Press Statement: EU-LAC Alliance for Citizen Security
Today marks the launch of the European Union – Latin America and the Caribbean Alliance for Citizen Security, an innovative and values-driven framework established to strengthen cooperation on citizen security between the European Union and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. The Alliance signifies a collective pledge to fortify existing bi-regional efforts, expand cooperation across new domains, and pursue a multilateral approach to the transnational challenges posed by organised crime.
The Alliance has been launched by the EU and 18 LAC countries (Colombia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay). It remains open to the participation of additional countries joining in the near future. The joint side declaration, issued at the Fourth CELAC-EU Summit in Santa Marta, Colombia, reflects a united response to shared threats underpinned by our mutual commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas, representing the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen stated, “Transnational organised crime is a major global challenge. It threatens our citizens and the long-term stability of our economies. The EU-LAC Alliance for Citizen Security is a new approach to tackle this scourge. It brings state actors and the private sector together to progress across a range of areas from improving financial intelligence to stepping up the fight against gender-based violence, corruption and environmental crime. International criminals transcend every border and exploit every loophole. International cooperation is the only way to fight them.”
Commissioner Brunner emphasized: “The close cooperation between the EU and CELAC brings clear mutual benefits – economically, politically, and in terms of security. With over one billion people living in our regions, this partnership delivers tangible results, including through our joint fight against drug trafficking and organised crime.”
The EU-LAC Alliance for Citizen Security will focus on dismantling criminal organizations’ economic and recruitment structures, for example by enhancing financial intelligence, addressing penitentiary challenges, and promoting public awareness. The declaration highlights commitments to justice cooperation, the fight against gender-based violence, border management, anti-corruption efforts, and maritime security among others.
In collaboration with state institutions, private sectors, and non-state entities, the Alliance will foster an integrated and multidisciplinary approach. It emphasizes the importance of statistical data sharing, operational cooperation, and respecting fundamental rights such as personal data protection within established regulatory frameworks.
The initiative is also committed to supporting regional efforts against environmental crimes through enhanced international cooperation, as well as strengthening multilateral and inter-agency cooperation across policy areas.
The EU-LAC Alliance for Citizen Security is a realization of the intent expressed in the Third EU-CELAC Summit Declaration in July 2023. As a cornerstone deliverable of the ongoing bi-regional partnership, it will pave the way for sustained progress and regular reviews of shared commitments. It will build on the many existing platforms of bi-regional cooperation under the EU-LAC Partnership on Justice and Security, including the EU-funded programmes EL PACCTO (against transnational organised crime), COPOLAD (on drugs policies), EUROFRONT (on border management), Global Threats programme (including actions in LAC against global illicit flows), as well as political dialogue platforms such as the EU-CELAC Mechanism on Coordination and Cooperation on Drugs and the ones between the EU and the Latin American Committee for Internal Security (CLASI).
Background:
The origin of the EU-LAC Alliance for Citizen Security stems from the commitment made during the Third EU-CELAC Summit in 2023 to increase joint initiatives for citizen security. The Fourth CELAC-EU Summit has been the occasion for participating countries to forge a new era of strategic cooperation, founded on mutual respect, shared values, and a common vision for citizen security.
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