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.

The Pacific Alliance and the European Union held a series of cooperation workshops on digital economy and society between June 15 and 17, 2021. There, they addressed topics such as the digitization of public services and digital identity and electronic signature; sustainable, secure and efficient digital infrastructures, especially in relation to 5G and cybersecurity, as well as the digital transformation of companies and public services.

The workshops were attended by more than 60 public officials from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, in charge of implementing the Regional Digital Market Roadmap. There, both European and Pacific Alliance countries’ experiences in terms of public policies, regulatory frameworks and initiatives, among others, were shared.

As a result of these workshops, it was agreed to hold technical meetings related to the use of electronic signatures, interest was expressed in the exchange of best practices and experiences in the area of 5G and possible cooperation in the area of personal data protection.

In September 2019, the Joint Declaration of the European Union (EU) and the Pacific Alliance (PA) established a framework for cooperation between the two blocs.

May 16th, 2022.- A Work Plan between the Pacific Alliance and Singapore was adopted at an event in Mexico City led by Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, as President pro tempore of the Pacific Alliance, and Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry of Singapore. 

Also present were officials from the Embassies of Chile, Colombia and Peru accredited in Mexico. 

At the event, the Member States of the Pacific Alliance and Singapore formally adopted the Work Plan in which they express their readiness to work on issues such as: the digital economy, technology and innovation, sustainability, trade facilitation and commercial ties. 

This achievement is part of the work done by the Pacific Alliance to forge relationships with its community of Observer States in line with the goals set forth in the 2030 Strategic Vision of the Pacific Alliance. 

Singapore recently concluded negotiations with the Member States of the Pacific Alliance and will soon become the first Associate State of the mechanism.

PACIFIC ALLIANCE PPT COMMUNICATIONS

March 9th, 2023.- More than 250 teachers and 17 vocational training centers participated in a diagnostic report on the level of digital competencies of technical and vocational education (TVE) teachers in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, prepared by the OEI.

At the end of November, the diagnostic report of the project “Teacher Training in Digital Competencies in Technical Vocational Education (TVE) in the Pacific Alliance countries (Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and Peru)” -the second phase of the Strengthening of TVE Public Policies in the Pacific Alliance project-, financed by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation ( AECID), was completed, with the ultimate goal of supporting the design of a competency-based training program to improve the quality of teaching practice in these countries.

The project involved 265 teachers from 17 middle and high level vocational training centers in the countries that are part of this bloc.

In this diagnostic phase, the focus was placed both on the infrastructures of the educational centers and on the training and development of the digital competencies of the trainers. Different instruments were used for this purpose. First of all, the publications and products of phase 1 of the project and the inputs identifying the main training needs in the field of digital skills, carried out by the countries at the national level, were analyzed. In this regard, the roadmap document on digital transformation, developed by the IEO in 2021, helped to identify indicators for the diagnosis.

Afterwards, information was collected from 265 teachers through an online questionnaire with questions on the six areas on which the DigComEdu framework is based on the identification of teachers’ digital competence (professional engagement, digital resources, digital pedagogy, digital assessment, empowering students, and facilitating students’ digital competence). Finally, virtual interviews were held with the leaders of 14 of the 17 participating schools. With these interviews it was possible to triangulate the information gathered through the inputs of the previous project and that collected through the questionnaires answered by the teachers.

Some results obtained

The analysis of the information collected identified the level of competence of teachers in the six areas mentioned for each country. Thus, at the global level, it can be deduced that there are no teachers at the lowest level (A1), while 12% are at level A2; most of the sample is at level B1 with 53%, leaving 27% for level B2 and only 8% for advanced level C1.

The diagnosis indicates that for the four countries, it is important to standardize a common framework of digital competencies for teachers that will facilitate to help them to level up and thus define and program the continuous training that will be provided.

Regarding literacy, digital culture and the incorporation of digital competencies into the educational offer, the report highlights that the promotion of digital culture in institutions is an ongoing process in the Pacific Alliance, but that it is advancing slowly, while at the same time it points out a greater effort in digital training in secondary education than in higher education. Teachers in the four countries assume training in digital transformation as part of their professional practice, although it is from the administration or management of the centers where they are assigned.

Other conclusions warn that collaboration and exchange of good practices are still unresolved issues in practically all countries; likewise, the most repeated slogan indicates that it is not a matter of having knowledge of digitization and digital tools, but of knowing how to apply it to teaching practice. Finally, it is highlighted the need to promote partnerships with the private sector to obtain advantageous conditions for equipment, software, and connectivity, as well as to acquire other devices in addition to computers and tablets in educational centers.

These results will serve as a basis for the development of a virtual training offer to be delivered from the Virtual Classroom of the Ibero-American Institute for Training and Learning for Cooperation of the OEI during the year 2023.

Review the Diagnostic Report on Training Needs in Professional Technical Education on Digital Competencies in the Pacific Alliance countries.

Source: OEI

October 17, 2023.- The National Coordinators of the Pacific Alliance (PA), a regional integration mechanism made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, met today in Lima.

During the meeting, the National Coordinators addressed issues related to the accession processes of new candidates to become Member States, as well as the guidelines for the development of cooperation initiatives between the Pacific Alliance and third States.

Among other topics, the high authorities followed up on the current status of the Joint Declarations of cooperation between the Pacific Alliance and observer States, regional blocs and other allied instances of the mechanism and reviewed the work agenda of the next meeting with the Permanent Representatives Committee of ASEAN, as well as the preparatory activities for the II Meeting of the Pacific Alliance Exporting SME and the V PA Cooperation Forum with Observer States.

The meeting was led by Peru, current pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance, with the participation of the National Coordinating Bodies of the countries that make up this integration mechanism.

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.

October 3, 2023.- With the participation of representatives from the countries of the Pacific Alliance, and guests from MERCOSUR, was held in Santiago, Chile, the International Seminar on occupational psychosocial risks: “Towards mental well-being at work”, with the aim of highlighting the participatory management of occupational psychosocial risks as a possible and desirable goal in the countries of the Pacific Alliance.

The Pacific Alliance, through the Declarations of Cali in 2017, Puerto Vallarta in 2018 and Santiago de Chile in 2020, issued a mandate that, in labor matters, originated the project called “Design of a policy for the management of psychosocial factors and promotion of mental health at work in member countries of the Pacific Alliance and guest countries of MERCOSUR.

This project has three stages, the first of which consisted of carrying out a diagnosis of the situation of psychosocial risks at work in the countries participating in the project, followed by a series of workshops by experts on the subject who debated on a proposal for guidelines for a policy for the management of psychosocial factors at work. This stage concluded with a document issued in January 2023 that contains both the diagnosis and the indicated guidelines.

The second stage, currently in process, consists of the design and execution of a communication campaign aimed at workers and employers, which raises awareness and stimulates the participatory management of these risks and the promotion of mental health at work.

Finally, the holding of this seminar represents the third stage, the occasion in which the report on the management of occupational psychosocial risk factors and promotion of mental health in the workplaces of the countries of the Pacific Alliance was presented and announced the current status of the communication campaign.

The Pacific Alliance wishes to inform the citizens of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru that the 2024/2025 Call for the “Stipendium Hungaricum Program”, through which the Government of Hungary offers eight scholarships, is open.

Applicants will be able to enter the minimum required documents into the online system enabled by the Hungarian Government (https://apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu/) no later than January 15, 2024 at 2 pm (Central European Time): 7 am from Mexico/8 am from Colombia and Peru/10 am from Chile.

The benefits of the scholarship are as follows: free education, monthly stipend, accommodation contribution and health insurance.

The official page of Hungary that contains more information in English about the call is: https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/apply/

The Pacific Alliance page that has general information in Spanish is: https://becas.alianzapacifico.net/ (Section “Other AP Scholarships”).