Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D., launched the Government’s Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean to 2025 in a virtual event broadcast from Iveagh House on Tuesday 22 February.
The Latin America and Caribbean Strategy is the most recent Strategy to be published under the Global Ireland initiative, and is a key commitment under the “Our Shared Future” Programme for Government. It is the first-ever Irish Strategy for this key region, which is home to 650 million people and generates billions of euro per annum in trade with Irish companies. The new Strategy is designed to provide a strong framework for deepening our bilateral and multilateral relations with Latin American and Caribbean partners.
Messages of support for the Strategy were delivered by Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, Ministers from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Peru, and the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)[1]. In their remarks, the speakers spoke of the longstanding historical links between Ireland, their own nations and the entire region, which have created strong bonds between our peoples across a variety of sectors. Prime Minister Mottley and participating Ministers also referenced the many modern-day ties between Ireland and Latin America and the Caribbean and the strong additional cooperation that is foreseen under the Strategy.
During the event, Minister Coveney spoke of the existing robust political and economic relationships between Ireland and the region, and the Strategy’s commitment to see these aspects strengthened through coordinated efforts by Team Ireland. He characterised Ireland and the Latin America and Caribbean region as close partners in efforts to tackle pressing global challenges such as climate change, and also spoke of the Strategy’s ambitions to enhance Ireland’s cultural and diaspora outreach. He also noted Ireland’s plans to step up its values-based engagement in the region, including in areas such as making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, peacebuilding, protection of human rights and assistance to the most vulnerable.
These points were echoed by EU Special Representative for Human Rights and EU Special Envoy for the Peace Process in Colombia Eamon Gilmore, Senator Emer Currie, and Professor Mo Hume, all of whom also delivered remarks during the launch event.
In addition, the Minister referred to the long-standing multilateral cooperation between Ireland and the Latin America and Caribbean region, including at the United Nations Security Council.
The Minister concluded that “This Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean is truly a whole-of-Government Strategy, which has been built in consultation with Government Departments and our State Agencies. It is an ambitious Strategy; but I believe the level of potential in this relationship warrants such ambition.”
