XII Ministerial Conference Italy – Latin America and Caribbean Ministeral – Final Declaration

The representatives of the countries participating in the 12th Italy – Latin America and  Caribbean Ministerial Conference:

1. reaffirm the deep friendship that unites Italy and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, strengthened by solid political, human, historical, economic and cultural ties and nurtured by the sharing of the universal values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
2. recognise that the profound and quick changes taking place on the global stage, the challenges to peace and security, international stability and the rules-based international system, require shared solutions and the strengthening of ties of cooperation, solidarity and mutual respect between our countries;
3. reaffirm – in this context – their adherence to the Charter of the United Nations, as well as their respect for international law and international humanitarian law, their commitment to democracy, the rule of law, States’ sovereignty and the shared values of solidarity, inclusion and respect for human dignity, as well as their commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In this regard, they recognise the benefit of enhancing cooperation and coordination in relevant multilateral fora, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, on issues of common interest;
4. emphasize their shared interest in promoting economic growth diplomacy as a means of fostering trade relations and investment between Italy and Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in light of the growth in trade recorded in 2024 and the first half of 2025.
5. recognise the importance of development cooperation as a tool for promoting the eradication of hunger and poverty, the promotion of peace, justice and stability, as well as sustainable development, also through technical and financial resources, bilateral, triangular and multilateral formats, in order to respond to development priorities in the region;
6. commit to promoting the success of the 4^th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), scheduled for 9-10 November 2025 in Santa Marta, Colombia. They also recognise the important contribution of the EU-LAC Foundation to bi-regional dialogue and cooperation;
7. acknowledge Italy’s role in promoting greater attention and dialogue with Latin American and Caribbean countries within the organisations of which Italy is a member, starting with the European Union.
8. support the action of the main forums for political dialogue between Latin American and Caribbean countries with the aim of promoting the values of peace and human rights, with which Italy has established stable and fruitful collaborative relationships over the years;
9. recognize the importance of international trade as a strategic lever for strengthening political and economic ties and for inclusive growth, sustained development and the eradication of poverty and hunger. They also recall the importance of expanding the network of association, free trade and economic partnership agreements between the European Union and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean as instruments for promoting shared prosperity and equitable and sustainable growth, and reaffirm their commitment to a rules-based, open, transparent, predictable, inclusive, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system within the World Trade Organisation (WTO). They note the broad scope offered by the above-mentioned network of European agreements for strengthening trade and economic relations between the countries of the region and Italy;
10. reaffirm their willingness to strengthen links between companies, particularly in strategic sectors such as infrastructure and technological innovation, also through the organisation of business forums and dialogue, in order to enhance the opportunities offered by the European Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA) strategy;
11. reaffirm the key role of energy cooperation as a strategic factor in ensuring security of supply and advancing sustainable development. They emphasise the usefulness of promoting joint projects on renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable biofuels, critical minerals, green hydrogen, data centres and storage technologies, as a contribution to energy security and the transition to low-carbon economies, also through shared training programmes, peer learning, technology transfer, scientific collaboration and business partnerships, focusing these efforts on local capacity building and the effective transfer of knowledge and entrepreneurial skills, harmonising technological growth with the needs of local territories and communities;
12. acknowledge the growing importance of interpersonal contacts and emphasise the fundamental role played by the communities of origin in both regions, not only for their economic and cultural contributions, but also for their ability to strengthen ties between peoples in economic, social and cultural activities, and their contribution to development, acting as bridges for the exchange of knowledge and innovation. They also emphasise their shared commitment to promoting safe, orderly and regular migration and to combating irregular migration flows and migrant smuggling;
13. emphasize their shared vision of people-centred digital transformation and the fundamental role of scientific research and technological innovation as drivers of inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development, highlighting the importance of cooperation in these areas through joint training programmes, exchanges of experience, good practices, regulatory approaches and governance frameworks, technology transfer and scientific collaboration, among other means. They highlight the EU-LAC Digital Alliance as a strategic framework for substantive bi-regional cooperation on digital and space issues, promoting digital transformation and innovation based on a human-centred vision of the digital economy and society, with the active participation of governments, private actors, international financial institutions, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, civil society and academia.
14. welcome the upcoming COP30 in Brazil (30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC]) from 10 to 21 November 2025 as an important opportunity for dialogue on sustainability and for increasing global ambition on climate change;
15. agree on the value of cooperation on justice and security as a necessary element for strengthening the rule of law and for safer, more democratic and resilient societies, in particular in the prevention and fight against: transnational organised crime, corruption, money laundering, including illicit drug trafficking, including synthetic drugs, trafficking and smuggling of human beings, arms trafficking, and environmental crime;
16. recognise the results achieved under the Falcone-Borsellino Programme through the promotion of technical assistance, training, institutional strengthening and regulatory reform. They also welcome the launch of the sixth phase of the programme, which has been strengthened in terms of both funding and structure;
17. reaffirm their commitment to participate – in collaboration with the International Italo-Latin American Organisation (IILA) – in the implementation of European regional programmes such as El PACcTO 2.0, SOCIETA’ INCLUSIVE, COPOLAD III and EUROFRONT;
18. welcome the food for thought that emerged from the sessions dedicated to the central themes of the Conference: economic partnership and free trade, energy cooperation and legal diplomacy; and suggest the creation of a working group (Italy and LAC) to follow up on the above-mentioned issues;
19. thank and acknowledge the work carried out by the International Italo-Latin American Organisation (IILA) in promoting bi-regional cooperation, strengthening the organisation as a platform for dialogue between Member States. Furthermore, bi-regional programmes (EL PAcCTO, EUROFRONT, COPOLAD III) have been strengthened;
20. recognise the success of the Italian and IILA initiatives carried out over the last two years, including the 8th SME Forum and the Lazio Region Agri-Industrial SME Forum; the 3rd and 4th Space Agency Meetings; “Planeta Océano: Origine, presente e futuro della vita sulla Terra’ (Planet Ocean: Origin, Present and Future of Life on Earth); productive and sustainable traceability initiatives (AL INVEST Verde, REVICACAO); humanitarian demining processes in Latin America, as well as numerous training courses in areas such as justice and security, cultural heritage protection, scientific and technological training, and internships in the business sector. They also support the continuity of the main initiatives carried out and the inclusion in the work programme of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the IILA and new cooperation projects in line with the priorities established;
21. thank Secretary General Antonella Cavallari for the excellent results achieved by the International Italo-Latin American Organisation under her leadership since 2020 and enthusiastically welcome her appointment – adopted by the IILA Council of Delegates on 28 July 2025 – of Undersecretary Giorgio Silli as the new Secretary General of the International Italo-Latin American Organisation (IILA), starting in January 2026.