Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru present panel discussion in Canada on the role of the Pacific Alliance in the international economic recovery

Ottawa, Canada, May 13, 2022. On the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the establishment of the Pacific Alliance, the embassies of Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico to Canada hosted a panel discussion entitled “A sustainable and inclusive economic recovery in a time of upheaval: The role of the Pacific Alliance”.

The panel discussion included the participation of Dr. Meredith Lilly, Associate Director of the Masters in International Affairs at Carleton University, Dr. Pablo Heidrich, Associate Professor of International Political Economy at Carleton University, and Adriana Vega, Director of International Banking Communications at Scotiabank, as moderator. 

During the discussion, panelists addressed the priorities of the Pacific Alliance amid Mexico’s pro tempore presidency, including the promotion of digital commerce; streamlining the processes involved in the flow of goods; greater access to goods and services to the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises – notably those led by women, as they have greater potential to insert themselves in the trade dynamics between the four countries; and how these efforts can be coordinated with our Canadian partners.

This in-person event took place at the Embassy of Mexico in Canada and was joined by representatives in the fields of politics, academia, and business in the Canadian capital, who gained a thorough understanding of the relevance of this successful mechanism of regional integration and the existing opportunities to expand the ties with Canada. The four countries offered samples of their regional refreshments.  

The Pacific Alliance celebrates its eleventh anniversary

On April 28, 2011, in response to the necessity of integrating a collective effort to address new challenges, both regional and global, and recognizing the importance of dialogue and cooperation to promote a sustainable and sustained economic and social development, the Pacific Alliance is integrated by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Since its creation, the Pacific Alliance has been a global reference in terms of integration; proof of this is the interest that the mechanism has attracted in various regions of the world. As of today, the Pacific Alliance has 61 Observer States and has successfully concluded negotiations with Singapore, which will soon become the mechanism’s first Associate State.

In January 2022, Mexico assumed the responsibility of coordinating the work of the Pacific Alliance as pro tempore presidency, opportunity that Mexico will use to promote innovative schemes and projects that will provide our citizens with useful tools to improve their living conditions and quality of life.

As pro tempore presidency of the Mechanism, Mexico will continue to collaborate with all member countries to make the Pacific Alliance a better integrated mechanism, more global and better connected, that responds decisively and vigorously to the needs of our citizens.

Pacific Alliance presents new AP Digital Teaching Network platform

  • The free training offer that will be available on the Network for teachers seeks to strengthen the digital skills of professionals from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru who work in basic or primary education.

  • The scope of the platform will be announced in the framework of the conversation “Radical Collaboration for Learning in the 21st Century” that will take place on May 3. It will also address the opportunities and challenges of collaborative work in virtual learning environments in schools.

With the purpose of inviting the teaching community of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, to learn about a new free training offer of high quality and relevance to today’s educational challenges, the Pacific Alliance will present on May 3 its new AP Digital Teaching Network, developed within the framework of the initiative “Strengthening the digital skills of teachers and directors of Basic Education”.

The platform, implemented by Fundación Chile, will offer online courses that aim to generate capacities for pedagogical use in digital technological tools that allow teachers, together with directors of educational institutions that work at the primary or basic school level (students between 6 and 14 years), strengthen their practices and continue with their professional development. In addition, it will provide a virtual meeting space for knowledge.

The training offer was designed considering a diagnosis that identified teaching needs in the context of the pandemic. This consisted of interviews with key actors in each country, a focus group to collect their experiences, perceptions and challenges, and a survey of self-perception of digital skills. In this way, the first three courses will address effective pedagogical practices mediated by technology at different levels of depth.

“This project, financed by the Pacific Alliance Cooperation Fund, was born as a response to the needs that the health pandemic has revealed. In the Pacific Alliance we work to consolidate ourselves as a more integrated citizen mechanism, therefore, the launch of the Digital Teaching Network is an important initiative that will allow the teachers of our countries to respond comprehensively and forcefully to the new reality, strengthening those key skills and updating essential knowledge for an effective educational process for girls, boys and young people”, maintains the block of the Pacific Alliance.

For her part, the  director of Learning for the Future of Fundación Chile, Andrea Osorio , refers to the seal of the new training offer that will be available from April 22: “The educational challenges of the region, exacerbated by the health crisis , require the construction of new methods for learning, and in this, technology and collaboration are tools that we seek to promote with the development of flexible courses, in tune with daily practices and from an innovative and transforming perspective of our educational systems. ”

The presentation of the AP Digital Teaching Network will take place in the virtual colloquium  “Pacific Alliance Digital Teaching Network: Radical collaboration for 21st century learning”.  The activity will feature the participation of  Valeria Kelly, consultant for the ICT Program at IIEP UNESCO , office for Latin America, who has specialized in educational technology, new literacies and distance education. Also participating will be Libertad Manzo, coordinator of Instructional Design for Learning for the Future of Fundación Chile , who led the development of the courses that will be announced.

To participate in the virtual colloquium and future webinars, interested persons must register at the following link:  https://webinardocenciadigitalap.vcongrez.com/

To enroll in the courses of the AP Digital Teaching Network, teachers must join the new platform starting April 22:  https://www.reddocenciadigitalap.net/

The LXII Meeting of the High-Level Group (GAN) of the Pacific Alliance was held in person

The meeting was held at the Palacio de San Carlos, the seat of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was attended by José Miguel Ahumada Franco, Undersecretary for International Economic Relations of Chile; María Carmelina Londoño, Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs, and Luis Fernando Fuentes, Vice Minister for Foreign Trade of Colombia; Luz María de la Mora Sánchez, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade of Mexico (as Pro Témpore Presidency); and Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ana Cecilia Gervasi Díaz, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru.

At the meeting, the authorities discussed trade issues, including the negotiation process with Associated States, specifically South Korea, and the eventual adherence of Ecuador to the mechanism. They also discussed cooperation matters, such as the release of the launch of the call for the cooperation fund, the 4th Cooperation Forum and the follow-up to the joint declarations with Observer States. They also discussed the activities to be conducted on the 11th anniversary of the Pacific Alliance to be held on April 28.

Finally, they received representatives of the AP Business Council and the Inter-American Development Bank, with whom they reviewed their relationship with the mechanism.

Foreign Ministers and Trade Ministers signed the Joint Declaration between the Pacific Alliance and Singapore

January 26, 2022 – The signing of the Joint Declaration with Singapore, which seeks to deepen cooperation in areas of common interest that contribute to the free movement of goods, services, capital and people, took place in Bahia Malaga, venue of the XVI Summit of the Pacific Alliance.

According to the Joint Declaration, the Pacific Alliance and Singapore will identify opportunities in areas such as investment, trade and tourism, digital economy, trade facilitation measures, culture, economy/inclusive growth, among others.

The document was signed by the Foreign Minister of Chile, Andrés Allamand; the Vice President and Foreign Minister of Colombia, Marta Lucía Ramírez; the Minister of Commerce of Colombia, María Ximena Lombana; the Foreign Minister of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard; the Secretary of Economy of Mexico, Tatiana Clouthier; the Foreign Minister of Peru, Óscar Maúrtua, and the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru, Roberto Sánchez.

See the statement here

PACIFIC ALLIANCE PPT COMMUNICATIONS

Pacific Alliance and Singapore sign Free Trade Agreement

  • The Asian country is about to become the first Associated State of the integration bloc.

January 26, 2022 – In the framework of the XVI Summit of Presidents of the Pacific Alliance, the Trade ministers of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, on the one hand, and that of Singapore, on the other, signed the Free Trade Agreement, whose negotiations ended in July 2021.

This instrument must now comply with the procedures before the legislative bodies of each of the countries, and in the case of Colombia, it must subsequently pass to the endorsement of the Constitutional Court.

The Agreement includes 25 chapters in disciplines such as: market access for goods, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, rules of origin, technical barriers to trade, economic and customs cooperation, trade facilitation, investment, e-commerce, cross-border trade in services, maritime services, telecommunications, temporary entry of business persons, state-owned enterprises, public procurement, competition policy, good regulatory practices, gender, SMEs and legal and institutional matters.

The signing of this Agreement marks a milestone for this integration initiative because Singapore will become the first Associated State of the Pacific Alliance.

The negotiations with the Asian economy complement the trade relationship, encourage the attraction of investments, facilitate government procurement contracts and enhance the access of service providers to a wide range of sectors.

It also opens the door to cooperation in various areas such as energy, food trade, the digital economy, infrastructure and urban solutions, port management and logistics, and the interoperability of Foreign Trade Single Windows.

Reaching the Singapore market through this trade agreement will allow the countries of the Alliance to use regional inputs from different countries enhancing regional production chains. It is expected to attract investors from that country to the extended market of the bloc as a productive and export platform to the region.

The Pacific Alliance is made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. It has a population of 230 million, a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of USD 19,000 and exports of USD 627 billion. This makes the group the eighth largest exporter in the world. The Asian country became an Observer State of the Pacific Alliance in 2014 and a candidate for Associate State in 2017. Negotiations for a Trade Agreement were finalized in July 2021, after four years of deliberations.

PACIFIC ALLIANCE PPT COMMUNICATIONS

Pacific Alliance and ASEAN adopt 2021-2025 Work Plan

November 24, 2021 – In order to continue strengthening the ties of friendship and cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Pacific Alliance (PA), the annual meeting between the Permanent Representatives Committee and the National Coordinators of both regional blocs was held on Wednesday. At this meeting, the 2021-2025 Work Plan was adopted, which is focused on the following areas: economic cooperation; in education and culture; science, technology and innovation, as well as smart cities and connectivity; environment and sustainable development; and post-pandemic recovery.

“We are sure that it will contribute to the rapprochement between our regions, generating spaces for interaction and cooperation, exchange of experiences and best practices that will strengthen the capacities of our blocs and each of our countries,” said Luis Felipe Quintero, Colombia’s Chief Negotiator for the Pacific Alliance and National Coordinator (E).

Among the initiatives contemplated in terms of economic cooperation are the organization of investment and trade activities between member countries; the promotion of cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, e-commerce, cybersecurity and the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the economic empowerment of women and youth employability.

In the area of education and culture, both mechanisms agreed to promote cooperation and the exchange of experiences and knowledge in e-learning, technical and vocational education and training, people-to-people contact (mainly in relation to the revival of sustainable tourism) and cultural exchanges.

In relation to science, technology and innovation, they will also work on the exchange of experiences and best practices in digital economy material such as the PA Regional Digital Market Roadmap and the ASEAN Digital Masterplan, the promotion of women’s participation in these areas, as well as the exploration of opportunities in connectivity and smart cities.

On a joint work on environment, issues such as the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals, plastic waste management, the fight against deforestation, the promotion of circular economy, among others, are part of the Work Plan. “Environmental transformation is one of the issues that will not only protect our planet, but also stimulate our economies and promote their growth,” added Luis Felipe Quintero.

Faced with the post-pandemic recovery, there are two main bets: a recovery with a gender focus and the promotion of the exchange of information on prevention and response measures to COVID-19.

“In these challenging times, the Pacific Alliance and ASEAN need each other to fight the pandemic, boost trade and the economy, address climate change, and reinforce our common goals on issues such as digital transformation and gender equity,” concluded Luis Felipe Quintero.

Read the 2021-2025 Work Plan in English here.

PACIFIC ALLIANCE PPT COMMUNICATIONS

The Pacific Alliance moves forward in Norway

August 18, 2021.- For the first time in history, the Pacific Alliance participated in the framework of Arendalsuka, the most important political and business meeting in Norway. On this occasion, the ambassadors of the Pacific Alliance presented the event: “10 years of The Pacific Alliance: education, culture, and business opportunities”, with the purpose of making known the opportunities and benefits that this bloc composed of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru has to offer to Norwegian entrepreneurs and investors.

During the interventions, the ambassadors indicated that the Pacific Alliance works to strengthen regional integration, with the clear objective of progressively moving towards the free circulation of goods, services, capital and people in the region.

The presence of the Pacific Alliance at Arendalsuka was considered fundamental by the participants of the event. This year there was a greater relevance, taking into account that on September 13,2021 parliamentary elections will be held to define the government that will lead this Nordic country for the next four years. Norway, in addition to being an observer state of the Alliance, has companies such as Yara International, which has a presence in the four countries of the bloc, and BAMA, a company that imports agricultural products from the four member states of the PA to Norway.

The event was well attended, including key players in the Norwegian political arena, such as the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, Jens Frølich Holte, the media, the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Kingdom of Norway and members of academia.

The event generated interest among the attendees, who recognized the importance of the bloc, as well as the potential for future growth and thus promote Norwegian investment in our respective countries.

PACIFIC ALLIANCE PPT COMMUNICATIONS

IX Business Macro-Round of the Pacific Alliance to focus on Canada, Europe, Asia and Oceania

Exporters from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru will meet with more than 180 buyers in search of suppliers and quality products, a hallmark of the bloc’s members.

The annual flagship activity of the Pacific Alliance trade in goods, the Business Macro-Round, which will be held virtually from August 12, was segmented this year into three phases, according to the demand for products sought by the member countries of the bloc and third markets.

First, there will be a business round table aimed at Asia and Oceania, which will prioritize the supply of agri-foods, since the Asian continent is fundamental for the global trade of these products, as stipulated in the “Agri-Outlook” report of the FAO and the OECD. It is also the world’s fastest recovering region after the recession caused by the global health situation.

In this initial meeting, commercial ties will be strengthened with Singapore, a country with which negotiations were recently concluded to become an Associate State of the Pacific Alliance.

The second phase will focus on Europe, where agri-foods and natural ingredients will prevail. It should be noted that this region is increasingly demanding natural products and foods produced under the parameters of trends accentuated by the pandemic and favorable to the exportable supply of the Pacific Alliance, as also indicated in the aforementioned FAO and OECD report.

The third stage will be aimed at the markets of the Pacific Alliance and Canada, a candidate country to become an Associated State of the bloc. This last part of the Macro-Round will have a multi-sectoral orientation that will help boost intra-regional trade and the diversification of Pacific Alliance exports.

The segmentation of the Business Macro-Round will allow its companies to know what products are in demand by the main allies of the bloc, and to take advantage of the benefits provided through lower tariffs, improved delivery times and trade facilitation.

“In its eight previous versions, the PA Macro-Round has generated export opportunities for more than US$914 million to entrepreneurs from the four member countries, expanding their business at regional level and towards international markets. This edition contributes to economic reactivation and job creation in the countries that make up the bloc. It is also an ideal opportunity to strengthen the export offer of companies from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru and, at the same time, strengthens trade links with allied countries of the mechanism,” said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia and current president pro tempore of the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies.

The Pacific Alliance Regional Labor Observatory was officially launched

August 10, 2021.- The official launch of the Pacific Alliance Regional Labor Observatory, supported by the Technical Labor Group of the PA, was held this Tuesday. Its objective will be to contribute to the analysis of the dynamics of the labor market in order to adapt university training programs and facilitate the labor market insertion of university graduates in the Pacific Alliance.

The event, held virtually, had the participation of Adela Maestre, director of Regional Coordination and Integration Mechanisms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, representing the pro tempore presidency, and Janet Ortega, coordinator of the Technical Labor Group of the PA.

“This observatory will facilitate and strengthen the incorporation of our citizens into the labor market, while promoting the exchange of experiences and opening the space for dialogue to provide approaches that enrich our public policies in this matter,” said Adela Maestre.

During its four-year duration, the project, financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union (EU), will propose a package of activities that will allow the homogenization of methodologies and tools used in the PA countries to measure and control variables related to employment, the labor market and the insertion of professionals into the real sector in areas of knowledge specific to their training.

In addition, the implementation of the labour observatory in Higher Education Institutions will offer students and professionals a reliable system of information on existing opportunities in the region’s industries and will allow them to find work abroad more easily.

“Our accompaniment in this task is given since the Technical Education Group had an approach with the Technical Labor Group in order to present the EMPLE-AP project, which is financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union and in which 14 Universities of the 4 member countries of the Alliance, as well as Universities of the European Union participate,” said Janet Ortega.

The Higher Education Institutions that are part of the EMPLE-AP consortium are: Universidade do Porto -U. PORTO-, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria –ULPGC, Universidad César Vallejo -UCV-, Universidad Continental -UC-, Instituto Profesional Providencia -IPP-, Universidad de Valparaíso -UV-, Universidad Autónoma del Noreste -UANE-, Universidad de Siena -UNISI-, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla -BUAP-, Ilumno -ILUMNO-, University of Bordeaux (U-BORDEAUX), Universidad de Antioquia (UDEA), Corporación Universitaria Unitec and Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, general coordinator of the project in Latin America.

Thanks to the management of the Technical Labor Group, support for this observatory was included in the Lima Declaration of December 2019 under this guideline: establish a working group with the Coordinators of the Project “Observatory for Labor Market Insertion and Strengthening Employability in Pacific Alliance countries EMPLE-AP”.