Food security, the environment and digital citizenship, challenges of the Ibero-American Summit

Latin America is experiencing a key moment.

But when is it not?

“This is especially so”, considers Javier Moreno, former director of EL PAÍS: “In addition to economic stagnation, the region has gone through a series of turbulent years, with malaise and frustration regarding politics”.

A scenario that marks the next Ibero-American Summit, which celebrates its XXVIII edition in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) on March 24 and 25.

As an act prior to that appointment, this Tuesday a colloquium, moderated by Moreno, was held in Madrid, at the headquarters of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, in which Andrés Allamand, Ibero-American Secretary General, and his predecessors in office, participated. Rebeca Grynspan and Enrique V. Iglesias.

During the conversation, some of the issues that the summit will address have been discussed, such as the environment,

"In this summit people are going to be put at the center, we want citizens to see results, that the measures taken favor their lives," said Allamand, in office since last year.

For this, the secretary considers key that the countries "return to the path of growth."

“The children of the middle classes see what their parents have achieved at risk.

They are afraid of a loss of socioeconomic status”, Moreno has abounded.

"And we must not forget the perception of economic injustice, which in the region has grown enormously," remarked Rebeca Grynspan, current secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and who has connected by videoconference.

"Growth must be more inclusive," insisted the secretary, who has linked poverty,

"It is perceived that the State does not respond to the demands of the middle class," Grynspan continued.

"A precarious middle class, since many of those who came out of poverty have continued to be vulnerable."

He has defended that citizens now demand not only services, but also that they be of better quality.

"They do not feel the State's concern for them and they complain to their governments," she added.

Hence, the three speakers have celebrated the opportunities offered by the next summit.

Since 1991, the meeting has brought together the heads of State and Government of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries of Europe and America, with the aim of "establishing a common Ibero-American space for political coordination and cooperation".

Until 2014, the event was annual, but then it was held every two years.

The meeting in the Dominican Republic seeks for Latin America to emphatically resume its environmental commitments.

“If you don't, the consequences will impact people.

The environment is the biggest global threat we have ever faced.

And Latin America has a third of the world's freshwater reserves;

it is a food producer;

and very rich in biodiversity”, Allamand summarized.

“Another of the topics of the summit is food security.

And the link between the two issues could not be more direct”, the secretary insisted: “Latin America must take on the environmental challenge”.

But also digital.

One of the initiatives that will be discussed at the meeting, and in which progress has already been made, is the Ibero-American Charter of Digital Principles and Rights.

This Spanish initiative is proposed as "an instrument that guarantees the digital rights of citizens, that serves as a reference for national legislation, and that allows guiding public policy actions to face the challenges represented by technological transformation."

22 countries have already been working on it.

“It is a commitment to tackle the digital challenge together, which has an impact on people above all”, Allamand summarized.

To ask yourself afterwards: “What about the [digital] divides?

In the region we have them: gender, age, education, between the urban and rural areas... This Charter is concerned with this: promoting rights and closing gaps.

As well as the promotion of the creation of a Latin American digital space”.

A construction in which the European experience is interesting.

The Ibero-American Secretary General, Andrés Allamand, this Tuesday in a colloquium in Madrid on the challenges of the next Ibero-American Summit.

Sergio Perez (EFE)

As in the case of digital rights, Grynspan considers that in matters of governance “Latin America is inspired by Europe” compared to other models: “The American, with great power in private hands;

the Chinese, with an omnipresent State;

and the European, with the citizens at the center”.

"The concertation of interests [between both regions] is great," Iglesias has had an impact, especially mentioning Spain and Portugal.

“There is a natural sympathy and an inevitable cultural connection that is welcome.

Beyond that, there are times when Spain has been more present than others, but it continues to be the main European investor”, he recalled.

In this line, Allamand has celebrated the opportunity that Santo Domingo offers for a "relaunch of relations between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean."

And he has highlighted areas such as political articulation;

progress in trade negotiations, some of which have been stuck for several years;

the reinforcement of mutual investments, or the increase of cooperation... "Align the priorities of both blocks, often disconnected".

An even more important reinforcement of bilateral relations in "a world impacted by systemic

", as Grynspan has defined, "without our having the international architecture or the instruments to respond in a solid way to these situations".

Iglesias has spoken of a global change of era ―“almost civilizing”― and that will mark the future of world leadership and international relations.

“And we must be aware that our Western vision is not the only one, nor the preeminent one in the world.

Partnering with Europe is important.

Just like creating this institution [the Ibero-American Secretariat and the Summit it organizes] was a great idea”, he added, “we are countries that share values, culture and desire to do things together at an international level”.

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