CELAC and the EU sign 52 points in defense of multilateralism: these are the fundamental pillars of the Santa Marta Declaration

Without Venezuela and Nicaragua, 27 delegations from the European Union and the other 31 from CELAC signed the Santa Marta Declaration on Sunday, within the framework of the IV CELAC-EU Summit, a document that contains 52 points.

This agreement establishes a “bi-regional roadmap” that seeks to deepen historical ties and cooperation in areas such as climate action, energy transition, green and digital transition, and the promotion of trade and investment.

The declaration reiterates the commitment of both regions to multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and international law, and then emphasizes challenges such as the fight against transnational organized crime. It also includes joint positions on global security issues such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and refers to the reform of the international financial and multilateral system.

“With these 52 points in the joint declaration, we are showing the world that it is possible to reach agreement and achieve consensus despite our differences,” said President Gustavo Petro.

António Costa, President of the European Council, noted that the declaration represents a firm step forward in consolidating bi-regional relations and that it advances the commitments made after the last summit in Brussels. He emphasized that the agreement demonstrates “the importance of multilateral dialogue,” as 58 countries (out of the 60 present) from two continents with diverse ideological positions managed to reach a consensus on how to address critical situations, in a context where, he said, “today's multipolar world requires multilateral action” and greater bi-regional cooperation.

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In this regard, six points were established that address the restructuring of the international system, including reform of the United Nations Security Council and the search for more equitable international financial institutions.

Costa also advocated for fairer global trade and highlighted the momentum behind the Global Gateway program, whose implementation, he said, “has accelerated since the previous summit.” “The results have translated into a 52 percent increase in trade in goods over the last 10 years,” he said. This was reflected in the document, which established commitments to reform and modernize the World Trade Organization in favor of an “open, transparent, inclusive, and non-discriminatory” system.

In addition to this, two additional declarations were signed: one focused on an alliance to work for citizen security and the fight against organized crime; and another focused on how to advance good practices in terms of the care economy.

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Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, highlighted the agreements with Chile and Mexico and the commitment to create the world's largest free trade area following the Mercosur-EU agreement, which has not yet been ratified. She also said that one of the concerns raised in the document was the war against Ukraine, a conflict she described as an “existential threat to the European Union.” “It is the biggest war since 1945 and if Putin is not stopped, he will not stop himself,” she said.

The document also acknowledges the agreement reached on the first phase of the plan to end the conflict in Gaza, as well as the results of the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit (Egypt). “We also reiterate our strong condemnation of the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, following the increase in settler violence, the expansion of illegal settlements, and Israel's military operation,” the document says.

Other points in the agreement include issues related to the fight against hunger and poverty, digital transformation, migration, and education.

At the end of the declaration, the reservations and distancing of several CELAC countries with regard to certain paragraphs of the text are listed. For example, Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago have distanced themselves from some points in the document.

Other cases are even more striking, such as Venezuela and Nicaragua, which have not endorsed any points.

Nicolás Maduro, leader of the Chavista regime, sent a letter to the CELAC countries urging them to reject the attacks by Donald Trump's administration in the Caribbean.

President Petro and Costa reaffirmed their call for unity amid an international climate marked by geopolitical tensions.

The call for unity

Amid an international climate marked by geopolitical tensions, President Petro and Costa inaugurated the IV CELAC-EU Summit in Santa Marta on Sunday, calling on the countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe to resume multilateral dialogue and rebuild unity.

“I want the Summit to be a beacon of light amid the barbarism and to be able to tell the world that coming together, that dialogue among many, that global democracy and a free humanity are possible now, even as barbarism advances and kills people,” Petro said.

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The meeting, which runs until Monday, seeks to revitalize relations between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union, following the 2023 Brussels summit. In fact, at the time of going to press, the delegations were working on agreements on the established axes and on the joint declaration that will support them.

“I think we should be aware that, in today's world, in the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, and the Caribbean, we have to be a beacon of light. Without falling into the trap of thinking we are superior, if there is one special characteristic of Latin American people, it is that, because they have all the blood of the world running through their veins, they can speak to the world without any problem,” he said.

He also reflected on the historical role that the countries of the Americas and the Caribbean have played in the construction of modern democracy. In the same vein, he pointed out the importance of strengthening decision-making mechanisms within CELAC to ensure greater effectiveness and capacity for action.

“There will never be unanimity (sic) among the peoples of the world or among governments. Achieving relative consensus becomes absolutely essential,” Petro said.

António Costa, for his part, backed President Petro's call for unity and highlighted the economic, social, and political support that the European Union has provided to the region. He also stressed the importance of strengthening and diversifying this cooperation in order to jointly face the challenges of an increasingly “unstable and volatile” world.

“The dangers of the current era are out there. They besiege us. We are living in an era of competition between global actors, shifting alliances, and economic pressures. We can see the threats to democracy arising from authoritarianism, growing inequality, violations of the rule of law, and fundamental human rights,” said the representative.

In this regard, he reiterated the message he has been conveying in the days leading up to the summit: the solutions to global challenges lie in a multipolar world based on cooperation.

Costa also spoke about the economic dimension and highlighted that trade has increased by more than 45 percent since 2013, when the first summit was held in Santiago, Chile. The representative assured that more than €31 billion has been made available through the Global Gateway to support the energy transition.

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Kaja Kallas reaffirmed the organization's willingness to continue working with the region. “We will continue to be a predictable and reliable trading partner, and we are proud of our network of agreements,” said the head of European diplomacy.

The military deployment ordered by the Trump administration in the Caribbean was also one of the central themes in the statements made by several leaders on the first day of the summit.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denounced the moves with which, according to him, some have tried to defend interventions in Latin America. “The threat of military force has once again become part of everyday life in Latin America and the Caribbean. Old rhetorical maneuvers are being recycled to justify illegal interventions,” he said in his statement from the city of Santa Marta.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrives at the CELAC-EU summit. Photo: Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Along the same lines, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for greater unity between CELAC and the EU in defense of free trade and international law, in a clear reference (although without mentioning them directly) to the United States' attacks on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean.

“Force can only be used for two reasons: in self-defense or on the basis of a United Nations Security Council resolution,” Kallas added on this issue.

MARÍA ALEJANDRA GONÁLEZ DUARTE

Redacción Política

Editor's note: This text is an artificially intelligent English translation of the original Spanish version, which can be found here. Any comment, please write to berdav@eltiempo.com