Building a Just Transition to a Sustainable Future in Latin America: Civil Society Conference Parallel to the EU-CELAC Summit
Leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean will meet in Brussels on July 17 and 18 for the EU-CELAC Summit. The Summit is taking place at a time when the EU is seeking to move forward with the ratification of the EU-Mercosur, EU-Chile and EU-Mexico agreements and open markets where it can source its raw material industrial needs by creating “mutually beneficial long-term relationships” with resource-rich countries. In Brussels, the narrative is changing, with growing geopolitical pressures, the EU wants to provide an alternative development model for the Global South via the New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and with tools such as the Global Gateway. However, the EU’s development and cooperation approach does not guarantee a Just Transition.
Latin America is one of the world’s most unequal regions and shrinking civil society space and human rights violations continue to plague indigenous peoples and land and water defenders. Without strong due diligence measures, the EU’s cooperation attempt will only serve industrial interests while exacerbating planetary boundaries.
This July 17th event is part of two events that will place in the morning and evening. The morning event held in the European Parliament will focus on trade and investments and unpacking what the EU’s new agenda means for Latin America. During this evening event, we will broaden the discourse on trade justice to encompass additional subjects crucial to enabling a just transition for the LAC region. This event will cover topics such as inequality, shrinking civil society space, indigenous rights, human rights and environmental due diligence and the sourcing of raw materials.
The event will take place in Spanish. There will be simultaneous interpretation in English and Portuguese.
El evento sera en Español. Habrá interpretación simultánea en inglés y portugués.
REGISTER HERE (In-person participation is no longer possible, follow the livestreaming on our social media)
AGENDA
17:00-17:15 - Registration and welcome refreshments
17:15-17:20 - Welcome Diego Francesco Marin, European Environmental Bureau
17:20-17:30 - MEP Saskia Bricmont, Greens/EFA
17:30 - 18:30 - 1st Panel: Greenwashing Sustainability in Latin America: The Critical Raw Materials Act - Strategic Projects in Latin America and Industry Certification Schemes
- Moderator: Diego Francesco Marin, European Environmental Bureau
- Panellists:
- Ramon Balcazar, Observatorio Plurinacional De Salares Andinos; Chile, Bolivia, Argentina
- Alejandro Gonzalez, Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO); Netherlands
- Raiara Pires, Movimento Pela Soberania Popular na Mineração; Brazil
- Andrea Sato, Fundación Sol; Chile
18:30 - 18:40 - Audience Questions and Answers
18:45- 19:45 - 2nd Panel: Achieving a Just Transition for All: The Role of Human Rights, Civic Space and Socio-Economic Inequalities
- Inequalities - Hernán Saenz Cortes, Oxfam
- Civic space - Daniel J., EU-LAT Network
- Just Transition - Verónica Sajbin Velásquez, Movimiento por la Paz, el Desarme y la Libertad (MPDL) Guatemala
- Trade - Maureen Santos, Brazilian Front against EU-Mercosur/FASE
- Indigenous Rights - Kreta Kaingang, Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil
19:45 - 19:55 - Audience Questions and Answers
19:55 - 20:00 Closing remarks