On 9 and 10 November 2025, the IV Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC and the EU will take place in Santa Marta, Colombia — the highest-level political dialogue forum between the two regions. It will be a decisive moment to renew commitments, update agendas, launch new joint initiatives, and achieve tangible results.
The holding of the Summit must reaffirm the political will expressed at the III EU–CELAC Summit, held in Brussels in July 2023, when leaders agreed to resume the commitment to organise this meeting every two years, following an eight-year hiatus since the 2015 gathering.
The meeting in Santa Marta should be conceived as a turning point: not only to strengthen the partnership between both regions but also to project the message that the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean are ready to consolidate a shared future based on cooperation, sustainability, and an international order grounded in equal rules for all—reaffirming that cooperation brings concrete benefits to both sides.
The Summit has the potential to counter populist trends and promote democracy and multilateralism for several reasons. In a global context marked by geopolitical tensions and democratic backsliding, it offers an opportunity to reaffirm shared values: both regions define themselves as spaces of representative democracy, albeit with nuances and challenges. The IV CELAC–EU Summit underscores the importance of political dialogue in the face of fragmentation by providing a horizontal space for exchange among countries to counter isolation and foster preventive diplomacy. At the same time, it helps establish stable and lasting channels of communication. Moreover, through parallel forums—bringing together business leaders and civil society—and an effective communication strategy, the Summit broadens the base of support for democracy and legitimises multilateralism in the eyes of the public.
The Summit will enable the issuance of joint declarations reinforcing commitments to the rule of law, human rights, free elections, and the fight against corruption. These actions can help strengthen the normative and political framework in countries where democracy is under pressure.
As part of the ongoing negotiation process of the Santa Marta Declaration, it is expected that, among its central themes—beyond those already mentioned—will be: climate action and energy transition, with emphasis on clean energy and environmental resilience; digitalisation and connectivity as drivers of inclusion, productivity, and innovation; sustainable trade and investment, promoting shared and secure value chains; education, science, and technology as the foundation for human development and competitiveness; and social justice and inclusion.
In addition to the Summit’s framework declaration, the parties envisage opening two non-binding texts for signature: one on the Bi-Regional Pact on Care and another on Citizen Security. The former seeks to promote bi-regional cooperation for the development of policies that recognise care work—benefiting older persons, people with disabilities, children, and other groups—as a fundamental and universal right. Its objectives include improving well-being, reducing gender gaps, and creating accessible, high-quality services as well as decent jobs for carers. The concept of citizen security, meanwhile, broadens the traditional approach by incorporating dimensions linked to sustainable development, digital transition, and a rules-based international order.
In the lead-up to the Summit, the EU–LAC Foundation has been fulfilling the mandate granted by its member states to strengthen the bi-regional partnership through the promotion of spaces for dialogue, research, and innovative proposals that bring together governmental, academic, and civil society actors—thus contributing to positioning the EU–CELAC relationship on the international agenda.
Throughout this year, the organisation has supported the Summit process with a robust roadmap encompassing around twenty activities across five thematic areas that reflect the main spheres of bi-regional interest: trade, investment and fair economies; democracy, human rights and the rule of law; gender equality; climate change, environment and finance; and security and illicit economies.
The EU–LAC Foundation has also produced strategic publications offering analysis, evidence, and recommendations to enrich the Summit discussions and strengthen an informed, inclusive, and results-oriented bi-regional dialogue.
Among the key outcomes of the debates promoted by the EU–LAC Foundation are:
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Progress on the Bi-Regional Care Pact.
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The development of public policy proposals to tackle illicit economies—particularly drug trafficking—from a bi-regional cooperation perspective, drawing on the experience of port cities.
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The preparation of a discussion paper on opportunities for sustainable investment and fair trade between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the need to protect the multilateral trading system.
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Recommendations concerning environmental justice and successful experiences of climate finance on both sides of the Atlantic.
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A debate on the intersection between investigative journalism and artificial intelligence in the bi-regional context, leading to recommendations on journalist protection, regulatory cooperation on AI, and the fight against disinformation.
All these efforts converge on a single purpose: to consolidate a strong and effective partnership between the two regions, capable of generating tangible impacts. The relevance of the bi-regional partnership will depend on its ability to translate dialogue into concrete results that improve people’s lives. That is the real challenge of the Summit—to ensure that this meeting enables Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union to strengthen their strategic partnership not only through what they declare, but through what they do—and, above all, what they achieve.
(The opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the EU-LAC Foundation).