Latin American and Caribbean Week: more than 400 events in 2022

For the French ministry of foreign affairs, the 9^th edition of the Latin American and Caribbean Week was an opportunity to “celebrate friendship and shared interests between our regions, value the diversity of traditional and current relationships built between this region of the world and France, and discover the richness and diversity of this subcontinent”, and offer the French audience the opportunity to better understand this region of the world.

A long tradition of cooperation

 As the website dedicated to the event explains, the French Senate took in 2011 the initiative to dedicate every year a day on 31 May each year to Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2014, the French government charged its ministry of foreign affairs to supervise this event, which was extended to a full Week thanks to so many collaborations.

Organisers of the event point out that "no other region of the world is honoured in France in this way and no other country than France dedicates such a week to Latin America and the Caribbean!"

A programme mainly focused on celebrations

 After a gap year in 2020 because of the pandemic, the 2022 edition organised onsite activities, but widely opened its programme to digital events to encourage discussions with distant partners, and especially Latin America and the Caribbean area.

The 2022 programme relied on initiatives by embassies of Latin American and Caribbean countries in France, but also associations, research and education institutions, companies or cultural institutions such as museums and art galleries.

All over France, whether in Paris or other regions, more than 400 events took place in 229 locations especially chosen for onsite activities, in the form of concerts, dance, exhibitions, broadcastings, tastings of local delicacies, local crafts, and more.

Political, educational and economic meetings

 In addition to festive events, the 2022 edition focused on political, educational and economic meetings to “think the relationship between Latin America, the Caribbean area and France, value current partnership agreements and develop synergies to face the current challenges”.

As an example, many events gathering high level participants where organised, such as:

The International Economic Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, organised by the Development Centre and the OECD, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the French Agency for Development (AFD), with a focus on Green strategies for Latin America and the Caribbean;

- The Seminar Education, digitalisation, social consistency and public powers organised by the Institute of Americas, the EU-LAC Foundation and the AFD, about new forms of scientific cooperation agreements and partnerships between the institutions of both regions;

- The Business Forum Latin America Ambition, held by Business France, under the supervision of the ministry of foreign affairs and economy, which gathered business leaders and ambassadors on 29 and 30 June. 

A series of cultural videos

 The French ministry of foreign affairs produced a series of videos about cultural events during the Latin American and Caribbean Week. 

All videos are accessible on the ministry of foreign affairs website.

To know more: 

- Presentation of the Latin American and Caribbean Week

- Official website of the Latin American and Caribbean Week

- Quiz about cooperation agreements between France, Latin American and the Caribbean area