CSW70 brought together representatives of UN Member States, international organisations and civil society from across the world with the scope of addressing major challenges to gender equality. In addition to examining progress on women’s full and effective participation in public life and the eradication of violence against women, this year’s priority theme focused on ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. In this context, the session provided a key platform to advance international cooperation and reinforce multilateral commitments.
Strategies to Bring the EU-CELAC Bi-regional Care Pact to Life
As part of its contribution, the EU-LAC Foundation co-organised a high-level side event on the implementation of the EU–CELAC Bi-regional Care Pact, adopted at the CELAC–EU Summit in Santa Marta in November 2025. The event was co-organised with the Governments of Uruguay, Colombia and Spain; Red Trenzando Cuidados; UN Women; and CEPAL, bringing together ambassadors, government officials, UN representatives, experts, and civil society actors from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.
The event featured a high-level panel moderated by Anna Barrera, focusing on progress and challenges in implementing the Bi-regional Care Pact. Panel discussions addressed four main areas: progress and obstacles in implementing the Pact, financing and sustainability strategies for care systems, governance and inclusive participation mechanisms, and the exchange of national best practices from both regions. Panelists included Noelia Martinez (Uruguay), Bibiana Aido (UN Women), Tania Sánchez (Red Trenzando Cuidados), Arlene Tickner (Colombia), Valentina Perrotta (Uruguay), Ana María Alonso Giganto (Spain), Ana Güezmes (CEPAL), a gender-focused representative from the financial sector, and other experts. The interactive dialogue included contributions from Andrea Costafreda (Catalonia), Ana Moreno (Global Care Coalition), Adriana Paz (Federation of Domestic Workers) and Nora Goren (CLACSO).
The event highlighted the need for integrated, gender-sensitive policies while addressing shared challenges such as ageing populations, rising care demands, and precarious working conditions. By fostering strategic dialogue and sharing lessons across sectors and regions, it aimed to identify practical pathways to advance the effective implementation of the Bi-regional Care Pact at both national and regional levels.
Side Event on the implementation of the EU–CELAC Bi-regional Care Pact
Engaging in Multilateral Dialogue on Care
The EU-LAC Foundation participated in an exchange with institutions affiliated with the Global Alliance for Care. This meeting provided a space to reflect on the current state of multilateralism and to align priorities around the global care agenda.
During the conversation, Anna Barrera highlighted the joint work carried out with the Alliance over the past year, including within the Care Pavilions in Seville and Mexico City, as well as collaborative analytical and consultation efforts that contributed to shaping the Bi-regional Care Pact. She also shared updates on the initial steps towards its implementation, emphasising the significance of sustained cooperation and network-based collaboration to translate the recognition of care into tangible public policies.
Meeting with Claudia Bresanovich and Maria Pinedo from UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean
Strengthening Partnerships Through Bilateral Meetings
Throughout the week, Anna Barrera held a series of bilateral meetings with key partners to reinforce alliances and explore opportunities for cooperation.
Potential cooperative projects to strengthen multilateralism and advance women’s leadership were discussed with Claudia Bresanovich and Maria Pinedo from UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. In a separate meeting, Anna Barrera met with Liliana Caicedo, leader of the German section of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (Internationale Frauenkaffee-Allianz-Deutsches Kapitel - IFKADK e.V), to present the thematic lines of the EU-LAC WIN Network and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
A further exchange with Vanesa Fons, a participant in the EU-LAC Local Political Leadership School (Escuela de Liderazgo Político Local EU-LAC), and Marian Antonia Serralta, President of the Majorcan Fund for Solidarity and Cooperation and Mayor of Bunyola, focused on ways to further advance cooperation on women’s leadership at the local level. The discussion explored how the tools and knowledge acquired through the school could be applied in Mallorca to strengthen local initiatives and leadership programmes for women.
Additional meetings included an exchange with Carmen Correa, CEO of Pro Mujer, a leading organisation supporting women’s economic empowerment and leadership in Latin America, to discuss potential areas of collaboration linked to the EU-LAC WIN Network. Another meeting was held with Luz Haro from the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Rural Women (RedLAC / Red Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Mujeres Rurales), focusing on the network’s contributions to the review of a comparative study commissioned by the EU-LAC Foundation on the role of rural women in food security and ecosystem protection across both regions.
Finally, discussions with Miriam Ciscar and Lara Ferguson from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID / Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo) explored how Spain could provide technical and financial support for the implementation of the Bi-regional Care Pact.
Through its participation at CSW70, the EU-LAC Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the care agenda as a cornerstone of gender equality and sustainable development. By fostering dialogue, strengthening partnerships and promoting concrete action, the organisation continues to contribute to building more inclusive, equitable and resilient care systems across the EU-LAC regions.