Inclusive and Equitable Societies in LAC

The TEI Inclusive and Equitable Societies in LAC was formally established by the EU on 21 March 2024, with participation from France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden, and officially launched during the EU-LAC High-Level Event on Human Development and Health held in Brussels. 

The EU alongside these six EU MS, combines efforts to improve access to social rights and services, drive social innovation and resilience, support just transitions, and strengthen inclusive, accountable, and transparent institutions, with a focus on women, youth, other vulnerable groups in societies (migrants, displaced persons, indigenous people, etc.) and, in terms of income, the bottom 40% population. These objectives are pursued through strategic actions in areas such as gender equality, social rights, social protection, inclusive employment, education and good governance. 

Actions of the TEI will also focus on sustainable investments, in line with the Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA) for LAC.

The TEI addresses three overarching goals aligned with the EU priorities on human development: 1) facilitating access to social rights and basic social services to empowering people; 2) promoting social innovation, resilience and just transitions and 3) enhancing inclusive, accountable and transparent institutions.

These three TEI overarching goals are implemented across cross-cutting human development topics and five priority areas earmarked to underpin the GGIA and contribute to the SDGs by promoting collaboration with Latin American and Caribbean partners in fostering social policies, namely: 

1. Gender Equality and Youth Empowerment.
2. Education and Training, including TVET and skills development oriented to employability of vulnerable groups.
3. Social inclusion through decent jobs, labour and social rights, inclusive investments, and social dialogue.
4. Social protection, care policies and wellbeing economies.
5. Social innovation to foster just, green and digital transitions, closing social gaps in the green/blue/digital economy. 

Good governance and democratic participation are horizontal priorities.