The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and the Barcelona Provincial Council, with the support of the Secretary of State for International Cooperation of the Government of Spain, the Council of Municipalities and Regions of Europe (CMRE), Mercociudades and other local governments networks, we organize the Forum of Local Governments of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a high-level event within the framework of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union that will take place on November 9 and 10, 2023, in the Auditorium of the Industrial School of Barcelona, with the aim of strengthening the political dialogue between the EU and Latin America at the subnational level by generating a space for meeting and discussion between local governments and regions of both continents.

  Forum Final Statement [aussi en français]

  Pictures Gallery

  See full video: English, French, Spanish & Catalan.

 

Programme:

8.30 – 9.00 am   Arrival and registration of participants
9.00 – 09.30 am  
 

Institutional opening

  • Núria Parlon, Deputy Representative of International Relations, 2030 Agenda, Urban and Public Policy Innovation Agenda and Mayor of Santa Coloma de Gramanet. Spain.
  • Pau Solanilla Franco, Commissioner for International Relations, City Promotion and Cooperation of the Barcelona City Council. 
  • Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). 
  • Leire Pajín, President of the EU-LAC Foundation.
  • María José García-Pelayo Jurado, President of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and Mayor of Jerez de la Frontera. 
09.30 – 10.15 am  

Dialogue between Europe and Latin America

  • Eugene Zapata, Head of Latin America and the Caribbean of Resilient Cities Network (moderation).
  • Pablo Javkin, Mayor of Rosario, representative of Mercociudades.
  • Fabrizio Rossi, Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).
  • Federico Castillo, secretary general, Unión Iberoamericana de Municipalistas (UIM). 
  • Xavier García Albiol, Mayor of Badalona. Spain.
10.15 – 10.45 am   Open discussion with participants
10.45 – 11.15 am   Coffee break
11.15 am – 12.15 pm  

Multi-stakeholder round table on the role of local govenrments in the renewed EU-CELAC strategy 

  • Sonia González, Coordinator of the Democratic Governance Policies Area of EuroSocial/FIIAPP (moderation)
  • Jomar Cevallos, Mayor of Cotacachi, Ecuador.
  • Céline Papin, Vice president of the Metropolis of Bordeaux and deputy mayor of the city of Bordeaux, president of the Latin America and the Caribbean division at Cités Unies France.
  • Lyli Caravantes, city councillor of Guatemala City.
  • Patrick Molinoz, President of the CIVEX Commission, Member of the European Committee of the Regions and Vice-president of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. France.
  • Sandra Singh, Caribbean Regional office, Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF). 
  • José Luis Blanco Moreno, Mayor of Azuqueca de Henares. Spain.
12.15 – 12.45 pm   Open discussion with participants
12.45 – 1.45 pm  

Round table on the situation of human rights and citizenship rights

  • Marta Nin, Director Casa Amèrica Catalunya (moderation).
  • Haydée Castillo, Human Rights Advocate, Nicaragua.
  • Juan Pablo Muñoz, Director Tierranueva Foundation. Ecuador.
  • Jacopo Suppo, Deputy Mayor, Metropolitan City of Turin. Italy.
  • Felipe Muñoz Vallejos, Mayor of Estación Central, Santiago de Chile.
1.45 – 2.15 pm   Open discussion with participants
2.15 – 3.15 pm  

Lunch
3.15 – 4.15 pm  

Round table discussion on the state of decentralisation and local democracy in both regions

  • Agustí Fernández de Losada, senior researcher and Director of the Global Cities Programme, CIDOB (moderation)
  • Héctor Aguirre, Manager of the trinational grouping of municipalities Rio Lempa. Central America.
  • Camila Davagnino, councilor of Santiago de Chile. 
  • Manuela Carmena, President of the Association Cuidar la Democracia. Spain.
  • Dolors Camats, Director, Foundation Catalunya-Europa. Spain.
  • Renske Steenbergen, Deputy Director, Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG). 
  • Francisco Javier Ayala, Mayor of Fuenlabrada. Spain
4.15 – 4.45 pm   Open discussion with participants
4.45 – 5.00 pm   The day's conclusions
5.00 – 7.00 pm   Cultural Agenda (simultaneous activities).
  • Literary route: The Latin American boom in the city of Barcelona (offered by Casa-Amèrica Catalunya).
  • Peace Prize Award (to the Nicaraguan activist Haydée Castillo, offered by the Association for the United Nations Spain and Barcelona Provincial Council). Meeting point: Sala Noble del Edificio del Reloj de la Escuela Industrial (Calle Urgell, 187 de Barcelona).
7.00 – 8.00 pm   Welcome cocktail reception. 
Meeting point: Sala Noble del Edificio del Reloj de la Escuela Industrial (Calle Urgell, 187 de Barcelona).
8.45 – 9.15 am   Arrival of participants
9.15 – 10.15 am  

Round table on what instruments are necessary for local governments to promote EU-CELAC cooperation

  • Boris Tonhauser, Director, Platforma (moderation)
  • Richard Calderón, Mayor of Imbabura and member of the Consortium of Autonomous Provincial Governments of Ecuador (CONGOPE). 
  • Marcela Petrantonio, Secretary of Production Development and International Relations, Tandil. Argentina. 
  • Sergi Farré, Vicepresident of the Working Party on Latin America and the Caribbean in the European Council, European External Action Service (EEAS).
  • Emma Clua, Head of Human Development and Digital Alliance, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission. 
  • Luis José Barcala, Mayor of Alicante. Spain.
10.15 – 10.45 am   Open discussion with participants
10.45 – 11.15 am   Coffee break
11.15 am – 12.15 pm  

Round table on what alliances local governments should build in the framework of the renewed EU-CELAC strategy

  • Marcela Andino, Deputy Director for Cooperation at the Consortium of Autonomous Provincial Governments of Ecuador (CONGOPE) (moderation).
  • Ximena Llamín, councilor of Municipalidad de Peñalolen, Chile.
  • Rodrigo Perpetuo, Secretary General, ICLEI Latin America.
  • Luz Amparo Medina, Director of Interational Relations at the Bogotá City Council. Colombia.
  • Jairo Acuña-Alfaro, Team Leader Governance, UNDP Latin America and the Caribbean. 
  • Luís Martínez-Sicluna, Secretary General of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP).
12.15 – 12.45 pm   Open discussion with participants
12.45 – 1.45 pm 

Conclusions of the local governments EU-CELAC

  • Fabiana Goyeneche, executive secretary of Mercociudades (moderation).
  • Lara Méndez, mayor of Lugo, Spain.
  • Jesús Otamendiz Campos, vice-governor of Havana, Cuba.
  • Juan Manuel Asturias, mayor of Antigua, Guatemala.
1.45 – 2.00 pm  

Closing session and declaration lecture of the Forum

  • Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
  • Leire Pajín, President of the EU-LAC Foundation.
  • Pablo Javkin, Mayor of Rosario, representative of Mercociudades.
  • Luís Martínez-Sicluna, Secretary General of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP).
  • Núria Parlon, Deputy Representative of International Relations, 2030 Agenda, Urban and Public Policy Innovation Agenda and Mayor of Santa Coloma de Gramanet. Spain.

Paranimf (Auditorium) of the Industrial School of Barcelona
(Carrer del Comte d'Urgell, 187, 08036 Barcelona)

*Idioma de la sessió (hi haurà traducció simultània en català, castellà, anglès i francès).