LAV Magazin 2021

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European presence in the region had been vital for the re-democratisation of several of the countries and for the negoti- ation of the end of the civil wars in Central America. Additionally, it is necessary to consider the European presence also as one of the main in- fluences in the flow of direct invest- ment sources moving the productivity in every country of the region. Hence, Europe was, and continues to be, a special partner, in a relationship sig- nalled, as no one other, by historical antecedents, similar political systems and foreign policy principles founded on shared values and objectives. Numerous meetings of Heads of State and high authorities have produced a significant number of statements and documents, which have prompted the necessity for a greater institutionali- sation of the relationship. As a con- sequence of them, the idea of a bi-re- gional strategic association marked the future link between the countries of the region that had found in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States - CELAC, a mecha- nism for plural political dialogue that brought together all the governments of the region, regardless of their ideo- logical identity and their development models; and the countries of the Eu- ropean Union integrated into a com- mon regime of foreign policy, gover- nance and economy. In this historical environment, the Heads of State of the two regions identified the need to have an entity whose purposes were, among others: To link intergovern- mental processes to civil society sec- tors of both regions; to stimulate the bi-regional strategic partnership, and to disseminate knowledge to improve the mutual understanding and visi- bility of both regions, as well as the bi-regional association. That institution was the Internation- al European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean Foundation. Three European cities presented the candi- dacy to host this initiative: Hamburg, Milan, and Paris. The Heads of State, during the sixth bi-regional Summit, held in May 2011 decided to locate it in Hamburg, Germany, due, among other reasons, to the close link that this German port has had with the region throughout history, but es- pecially after the constitution of its Republics. The EU-LAC Foundation was hence established as a civil law institution due to the urgency for it to start operating immediately, but its destiny as an international inter- governmental organisation was ful- filled and consolidated in May 2019, when all the countries of the Euro- pean Union and Latin America and the Caribbean signed its constitutive agreement. Since its establishment, the Founda- tion has promoted the idea of the need to make visible and defend the bi-re- gional strategic association through many activities. The particularity of this international organisation is that its mandate obliges to involve actors from the societies of both continents and thus build networks in the same space of citizenship, beyond the nat- ural links with governments as an international organisation. Working in Hamburg has been extraordinari- ly helpful due to the versatility of the city and the global projection that the local society has. The EU-LAC Foun- dation celebrates its first ten years at the service of the peoples and govern- ments on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Adrián Bonilla Director, Fundación EU-LAC Biography Dr. Adrián Bonilla, Executive Director EU-LAC International Foundation and Doctorate and master’s degrees in International Relations from the University of Miami. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public and Social Sci- ences from the Central Universi- ty of Ecuador. Before joining the EU-LAC Foundation, Adrián Bonilla was National Secretary of Higher Education with ministerial rank in his country (2018-2019); ser- ved as Secretary-General for the entire region at the Latin Ame- rican Faculty of Social Sciences FLACSO (2012-2016), and as Director of the Office in Ecuador (2004-2012) of this internatio- nal academic organisation. Dr Bonilla has also published as an author and editor fifteen books and numerous articles in prestigious academic journals and books in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. EU-LAC Foundation: Ten years 34 The European Union – Latin America and Caribbean Foundation – EU-LAC