Within the framework of the "V Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy: building peace and democracy", which will take place in Madrid on 2 and 3 June 2026, the side event "Harnessing the full potential of the care society as a new paradigm for sustainable development: A new dimension for diplomacy and cooperation with a gender perspective?" will be held.
The session will open a high-level, multi-stakeholder dialogue to reflect on the transformative potential of the care society as a new paradigm for sustainable development, substantive equality and peace. It will bring together representatives from governments, international organisations, academia, civil society and international cooperation actors to discuss how to integrate the care approach into international agendas on feminist foreign policy, democracy, sustainable development and international cooperation.
Building on advances promoted in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly through the Regional Gender Agenda and the EU–LAC Bi-regional Pact on Care launched at the CELAC–EU Summit in Santa Marta in 2025, the event will examine how the social organisation of care has become a strategic issue in the face of global challenges such as population ageing, gender inequalities, demographic transformations, and multiple economic, social and climate crises. It will also bring into dialogue emerging experiences and frameworks developed in other regions of the world, including the European Union, ASEAN, the African Union and the Arab region.
The discussion will explore the extent to which the care society can provide new tools and perspectives for feminist diplomacy and international cooperation, incorporating dimensions related to the sustainability of life, co-responsibility, social justice and societal resilience. In addition, the meeting will seek to identify concrete opportunities for regional and interregional cooperation, strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships and promote strategic recommendations aimed at integrating the care approach into foreign and development policies.
This side event forms part of the official programme of the V Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy, a high-level international forum dedicated to promoting feminist approaches to strengthening peace, democracy, human rights and multilateralism.
Official banner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain (MAEC).