be understood without a focus on human rights” adding that “this event represents the strong will of the EU to promote synergies and complementarity between the various instruments in our cooperation policy”.
SOCIEUX+ meeting
These and other experiences also formed part of the SOCIEUX+ meeting: “Employment and social protection systems in Latin America”, which continued the technical and public policy exchanges of the first day of the meeting. The event served to present its results in Latin America in fields such as entrepreneurship and youth employment, women’s access to the jobs market, inter-institutional coordination and institutional training on social protection and employment systems.
