This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
In a contested world, where the powers shaping the international order seek to transform, preserve, or even disregard the rules that sustain it, international agreements and the various mechanisms of global governance are facing intense scrutiny. The growing inability to respond to the challenges of a rapidly transforming global arena has called into question the effectiveness and legitimacy of these mechanisms as tools for organizing and regulating the international system.
Within this framework, Latin America and Europe are confronted with the challenge of adapting to a world marked by deep uncertainty. While the European Union, its institutions, and its member states are undergoing a period of profound redefinition of strategies and principles regarding the role Europe should play in the world, Latin America has acquired particular relevance — albeit not necessarily by design.
At the same time, the limited regional coordination in Latin America reflects a setback with respect to the integration processes promoted at the beginning of the twenty-first century, paving the way for greater isolation, the bilateralization of negotiations, and increasing intraregional fragmentation and competition. In this context, the region is becoming an increasingly significant arena for the projection of interests and rivalries among major powers.
It is therefore necessary to reflect upon and debate the role of these two regions and the ways in which their political, economic, and strategic ties are being reconfigured within the framework of a transforming international order. Analysing the dynamics of cooperation, competition, and governance that run through the relations among global powers, Europe, and Latin America is essential for understanding the new configurations of the international system.
Scholars from a wide range of disciplines are invited to submit paper proposals for discussion at the conference.
Proposals may address, among others, the following thematic axes:
1. Transformations of the International Order and Global Governance How is the international order changing in a context of growing competition between China and the United States? What implications does this dynamic hold for regional and global governance mechanisms? What place do Europe and Latin America occupy in the reconfiguration of the international system? How do tensions between the United States and China affect the functioning of multilateral and regional institutions? What new forms of governance are emerging in response to the crisis of multilateralism?
2. European Union – Latin America Relations What are the main challenges and opportunities in relations between the European Union and Latin America in the twenty-first century, in a context of China's growing presence and the persistent influence of the United States in the region? How are the political, economic, and strategic agendas between both regions being redefined? How do shifts in European foreign policy influence its relationship with Latin America and its positioning vis-à-vis the United States and China?
3. International Political Economy and the Governance of the Global Economy How are the dynamics of international political economy being transformed in a context of global systemic reconfiguration? What implications do these changes hold for economic relations between Europe and Latin America? What are the main challenges for the governance of trade and investment between both regions? What impact do European environmental and trade regulations have on Latin America? What role do trade agreements, investment flows, and regulatory policies play in the governance of the global economy?
4. Regional Integration and Institutional Frameworks in a Context of Fragmentation What is the current state of regional integration processes in Europe and Latin America? How do political, economic, and social crises affect regional institutions? What challenges does regional integration in Latin America face in a context of political fragmentation? What institutional lessons can be exchanged between both regions? Can regional integration serve as a strategy for negotiating with greater autonomy vis-à-vis China and the United States?
5. New Global Agendas: Technology, Energy, Migration, and Natural Resources How do disruptive technologies impact global governance and relations between Europe and Latin America? What challenges does the energy transition pose in a context of competition over strategic resources among major powers? How are Latin America and Europe positioned within global value chains linked to critical minerals and renewable energies? How do migratory and demographic dynamics shape relations between both regions? What opportunities exist for bi-regional cooperation around the digital and ecological transition in the face of pressure exerted by the United States and China?
Both theoretical and empirical contributions are welcome, addressing these and other broader themes, including the interregional relations of Europe and the European Union with regions other than Latin America (e.g., Africa, the Caribbean, the Indo-Pacific, North America, etc.). Paper proposals may focus on individual countries or groups of countries within Latin America, Europe, and beyond, as well as on regional organizations and interregional relations.