From 6 to 8 May 2026, Marco Boaria, Deputy Secretary General of ALDA, and Anna Bustamante, Project Designer Latin America, took part in the X Conference of the Observatory of Decentralised Cooperation EU–Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Barcelona and promoted by the Diputació de Barcelona (ALDA Governing Board Member). The event represented a key opportunity to deepen exchanges and reinforce strategic relations with Latin American institutions, organisations and local authorities, within the framework of ALDA’s growing engagement in the region.
The participation of ALDA’s delegation comes as part of the ongoing development of the Latin American geographical pathway that the Association has been progressively strengthening in recent years. The conference gathered representatives of local and regional governments, civil society organisations, academia and international institutions from both Europe and Latin America, creating an important platform for dialogue on the future of decentralised cooperation in a rapidly changing global context.
Particular attention throughout the conference was devoted to two major thematic priorities for the Latin American continent: gender equality and environmental sustainability. Discussions highlighted the urgent need to reinforce local public policies capable of addressing social inequalities, climate challenges and democratic participation through strengthened territorial cooperation between Europe and Latin America. These priorities strongly resonate with ALDA’s current strategic orientations and with the activities being developed under its Latin American engagement.
The mission also provided an important occasion to further consolidate relations with the Diputació de Barcelona, one of the leading European institutions in the field of decentralised cooperation. Several exchanges focused on the possibility of developing future joint strategies and collaborative initiatives between the Province of Barcelona and ALDA in the coming years, particularly regarding cooperation with Latin American local authorities and civil society actors.
The Observatory itself represents one of the most relevant international reference spaces for decentralised cooperation between the European Union and Latin America. Created in 2005, it has become a major hub for analysis, training, exchange of practices and policy reflection on territorial cooperation and international action by local governments.
More information about the Observatory, including the conference programme and all reference documents discussed during the event, can be found on the official website of the Observatory of Decentralised Cooperation.
Additional information on the 2026 Barcelona Conference is available here.