High-level meeting brings together Latin American and European leaders and experts to discuss security and defense challenges faced by the region

More than 70 leaders and experts from Latin America and the European Union (EU) gathered on Friday, April 19, at the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the regional meeting, " Road to Schuman Forum - Transnational Crime and Climate Change: Challenges to Security that go Beyond our Borders."

The main objectives of the event were to facilitate dialogue between relevant stakeholders on the major threats to peace, security and defense faced by countries in Latin America; to understand how these challenges are being addressed; and to discuss the region's perspective on its partnership with the European Union, identifying future avenues for cooperation. This event was held in preparation for the Schuman Forum on Security and Defense, which will be held in Brussels on May 28-29, 2024, and will bring together Defense Ministers from EU member states and partner countries around the world.

The event was opened with a welcome from Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gloria de la Fuente, who emphasised that, “For our region, the most urgent security and defence problems are moving away from the traditional types of conflict with the dramatic rise of new or reawakened threats and risks which force us to think beyond our borders and require us to strengthen our political and technical cooperation and institutions to confront them.”

Del UE en Chile

The Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defense of the European External Action Service, Benedikta Von Seherr-Thoss, also dedicated welcoming words from Brussels, underlining that: “When it comes to security and global dynamics, the role of Latin American and Caribbean countries as strategic partners is unquestionable, and the participation of some countries of the region to our missions and operations bears evidence of our shared interests.”

The meeting continued with a discussion on trends in transnational organized crime, where the panelists agreed that coordination between countries is essential to confront one of the main threats to stability, democracy and security in the region. Representatives of the EU-funded projects, EL PACcTO 2.0 (on transnational organized crime) and CRIMARIO II (on maritime security), underlined the scope of cooperation between the EU and Latin America on these key issues. They explained how these programs contribute to the fight against transnational organized crime and to capacity development in service of our common interests in promoting security, defense of the rule of law and citizens’ well-being.

Del UE Chile

The panel discussions on the security and defense implications of climate change revealed the need to cooperate internationally, not only to mitigate climate change, but also to adapt and jointly address its repercussions, which can be a catalyst for instability, displacement, pandemics and conflicts, among other threats.

The event ended with a speech by Quentin Weiler, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the EU in Chile, who stressed the value of exchanging views between like-minded partners: “The EU and its partners face common threats, so a coordinated strategy is necessary to address them for the benefit of our respective citizens. This meeting, hosted by Chile, highlights our intention to strengthen bilateral and regional ties in a concrete way.”

About the Schuman Forum

The Regional Meeting marked the launch of the series of regional events “Road to Schuman Forum”, promoted by the European Union, which seek to gather perspectives on the security and defense challenges faced by EU partners around the world, in preparation for the Schuman Forum on Security and Defense to be held in Brussels in May 2024.

The choice of Chile as the venue to host the regional meeting for Latin America reflects the close political cooperation between the European Union and Chile, particularly on security and defense issues. This cooperation is also exemplified by the signing of the EU- Chile Advanced Framework Agreement, the upcoming launch of the first bilateral dialogue on Security and Defense and by Chile's continued participation in EU peace operations in Bosnia Herzegovina.

The second edition of the Schuman Forum on Security and Defense will be held in Brussels, on May 28 and 29, 2024. It will bring together high-level representatives of the European Union, defense ministers of EU Member States and partner countries, international and regional organizations, as well as leading think-tanks and academics.

The Schuman Forum aims to strengthen the understanding of how current and potential EU alliances on peace, security and defense issues can respond to the most pressing common security threats and challenges; contribute to global peace and security, as well as preserve the rules-based international order and multilateralism.