From November 7–10, 2025, two major events will take place in in Santa Marta, Colombia, to shape the next phase of the EU–LAC partnership.  

First, civil society actors from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean will gather for the LAC-EU Civil Society Forum 2025 (7–8 November) — an official space for dialogue among civil society organizations from both regions. 

Immediately afterwards, on 9–10 November, Heads of State and Government will meet at the EU–CELAC Summit , the highest-level political forum between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). 

Below is an overview of the EU–LAC Civil Society Forum (7–8 November) and the EU–CELAC Summit (9–10 November), their objectives, and how the Forus network will be involved. 

What is the LAC-EU Civil Society Forum? 

The LAC-EU Civil Society Forum  is organized immediately before the Summit and serves as a structured space for dialogue between civil society actors from Europe and Latin America & the Caribbean. Forus, MESA, Concord, along with 12 other partners, formed the Steering Group that helped organize the forum. 

🗓 Dates: 7–8 November 2025 
📍 Venue:  Santa Marta, Colombia 

The Forum is co-organized by the Government of Colombia, the EU, and civil society representatives, with technical support from the PFD (Policy Forum on Development). 

Objectives of the Forum: 

• Encourage bi-regional dialogue between civil society from both regions. 

• Provide a platform for civil society input into the Summit, including key recommendations to governments. 

• Strengthen the voice and participation of youth, women, Indigenous peoples, grassroots movements, and NGOs in shaping the EU–LAC partnership. 

• Produce a Joint Civil Society Declaration, which will be transmitted to political leaders at the Summit. 

The Forum is expected to deliver a high-level joint civil society statement that captures the shared priorities and recommendations of organizations from across Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Beyond this key output, the event aims to strengthen civil society networks and partnerships between the two regions, support long-term collaboration and mutual learning. Importantly, the Forum will also help amplify civil society voices on crucial global issues — from financing for development and civic space, to climate justice, gender equality, and digital inclusion — ensuring these perspectives are visible and influential in shaping the bi-regional agenda. 

The Forum will bring together 100–200 participants in person (and many more online), with interpretation in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. The agenda combines plenary sessions and thematic panels aligned with the key Summit priorities.  

Main sessions include: 

• Enabling Environment for Civil Society 

• Financing for Sustainable Development 

• Digital Transition and Inclusion 

• Climate Justice and Community Resilience 

• Organized Crime and Corruption 

• Food Systems and Hunger 

• Bi-Regional Pact for Care 

• Social Cohesion and Inequalities 

• Civil Society Participation and Democratic Governance 

These discussions will feed into the Civil Society Santa Marta Declaration, the civil society contribution to the Summit. 

Forus Member Contributions 

Forus will be strongly represented at the Forum by members and allies from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Here is a summary: 

Plenary – Enabling Environment for Civil Society (Nov 7) 

• Moderator: Javier Azpur – Asociación Nacional de Centros (Peru) 

• Panelists: Marta Ferrara – Pojoaju (Paraguay); Gustavo Amaya – CECADE (El Salvador); Sandra Ferrer – La Coordinadora de ONG para el Desarrollo / CONCORD Europe (Spain) 

• Rapporteur: Susana Eróstegui – MESA  

Plenary – Financing for Sustainable Development (Nov 7) 

• Panelist: Miguel Santibañez – ACCIÓN (Chile) 

Plenary – Bi-Regional Pact for Care (Nov 7) 

• Rapporteur: Inma Alonso – La Coordinadora (Spain)  

Plenary – Social Cohesion and Inequalities (Nov 8) 

• Panelists: Francisco Mantilaro – Red Encuentro / Fundación Otras Voces (Argentina); Jared Ortiz – Alianza de ONGs (Dominican Republic); José Ramón Ávila – ASONOG (Honduras) 

• Rapporteur: Marie L’Hostis – Forus  

Plenary – Civil Society Participation (Nov 8) 

• Panelist: Lucy Garrido – Articulación Feminista Marcosur / ANONG (Uruguay)  

What is the EU–CELAC Summit? 

The EU–CELAC Summit is the highest-level political forum between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). It will happen just after the LAC-EU Civil Society Forum. Heads of State and Government from both regions meet to strengthen the bi-regional partnership. 

Key themes of the 2025 Summit: 

• Reviewing the EU–LAC bi-regional partnership and progress since the 2023 Brussels Summit. 

• Evaluating the EU–LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda, with a focus on green, digital, and social transitions. 

• Addressing inequalities, climate change, governance and human rights, and inclusive economic development. 

• Identifying new opportunities for collaboration between governments, civil society, private sector, and multilateral institutions. 

The outcomes of the Summit will influence future cooperation priorities and political commitments between the two regions.