Representatives from about 150 HEIs from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, attended the Second Conference of Managers of the Pacific Alliance’s Student and Academic Mobility Platform held in Lima.

The event took place at the University of the Pacific, with the purpose of promoting the exchange of best practices in internationalization and academic mobility in Latin America, as well as strengthening the current ties between institutions based on the mobility of students, faculty and researchers.

According to the focal points, what is sought is to train and improve the skills of managers during the application process of students, researchers and faculty; share experiences among participant HEIs; and create the ideal space for the establishment of networks between the institutions that constitute the Pacific Alliance’s Academic Mobility Platform.

During the event, representatives of the participant HEIs exchanged experiences and proposals for joint solutions to common problems. Most notable among these, were: involving incoming and outgoing students for them to exchange experiences and mutual support; carrying out a proper induction for students who join the Platform for the first time; promote bonding between foreign students and the focal points of the four countries; and foster contact between scholarship holders from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru with their respective embassies.

In addition, the HEIs joined in the request to increase the number of scholarships available; to give continuity to the annual Conference; and to generate a virtual space where they can share information permanently.

Look at the photos of the event here ➤ http://bit.ly/1RGxV7X

Lima, May 30, 2016

With the purpose of presenting together the most important aspects of the Pacific Alliance and their relevance to Malaysia, the ambassadors of Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Chile’s Chargé d’affaires assigned to that country, organized the forum “Pacific Alliance: Latin America-Malaysia business prospects”, attended by local entrepreneurs and authorities.

During the event, co-organized by the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Malaysia, representatives from the four countries conducted a historical account of the search for the integration processes in the Latin region that led to the creation of the Pacific Alliance; they highlighted the traits that link together the four countries, their operational capabilities and organizational structure.

They also unveiled the statistics that single out the group, its economic growth, sustainability, the focus of its exports, the legal framework that assists investors, market opportunities and production chain; they underlined the joint tendency toward the markets of Asia and Southeast Asia and they presented a summary of the Alliance’s latest developments as well as the initiative’s current and future plans.

At the end of the forum, the representatives of the four countries answered questions from the audience, stressing the advantages of participating in a consolidated integration process with strong economies.

Malaysia, May 30, 2016

As part of the Meetings of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly that took place between 16-18 May in Lisbon, representatives from the embassies of the Pacific Alliance countries in this city participated in the meeting of the Euro-Latin American Women’s Forum, held at the Portuguese parliament building.

During the event, representatives of the four countries highlighted the potential of the Pacific Alliance as to the opportunities offered to women and women’s enterprises, and the work done by this mechanism on the Gender Working Group as a result of the Summit of Paracas 2015.

It should be noted that members of Congress from various countries in Latin America and the European Union participated in the meetings of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly.

May 25, 2016

With the aim of expanding the opportunities to develop skills and competencies in order to improve youth employment and foster a space for expression for the young in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, the latter held the First Youth Meeting of the Pacific Alliance (PA).

The meeting, organized by the PA and Nestlé, brought together top level representatives from the Ministries of Labor and Education of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, as well as the State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation of the Swiss government, Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, business leaders and delegations of young entrepreneurs and students from the four member countries.

During the meeting the participants had the opportunity to share their experiences, framed by the reality of each of their countries, discussing achievements, progress, difficulties and processes for success in a globalized and endlessly changing world.

Ideas were also exchanged during the event among young people from the four countries, on how to promote employment and entrepreneurship. The topics of discussion included the benefits of a dual professional education to bridge the gap between the skills learned in academia and the demands of the workplace.

More information at ➤ http://bit.ly/1U7eW82

Lima, May 24, 2016

The First Education Forum of the Pacific Alliance (PA) was held in Peru in order to reflect upon the need to join efforts for improving the quality of inclusive education and thus contribute to the productive, competitive and sustainable development of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

More than 500 participants attended the event, including entrepreneurs, educational authorities and industry experts, who listened to the presentations of 40 internationally-renowned speakers and panelists on topics of education and competitiveness, such as Lant Pritchett, Faculty Chair of the MPA/ID Program at Harvard Kennedy School or Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation of the Swiss Government.

The Forum also included presentations from Flavio Figallo, Peru’s Vice-Minister of Educational Management; Natalia Ariza, Colombia’s Vice-Minister of Higher Education; Sergio Contreras, Executive Vice-President of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE); Javier Elguea, Chancellor of Inttelmex Mexico; and Hernán Araneda, Head of the Center for Innovation in Human Capital of Fundación Chile.

The need for companies to prioritize the growth of their business and of education, by promoting a “new DNA” of human resources for development, was raised during this event. Also was the need for the public-private agenda to be directed toward the implementation of educational systems that meet the needs of the economic sector and possible measures to ease the movement of human talent within the AP, as well as other measures to strengthen secondary school education as a basis to enter into a higher education system or the workplace.

Organization

The First Education Forum of the Pacific Alliance, considered as one of the most important in the region, was organized by the Pacific Alliance Business Council, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru, PromPeru, ADEX, El Comercio newspaper and el Dorado Investments with the support of the National Competitiveness Council and Nestlé, and sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Andean Development Corporation, with the University of the Pacific as academic partner.

Did you miss the First Education Forum of the Pacific Alliance? Watch it all here ➤ http://bit.ly/1TsopwM (mornings); http://bit.ly/1WLhwXD (evenings)

Lima, May 24, 2016

Customs representatives from the countries that comprise the Pacific Alliance –Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru– signed an Action Plan that will enable progress toward a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) of their corresponding Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programs. The signatories of the document were: Chile’s National Customs Service, Colombia’s National Directorate of Taxes and Customs (DIAN), Mexico’s Tax Administration Service (SAT), and Peru’s National Customs and Tax Administration Superintendency (SUNAT).

The Action Plan will be developed in four successive stages, namely, a study of the AEO programs, joint validation visits, development of procedures to implement the agreement, and an evaluation of the results.

Once these stages were fully defined and ratified by all parties, the four Pacific Alliance countries prepared a document in which the definitive MRA is expressed, whose preliminary deadline for execution and entry into force was set for December 2017.

The signing of this plan was carried out during the 3rd Global Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Conference, held in Mexico from 11 to 13 May 2016. During this event, the top Customs representatives worldwide -led by Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya of the World Customs Organization (WCO)- assessed the progress and identified the challenges faced by countries in developing their programs.

May 12, 2016

Business people from various areas met on May 3 at the Seminar “The enforcement of the Pacific Alliance Protocol: challenges and benefits for Chile”, an event organized by Chile’s National Chamber of Commerce (CNC) with the participation of authorities from Direcon-ProChile and the Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC) of that country.

In this context, there was agreement among the participants in pointing out that, besides the tariff relief -in effect since May 1st- cumulation of origin will be one of the most important issues, given that this will not only allow to stimulate the commercial integration between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, but also the creation of regional value chains. On the other hand, this seeks to further deepen the integration process of the Pacific Alliance, through ties with other markets, particularly the Asia-Pacific market.

“Once the Protocol is enforced, we will decisively support the consolidation of this regional integration initiative to plan its progress, specifically keeping in mind the Asian markets. We will continue to drive these challenges from the pro tempore Presidency of the Pacific Alliance, which will be held by Chile, starting next 1st of July”, said Direcon’s director Andrés Rebolledo during his presentation.

Pablo Urria, DIRECON’s director for Bilateral Economic Affairs, delved into the advantages obtained by Chile in matters of market access. Among other things, he explained that the tax relief programme negotiated in the bilateral agreements entered into with the other three countries shall remain valid, to the extent that the protocol reaches their aperture levels. However, with regard to Mexico, products such as edible oils, milk powder and cheeses will have better conditions within the Pacific Alliance. A similar situation will take place for some products that in Colombia and Peru were subject to price bands but that now will have more opportunities for exportation.

Cumulation of Origin

 During his presentation, ProChile director Roberto Pavia said that, regardless the tariff preferences, one of the Pacific Alliance’s most relevant advantages is that it will allow the cumulation of origin. He explained that unique and simple rules of origin were negotiated, seeking overall both a regional integration and pliability for those cases where consumables are not available among PA members, hoping to encourage regional value chains. On a different subject, the head of ProChile emphasized the close relationship that has been developed among the Pacific Alliance promoting agencies in order to improve integration and identify business options for our business people. “The 4th edition of the Macrorrueda de Negocios (Business Matchmaking) to be held next June in Santiago is an example of it, that will gather more than 600 companies from the four countries, many of them SMEs. It will be the ideal setting to start enjoying the benefits of the coming into effect of the Commercial Protocol, particularly those benefits related to the cumulation of origin”, remarked Pavia.

Lastly, Alberto Salas, president of the Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC), drew attention to the contribution of the Pacific Alliance Business Council (CEAP), the body that represents the business people from the four countries, made through the proposal of various subjects aimed to further deepen this integration process.

May 5th, 2016

The Pacific Alliance member countries—Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru—welcome the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to the Framework Agreement, signed in Cartagena de Indias, on February 10, 2014.

 This Protocol is a fundamental commercial tool to move towards the free movement of goods, services, capital and people among the four countries.  The agreement provides tariff liberalization of 92 percent of trade in the Pacific Alliance, as well as liberalization on the remaining 8 percent in the short and medium term.  Its objective is to achieve free movement of goods among our countries in 2030.

The Protocol, in its 19 chapters, facilitates regional trade, removes trade barriers and establishes modern disciplines with regard to professional, maritime, telecommunications and electronic commerce services.

One aim of this new phase is to enter regional and global value chains, via the free flow of investments among the four countries, as a means to add value, increase the quality of goods and services and allow the export of more competitive products to international markets, with emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.  Likewise, its entry into force will increase opportunities for economic operators, especially SMEs, to access an enlarged market and competitively internationalize their activities.

Based on this Protocol, the Pacific Alliance countries are committed to deepening trade within and beyond the region, in order to prompt economic development and improve the well-being of their citizens.

May 1, 2016

On April 25th and 26th, in the city of Lima, Peru, the XXXIV meeting of the High Level Group (HLG) of the Pacific Alliance took place, composed of the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Chile, Colombia , Mexico and Peru.

Deputy Ministers received the report of the Ministry of Finance on the progress and current status of the 2015-2016 work plan outlined in the Declaration of Paracas, and assessed the state of affairs of the recommendations and proposals of the Business Council of the Pacific Alliance (CEAP).

In order to advance in the mandates established by the Heads of State towards the XI Summit of the Pacific Alliance to be held next July 1st in Puerto Varas – Chile, the Deputy Ministers reviewed the reports submitted by the Technical Groups which held their sessions on April 21st and 22nd around a number of issues such as external relations, movement of people, institutional issues, SMEs, innovation, services and capital, among others.

In other matters, the Deputy Ministers highlighted the benefits of the forthcoming entry into force (May 1st) of the Additional Protocol to the Framework Agreement of the Pacific Alliance to liberalize most of the trade between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, which will contribute to significantly boost its trade integration.

The next meeting of the High Level Group will be held on June 7th in Mexico City.

It should be noted that the Pacific Alliance is a regional integration initiative formed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, created on April 28th, 2011. The countries of the mechanism concentrate a population of 216 million people and account for 39% of Product Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Lima, April 26th, 2016.

The Ministers of Environment of the Republic of Chile, Pablo Martínez Badenier; of the Republic of Colombia, Gabriel López Vallejo; of the United Mexican States, Rafael Pacchiano Alamán; and of the Republic of Peru, Manuel Pulgar Vidal Otálora; gathered in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia,

DECLARE:

1. Our commitment to a Green Growth strategy that ensures a sustainable, equitable and inclusive economic development in our countries. That is why we reaffirm our particular interest in strengthening sustainable consumption and production methods, helping to promote investment and markets for environmental goods and services, to encourage green jobs, and to support progress toward the decoupling of economic growth regarding the use of natural resources. Furthermore, take actions to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services and to address climate change, in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the respective capabilities.
2. Our commitment to see that the problems that negatively impact the environment will not end up disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable sectors, that is, with environmental equity as a central hub of the environmental policy. We also reaffirm our intention to strengthen, under each country’s current legal framework, an environmental institutionalism and its management instruments, including appropriate information access, gender-equality public participation in decision making and access to justice in environmental matters so as to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for a sustainable development.
3. Our decision to make greater efforts to implement efficient and effective environmental policies and drive the development of instruments and incentives that encourage the participation of different actors, including the private sector, on actions that contribute to the improvement of environmental management. It is our particular interest to promote dialogue on economic mechanisms for the mitigation of greenhouse gases and the development of renewable energy, among other measures to combat climate change.
4. Our commitment to foster processes of national dialogue between the relevant governments and stakeholders, like the private sector, which allow us to improve our policies and instruments, so that trade and environmental policies are mutually supportive and promote the optimal use of natural resources, according to the sustainable development goal.
5. Our willingness to articulate and promote a common environmental agenda that addresses the shared environmental priorities and contributes to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
6. Our willingness to promote the creation of a Working Group within the Pacific Alliance, under the framework of the Declaration of the Presidents of the Pacific Alliance on Climate Change at COP20/CMP10, for which we entrust the Minister for Environment of Peru to channel this initiative through the applicable formal procedures.
7. Our agreement regarding future joint activities that allow to effectively advance on the identification, establishment and implementation of a Green Growth Platform.

Cartagena de Indias, March 30, 2016