October 20, 2022.- The pro tempore presidency of Mexico before the Pacific Alliance held the XXVI Meeting of the Council of Ministers, made up of the ministers of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, with a view to the XVII Summit of the mechanism.

As part of the meeting, the issues of process of accession of Costa Rica and Ecuador were taken up again, during which the members of the mechanism agreed to establish preparatory working groups for the incorporation of these countries as soon as possible into the mechanism. At this juncture, the Council of Ministers received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, Arnoldo André Tinoco, as well as Juan Carlos Holguín, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Julio José Prado, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador to share their request to join the Pacific Alliance as Member States with full rights.

As part of the resolutions adopted, the requests of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Malta as Observer States of the mechanism were unanimously accepted.

Finally, the logistical and substantive aspects of the XVII Summit of the Pacific Alliance that Mexico will host in its capacity as pro tempore presidency, in Oaxaca, Mexico, on November 25, were reviewed.

The Pacific Alliance represents 42.9% of the Gross Domestic Product and 45% of the foreign direct investment flows received in Latin America and the Caribbean.

October 19, 2022.- The Pacific Alliance countries have a strong presence at the Global Food Marketplace (Salon International de l’alimentation, SIAL), the world’s largest French professional fair in the innovation of the food processing industry. SIAL visitors will have access to the best products of the Pacific Alliance, the result of best practices in the agri-food sector.

Chile

The Chilean food industry arrives strongly at the new edition of SIAL to reaffirm its commitments and defend its position on the international stage. Chile, the world’s leading exporter of products such as plums, dehydrated apples, walnuts and salmon, presents its progress and ambitions for the sustainable transformation of its food sector.

By highlighting a selection of exclusive products obtained from production that respects the environment, Chile wants to make its plot of land known and demonstrate that responsible consumption can also include products from the most remote places on the planet. With 33 companies distributed in 3 pavilions and covering 614 square meters, Chile will be present with a variety of products of origin, gourmet, delicatessen, dried and dehydrated fruits and meat products.

Colombia

At SIAL 2022, Colombia presents 11 companies of nuts, vegetable flours, processed fruits, IQF frozen avocado, beverages, healthy snacks and meats in its two pavilions. Colombia is recognized as a supplier by being the world’s leading producer and exporter of mild coffee, the world’s second largest producer of avocado (including all varieties), and the world’s leading exporter of fresh tilapia. Also, the country has more than 400 varieties of fruit. Colombia is called to be one of the world’s food pantries, according to the FAO.

The agro-industrial sector represents 51% of Colombian non-mining-energy exports to the world. Europe is positioned as the second destination for these exports, which are concentrated mainly in the following sectors: green coffee, fresh flowers, bananas, palm oil, coffee derivatives and fresh fruits. Additionally, in Colombia, producers and exporters are committed to sustainability, betting on certifications such as Rainforest Alliance, Global G.A.P., Fairtrade, Organic, Fair for Life, among others.

Mexico

The Mexican agri-food industry, committed to sustainable production practices, is present at SIAL with 44 companies, present in the gourmet, fruit and vegetable, beverage and organic products sector. World agri-food leader in beer, avocado, tequila, tomato, cookies, asparagus and squash, and the third country with the largest number of certified organic producers, Mexico is synonymous with quality, authenticity and innovation.

Mexico is the 11th largest agricultural producer in the world and the seventh largest exporter of agricultural products thanks to its extensive network of trade agreements and high sanitary standards. Mexico presents top quality products at SIAL, such as flour and vegetable oils, healthy snacks, agave insulin, tequila, alcoholic beverages, meat products (chilorio, machaca), citrus derivatives, vanilla, sauces, chia, 100% virgin avocado oil, natural sweeteners, honey, grains, among others.

Peru

At SIAL 2022, Peru celebrates its position as the 9th world supplier of fruit and among the largest in the world of healthy foods such as quinoa and blueberries, products in which Peru leads world exports. In this edition, Peru will show its novelties and the best of its exportable offer through the 39 co-exhibitor companies, in a total of 473 m2 distributed in the fine food and frozen pavilions.

Andean grains stand out, such as quinoa, kiwicha, chia, beans, dehydrated products based on mango, ginger, aguaymanto; SUPERFOODS products such as maca, camu camu, sacha inchi, purple corn, turmeric, cocoa powder and nibs, lucuma as well as a range of fruit and frozen juice products made from asparagus, avocado, mango, strawberries, pomegranate, pineapples, pitahaya, among others. Peru is the world’s leading exporter of blueberries, quinoa, asparagus, and organic and fair trade coffee.

October 12, 2022.- The Coordination of the Technical Subgroup on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of the Pacific Alliance (SGT-MRV), through one of its representatives, Francisco Pinto, was invited to participate in the public session of the Council of the Chile-Canada Commission for Environmental Cooperation, held in Santiago de Chile.

The session included a master lecture on ‘Carbon pricing: one of the most effective and profitable tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean innovation’, given by Juan Pedro Searle, Head of Climate Change, Division of Energy and Environmental Studies and Policy of the Ministry of Energy of Chile and a presentation on ‘Carbon Pricing and Atmospheric Science’ by David Levy, member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee. The session had a broad panel discussion that included a representative from the Academy, Rodrigo Palma, Director of the Energy Center of the University of Chile; a representative from the private sector: Ana Lía Rojas, Executive Director of the Chilean Association of Renewable Energies and Storage, ACERA A.G.; a representative of civil society, Carolina Urmeneta, Director of the Circular Economy Program, Global Methane Hub, and; a representative from the regional perspective: Francisco Pinto, Coordinator of the Technical Subgroup on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of the Pacific Alliance.

Addressing the regional perspective, and given the context of the session led by the governments of Chile and Canada, Francisco Pinto highlighted:

• Canada’s new technical and financial support package for the Pacific Alliance countries for CAD$4.5 million to strengthen their climate measurement, reporting and verification systems over the next four years (2022-2026).

• The recent experience and the challenges faced by Chile, Colombia and Mexico in the implementation of their first carbon price instruments, as well as Peru’s interest moving forward in the same lines.

• The constant interest of the countries of the Pacific Alliance to improve and sophisticate their measurement, reporting and verification systems associated with carbon price instruments, which are explicitly established in the coordination framework that guides the work and goals of the SGT- MRV.

In the following links you will find the inputs of the Public Session:

• Public Session Agenda – CCAEC

• Agenda – CCAEC – 20th Council Session – Public Session

• Master Lecture “Carbon price: one of the most effective and profitable tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean innovation”

• JPAC Presentation “Carbon Pricing and Atmospheric Science”

• The initiative, which is initially carried out through the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) of the Government of Chile, will allow the creation of an information center.

October 12, 2022.- The countries of the Pacific Alliance, through the Government of Chile’s Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) are currently advancing in the creation of a Network of Women in Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Pacific Alliance that makes visible the role of women from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, in these activities.

Initially, it seeks to establish an information center to provide news and novelties to registered women, on the advances and activities in the field of fishing and aquaculture with a gender focus and equality.

The registration period expires on October 24, 2022 and can be done at the following link: https://bit.ly/3fRdHC4

It is important to note that the Pacific Alliance is an economic and development initiative between four Latin American nations: Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Since her creation to date, the Alliance has become the axis of a new way of doing business on the continent. The PA is a mechanism for political and economic cooperation and integration that seeks to find a space to promote greater growth and greater competitiveness of the four economies that comprise it.

October 6, 2022.- In Rome, on October 4, the “Meeting on the Pacific Alliance and Cooperation with Italy” was held, virtually and in person, at the headquarters of the prestigious Italian study center “Free International University of Social Studies, Guido Carli” (LUISS). Representatives from the embassies of the PA member countries accredited in Rome participated in the event.

The rector of the university, Andrea Prencipe, expressed the opportunity that it represents for that institution to establish a collaboration network on various topics with universities in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru; as well as the intention to carry out this seminar on an annual basis. On behalf of the Pacific Alliance, the priorities and objectives of the pro tempore presidency of Mexico were presented, as well as the perspectives of cooperation with Italy.

Marco Giomini, head of the office for Mexico of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ratified the interest in continuing to strengthen collaboration with the Pacific Alliance. The general secretary of the Italo-Latin American Institute, Antonella Cavallari, suggested promoting cooperation between that organization and the AP in the area of ​​SMEs and green economies.

The meeting was followed by an exchange between academics from the five countries and a work session.

COMMUNICATIONS PPT PACIFIC ALLIANCE

October 6th, 2022.- On Thursday, October 6th, the online event “Women and Fintech: Challenges and Opportunities in the Pacific Alliance” was held, organized by the Pacific Alliance Gender Technical Group, with the support of the Council of Finance Ministers of this regional integration mechanism and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The event had more than 140 participants and was attended by financial authorities from the region, such as the commissioner for the Chile Financial Market Commission, Bernardita Piedrabuena, and Karla Zárate, Financial Inclusion Analyst at the Superintendence of Banking, Insurance and AFP from Peru. On behalf of the private sector of the PA member countries, Patricio Sandoval, Country Manager of Mastercard for Chile and Paraguay, Christine Chang, Vice President of Revenue at Tribal and Editor-in-Chief of Mexico This Week in Fintech and Juliana Carmona, Country Manager DOCK from Colombia.

FinTechs seek to offer new innovative business models based on the use of technology (programs, algorithms, and computer and mobile applications), which allow the improvement and disruption of financial services. The above-mentioned has been enabled through new channels for the use and access to financial services, encouraging competition and promoting financial inclusion, such as digital payments, technological platforms that make possible services such as financing between individuals (peer-to-peer lending), digital strategies, and extensive customer databases that can improve the offer of financial services. FinTech institutions are expected to remove barriers for clients and providers through digitization, and this will lead to more accessible financial services, in light of which it is also relevant to consider gender gaps in these areas.

In terms of progress closing the gender gap within the sector, although FinTechs have made significant progress incorporating women in their leadership positions, compared to other sectors of the financial system, there are still challenges to close the gender gap. As an example of these challenges, according to the IDB in its publication FinTech in Latin America (IDB, 2022), 15% of FinTech entrepreneurships in Latin America are close to equitable gender representation in their work teams, which indicates that there is still a long way to go to close the gender gap in the rest of the institutions.

Thus, the objective of this event was to analyze the participation of women in FinTech in the PA countries, both as consumers, founders, and workers, such as investors in this sector. During the conversation panel, the guests shared their perspectives on the evolution of the FinTech sector, they referred to the opportunities that the sector offers for women and how it would benefit from their participation, moreover sharing experiences and learnings acquired around their jobs in the area of FinTech, as well as government initiatives, challenges faced, support networks and the importance of gender equality in their work.

It is highlighted from the interventions that the inclusion of women in the FinTech sector generates greater benefits for companies, compared to companies that have a lower percentage of women, in addition to the efforts of the public sector to make this industry more inclusive and above all a whole phrase from the Chile Commissioner “let’s break our own barriers to generate our empowerment”.

• By the end of 2022, there will be a joint communication strategy for the responsible consumption of plastics, a series of indicators to measure the management across the plastics value chain at the regional level, and a characterization report of the plastics trade.

October 6th, 2022.- In the framework of the Presidential Declaration signed in 2019 in line with the strategic vision of the Pacific Alliance, a Roadmap for the Sustainable Management of Plastics was developed, identifying 8 areas of action focused in regulation, good practices, and public policies; innovation, research, and business transformation; plastic waste management and recycling; circular economy; financing; education, information and citizen transformation; trade; and international cooperation.

Thanks to a partnership between the IDB and Fundación Avina in 2021, a Coordination Committee was formed for the implementation of part of the roadmap with a timeline of 24 months beginning in the second half of 2022 focused on communications, generation of information systems and regulatory improvement. This Committee includes the representatives of the 4 countries of the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) through the Technical Group for the Environment and Green Growth (GTMACV) of this bloc, and representatives of Avina, with the support from the IDB’s Water and Sanitation Department.

The GTMACV’s commitment makes possible to review and provide feedback constantly on ongoing consultancies to ensure an adequate communication strategy that raises awareness and generates calls to action for change in the Pacific Alliance’s citizens’ consumption practices; as well as the generation of a standardized plastics information system that allows an adequate collection and consultation of data for the application of better public policies in the field of circular economy and plastics. On the same time, efforts are applied to improve regulatory cooperation in order to promote international trade, investment, economic growth, and employment.

• From October 5th to November 5th 2022, through www.retinalatina.org, the Latin American public will be able to enjoy a sample of seven films, which propose a reflection on the social phenomenon, national and international of migration.

• Likewise, this initiative, which brings together film productions from the four member countries of the Pacific Alliance, seeks to generate reflections on the richness of the contact between the cultures and customs of people from different regions and countries of Latin America, as well as the challenges that migrants face.

From October 5th to November 5th 2022, the Technical Group on Culture of the Pacific Alliance, made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, offers the Latin American public the “Pacific Alliance Film Series on migration: crossing borders”, with a selection of seven films that present the work of outstanding professionals from the region’s audiovisual sector through www.retinalatina.org.

This film series will be focused on generating reflections on migration and the implications it has on society and the natural and financial resources of the countries, regions, and localities. This initiative is part of the promotion and integration strategy of the work plan defined by the Pacific Alliance Technical Group on Culture for 2022.

The exhibition of films can be seen freely through www.retinalatina.org and in its application for iOS and Android. This digital platform can be visited free of charge from all over Latin America and the Caribbean countries.

In line with the objective of the film series, on Tuesday, October 4th, a discussion was held with the participation of five filmmakers invited to the cycle, with the aim of promoting a dialogue around their films and their vision about migration.

More about the schedule and the selection of films:

The films will be available at www.retinalatina.org from October 5th to November 5th, 2022.

Chile:

Alice in the country (2008), a full-length film by Esteban Larraín

Parío y Criao (2019), a full-length film by Jorge Donoso

Colombia:

I sell pipes (2019), a short film by Juan Diego Aguirre

Mexico:

Underground (2009), a short film by Eduardo Covarrubias

The children of the exodus (2019), by Wilma Gómez Luengo

Peru:

The row (2019), a full-length film by Daniel and Diego Vega

Waste (2017), a short film by Julio O. Ramos

More about the Pacific Alliance’s Technical Group on Culture:

One of the objectives of the Pacific Alliance Technical Group on Culture is to promote the development of the cultural and creative industries, based on the international projection of the identity and diversity of its member countries.

Thus, within the promotion strategies of the Pacific Alliance, a series of film cycles have been developed with different thematic approaches such as ‘The Pacific Alliance Nobel Prize Winners’ (2017), ‘Cinema made or starring women (2020), ‘Indigenous Cinema’ (2020), ‘Year of freedom: film series to highlight our Afro heritage’ (2021) and 

Thus, as part of the promotion strategies of the Pacific Alliance, a series of film cycles have been developed with different thematic approaches such as ‘The Pacific Alliance Nobel Prize Winners’ (2017), ‘Cinema made or starring women (2020), ‘Indigenous Cinema’ (2020), ‘Year of freedom: film series to highlight our Afro heritage’ (2021) and ‘’Environment’ (2022).