The EU-LAC Multi-Stakeholder Forum on long-term care brought together representatives from institutions, academia and civil society from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean in Berlin on 5 May to advance the implementation of the Bi-Regional Pact on Care. Through the exchange of experiences, good practices and innovative proposals on financing, employment formalisation and bi-regional coordination, the meeting contributed to consolidating a shared vision aimed at developing more inclusive, sustainable and rights-based long-term care systems.
The event took place within the framework of the Bi-Regional Pact on Care officially launched in November 2025 during the EU-CELAC Summit in Santa Marta (Colombia). It was held following the first meeting of the national focal points of the Pact, which took place at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on 4 May 2026.
Under the title “The long-term care economy in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean: Different trajectories, shared challenges?”, the Forum aimed to create a space for dialogue and strategic reflection on the challenges posed by population ageing and its impact on long-term care systems in both regions.
Organised by the EU-LAC Foundation together with the European Commission, the EEAS, Uruguay as CELAC Pro Tempore Presidency, and several international organisations and strategic partners such as GIZ, WZB, UN Women, ECLAC, ILO and the Global Alliance for Care, the Forum brought together representatives from different sectors, reflecting the multidimensional nature of the care economy.
During the opening session, Annika Gottmann from the South America Division of the BMZ, and Alberto Brunori, Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, highlighted the need to translate political momentum into a concrete cooperation agenda. They also stressed that the Pact on Care represents a commitment to advancing towards fairer and more sustainable care systems in response to shared challenges such as population ageing, strengthening social protection and promoting shared responsibility between the State, the private sector and civil society.
Meanwhile, Heike Schneider, Deputy Director of the Americas Division at the EEAS, and Noelia Martínez, Deputy Director-General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, presented the main agreements reached during the previous meeting of focal points. They highlighted progress in defining a common working framework, the importance of establishing annual meetings of the network and the use of flexible and autonomous working groups. Both underlined the need to consolidate effective coordination mechanisms, build on existing initiatives and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders in order to advance the implementation of the Pact.
The Forum combined plenary sessions and parallel working spaces, allowing participants to explore different dimensions of long-term care in greater depth and encouraging more dynamic exchanges among attendees.
The first plenary session addressed how demographic transformations are reshaping both regions and intensifying a multidimensional care crisis marked by growing demand that exceeds the capacity of services, infrastructure, available time and care workers. The gender dimension of this crisis also occupied a central place in the discussion.
The second plenary session focused on institutional trajectories and current challenges facing long-term care systems, comparing experiences from the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean in order to foster mutual learning between regions. Participants emphasised the need to move towards more inclusive, sustainable and efficient systems capable of responding to population ageing, increasing care needs and the gender inequalities that continue to shape the social organisation of care.
The two sessions dedicated to good practices and financing of long-term care systems aimed to promote exchanges on experiences, challenges and strategies to advance towards comprehensive, universal and financially sustainable care systems. Discussions focused on initiatives aimed at formalising, professionalising and promoting decent employment in the care sector for older persons, as well as the gaps and limitations that still hinder the guarantee of fair working conditions and accessible services. Participants also examined shared structural challenges and financing mechanisms capable of strengthening public infrastructure, ensuring fiscal sustainability and guaranteeing universal access to care as a human right.
Finally, two parallel “Laboratories of Ideas” sessions were held, characterised by a highly participatory and collaborative approach focused on the exchange of innovative proposals related to long-term care. These spaces promoted dialogue among experts from the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean on investment models, multi-stakeholder cooperation and local strategies to strengthen care systems. Discussions addressed both the opportunities and tensions linked to the silver economy and the care economy, as well as experiences of coordination between families, communities, the public sector and the private sector to develop more inclusive, sustainable and people-centred services for older persons.
The EU-LAC Multi-Stakeholder Forum represented a key space for dialogue, highlighting the growing centrality of long-term care in the social and economic agendas of both regions, as well as the need to strengthen bi-regional cooperation in response to shared challenges. Through the exchange of experiences, good practices and innovative proposals, the meeting contributed to consolidating a shared vision aimed at promoting more inclusive, sustainable and rights-based care systems. Furthermore, through dynamic dialogue and the active participation of attendees, the Forum reaffirmed the commitment of participating stakeholders to the implementation of the Bi-Regional Pact on Care and to strengthening coordination and cooperation mechanisms aimed at advancing towards fairer, more equal and better-prepared societies.