Declaration of Uluwatu - VI Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Latin America Cooperation - East Asia Forum (FEALAC) - Bali, June 13-14, 2013

The 6th Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Latin America Cooperation Forum - East Asia (FEALAC) On June 13-14 June in Bali, Indonesia. Bringing together 36 countries, the FEALAC is the most representative mechanism of political dialogue and cooperation between the two regions.

Brazil was represented at the meeting by Deputy Secretary for Policy-II, Ambassador Maria Edileuza Fontenele Reis. Measures to streamline and update the structure of the Forum were discussed. In order to discuss the parties' ongoing cooperation, the 2^nd FEALAC Bi-Regional Dialogue on International Cooperation was held with the participation of diplomats, academics and high-level technical cooperation agencies.

The following statement was adopted at the meeting:

ULUWATU DECLARATION
SIXTH FEALAC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING

Bali, 13-14 June 2013

"We, the Foreign Ministers of the Forum for East Asia and Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) member countries, met in Bali on 13 and 14 June 2013 at the FEALAC FMM VI, which was co-chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, as FEALAC Regional Coordinator for East Asia, and by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia, as FEALAC Regional Coordinator for Latin America. After having substantive discussions, we adopted this “Uluwatu Declaration”.
FEALAC and the global architecture

1. We recognize that since the creation of FEALAC 12 years ago the world has undergone major changes. Globalization and interdependence are the characteristics of contemporary international relations. While there have been greater opportunities, we are also increasingly facing global challenges that affect all countries and their people and the sustainable development of all humankind, which have to be addressed in a democratic and transparent manner.
2. We further note that our world has also seen a shift in global and regional political and economic situation. New markets and players are emerging, many of whom are member countries of FEALAC. Today emerging developing countries play an important role as the engine for global economic growth and development, where FEALAC economies contribute 33.43% of the world’s GDP and 29.82% of global trade.
3. Addressing new and emerging challenges in today’s globalized and interdependent world requires efficient collaboration, cooperation and coordination among nations and other actors. This is particularly important if we are to ensure fair and inclusive globalization and development. In this context, we recognize efforts made in regional level to create new financial institutions as source of development among the countries participating in their dynamics and to address deficiensies of the current international financial architecture.
4. Within this evolving global and regional architecture, we recognize that FEALAC can play an important role in facilitating and strengthening inter-regional cooperation and collaboration between East Asia and Latin America. We will therefore work to reinvigorate our cooperation and collaboration, reducing inequalities and gaps within and among member countries and to support the attainment of sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic growth and development, including the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in Latin America and Asian countries.

Promoting connectivity of FEALAC

5. We share the common view that in order to promote an increasing interconnectivity of our two regions, the deepening and broadening of the existing bi-regional cooperation play crucial roles. Various issues of common interest should be identified to be further explored. In light of which, we reaffirm our commitment to take effective measures of cooperation in order to overcome the needs and difficulties of states with vulnerable economies, including the landlocked developing countries and small island developing states
6. In order to ensure a fair and sustainable development, we encourage cooperation and dialogue on macroeconomic policies and development strategies among FEALAC member countries. In this regard, we welcome the outcomes of the Seminar on “Experiences of FEALAC countries in transforming growth model towards sustainable development” held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, 5-8 June 2013.
7. Towards this end, we underline the importance of connectivity between the two regions in narrowing the distance gaps. In this regard, we support efforts to explore cooperation in air transportation by promoting direct flights and code sharing between the two region’s air carriers, as well as enhancing cooperation in sea transportation in order to facilitate greater movement of people and goods, according to international rules and law. We also encourage institutional connectivity between the two regions, including social connectivity through academic and journalist exchanges as well as business sector mobility.
8. In view of global population growth, food security and nutrition has become a central issue. We therefore support international and regional efforts to ensure provision of sufficient, affordable and nutritious food through increased international cooperation, investment, promotion of research and development in the field of sustainable agriculture and rural development in the field of sustainable agriculture, fisheries and rural development, and concerted efforts to reduce food waste. We must aim to reduce stunting for all children under five, recognizing that this is an investment in future economic and social growth.
9. We believe that Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of the FEALAC economies and the largest source of domestic employment across all economic sectors in both rural and urban areas. The MSMEs sector also provides opportunities for women and youth to participate in the economic development of the country. We encourage the public-private sectors to develop MSMEs programmes, which contribute to the economic development and prosperity in our regions. In this regard, we support Ecuador’s initiative to develop a bi-regional centre of development of the MSMEs. We also take note of the importance of exploring possible synergies with other relevant regional forums, so as to share views on ways to enable MSMEs development.
10. We reaffirm our commitment to the promotion of cooperation in the area of education, which is an essential part of economic growth and development. As an effort to achieve greater linkage between the two regions, we support Brazil's proposal of FEALAC University Network, to identify potential fields of cooperation in science and technology and to enhance the exchange of information, knowledge and experience in research and development. We welcome the Japanese initiative on FEALAC Latin America Robot Contest in which universities in FEALAC member countries have shown interest, as an important initiative to promote science and technology as well as academic cooperation. We also welcome the Colombian proposal of FEALAC “Network of Scientific – Technological convergence”, that seeks to promote the joint and collaborative bioregional networking between research center and groups. We shall also explore collaboration focusing on technology based entrepreneurship including transfer of knowledge; joint knowledge management such as initiatives related to training and research projects; academic and business mobility including exchange of professors and students, as well as business associations in tech and laborintensive areas.
11. We recognize that natural disasters exacerbated by climate change continue to affect the economic, physical, social and environmental assets of the people in East Asia and Latin America. We therefore underline the importance of disaster risk reduction and reaffirm the necessity to further strengthening inter-regional cooperation, expanding the network of technical support and cooperation and sharing information and expertise among FEALAC members and international and regional institutions in the area of disaster risk reduction, preparedness and management. This cooperation should be in line with major multilateral agreements.
12. We emphasize the importance of supporting existing regional and national initiatives amongst FEALAC members to build resilience, as well as the need to develop collaboration between regional centers on disaster risk reduction in order to respond more effectively to any future disasters, especially in its immediate aftermath, with the aim of maximizing life-saving efforts. In this sense, a feasibility study on the possibility to develop a bi-regional early warning system is foreseen as significant. We reiterate our solidarity for the reconstruction process of respective countries seriously affected by natural disasters and reaffirm our strong commitment to share the information among FEALAC countries in a timely manner so that the recovery in trade and investment in affected countries could be duly accelerated.
13. We reaffirm our commitment to increase efforts to develop cooperation on tourism, bearing in mind that tourism creates jobs, by stimulating easier movement of tourists, promoting eco-tourism and increasing involvement of youth. All these measures are taken in line with tourism ethics, which works as a fundamental frame of reference for responsible and sustainable tourism, and such tourism aims at maximizing benefits while minimizing its potentially negative impacts on the environment, cultural heritage and societies across the globe. In this regard, it is foreseen that in the future FEALAC may develop new research to provide enhanced better understanding of the tourism industry in developing resources in the tourism sector.
14. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen socio-cultural cooperation and promote greater people to people interactions through increasing cultural education, sports and academic exchange, parliamentarians and civil societies. We acknowledge the possibilities for greater collaborations between centers of excellence and think tanks in both regions.
15. We underline the important contribution of our private sector in developing interregional trade and investment as well as a major actor in spurring greater growth. In this regard, we will facilitate greater business connectivity and networking as well as promote regular business forums. We will also facilitate greater ease of travel and movement for our business people, in accordance with national regulations.
16. Noting the important role of media as bearer of real-time information, we share the view of promoting greater connectivity between our media institutions through media linkages and journalist visits in order to increase the visibility of FEALAC within each of its member countries and contribute to a greater presence in the world.
17. We recognize the importance of enhancing international cooperation in combating transnational organized crime. In this regard, we reaffirm our commitment to take efforts to develop closer collaboration in preventing and combating transnational organized crime, including illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, corruption, smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons, particularly women and children, which has grave impacts on human rights, the rule of law, security and social economic development. We further acknowledge the importance of creating a safe cyberspace, including by enhancing international cooperation to combat cyber crime in the field of cyber security. With this end, we share the importance of cooperation in the field, which may include, information exchange, sharing of best practices and promotion of capacity building. We reconfirm our commitment to cooperate together in regional and multilateral for a in strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime and terrorism within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its relevant protocols and relevant international instruments on counter-terrorism.
18. We recognize the potential of the South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) as mechanisms that allow the sharing and promotion of the strengths and institutional capabilities of the countries of both regions, based on solidarity and guided by the principles of respect for national sovereignty and free from any conditionalities, to contribute to their social and economic development and to strengthen linkages between the governments, academic, productive, entrepreneurial and other relevant sectors of the region. In this regard, we support Indonesia’s initiative to build country-led knowledge hubs in the context of SSTC, which include institutional strengthening, knowledge exchange, coordination, bilateral and triangular cooperation, sustained engagement, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
19. We reaffirm our commitment to support the development of strategies on the energy sector which includes the development of clean technologies and renewable energy as well as expansion of access to energy services for people in remote areas through South- South cooperation, Triangular cooperation, encouragement for innovation and increasing peoples’ awareness on sustainable energy. In this regard, we welcome the outcome of the 2nd Asia - Pacific Water Summit held on 19-20 May 2013 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the forthcoming 22nd World Energy Congress, to be organized by the World Energy Council and held in Daegu, the Republic of Korea, from 13 to 17 October 2013.

FEALAC and the global challenges

20. We underscore that the ultimate goal of sustainable development is to end poverty in all its forms. We believe that achieving this objective requires that we promote sustained and inclusive economic growth with equity. With an equitable distribution, such growth will reduce inequality and meet the needs of the present without compromising the need of future generation.
21. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to fight against poverty, achieve all the MDGs and work towards an ambitious and implementable Post-2015 Development Agenda that place at its center poverty eradication, promotion of sustainable development and equitable and inclusive growth.
22. In this context, we welcome the work that has been undertaken by the UN High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the report that it has submitted to the United Nations Secretary- General. Furthermore, we hope that the report would serve as an input to the intergovernmental process that is inclusive, open and transparent that aims to agree on post 2015 development agenda.
23. We recognize the importance of multilateralism in the global trading system and the commitment to achieving an open, rule-based, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system that contributes to growth, sustainable development and employment generation in all sectors. We further reiterate our commitment to concluding the WTO Doha Development Agenda of multilateral trade negotiation which places the need and the interest of all developing countries, including least developed countries, at the heart of the Doha Work Programme, and call for the necessary political will and flexibilities from all parties to achieve convergences and to break the impasse in the negotiation.
24. We are ready to work closely with other WTO Members to have a fruitful and comprehensive discussion towards a conclusion of the Doha Round negotiation in accordance with its mandate through a transparent and inclusive process with a view to upholding and safeguarding the integrity of the multilateral trading system that benefits all. In this context, we express our commitment to ensuring the success of the WTO Ministerial Meeting to be held in Bali in December 2013.
25. We reaffirm our commitment to enhance inter-regional investment and in this regard, we welcome efforts to develop innovative mechanism to promote and facilitate trade and investment flows. With the objective of improving investment flows and the overall establishment of strategic associations between firms of both regions, it is relevant to prioritize coordination efforts that target investment in each of the member countries. In this regard, we support Argentina’s proposal for the development of FEALAC Investment Opportunities Database, which will efficiently allow for member countries to post offers of investment projects seeking interregional investors.
26. We reiterate our commitment to a sustainable, inclusive economic growth by addressing global environmental challenges, strengthening resilience and improving disaster preparedness capacities. We will join our efforts and strive towards achieving a more stable climate, clean atmosphere, healthy and productive forests and oceans, which are just some of the environmental resources from which we all benefit. We reaffirm our determination to address climate change and to continue engaging constructively in the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol towards a Post-2020 ambitious climate change regime.
27. We share the intention to achieving universal health coverage according to national policies and capabilities. We reaffirm the importance of cooperating closely in addressing pandemic and communicable and non-communicable diseases. In this regard, we shall explore possibilities of joint cooperation in addressing pandemic, communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as exchange of experiences in promoting access to public health care, including joint research and development of medicine and vaccine, sharing of best practices and experiences and exchange of health practitioners.
28. We recognize the invaluable economic, social and cultural contributions of all migrant workers and members of their families. We further underline the need to identify various means to maximize development benefits and address the challenges that migration pose to countries of origin, transit and destination.
29. We reaffirmed our strong belief in multilateralism with the United Nations as its center and the commitment to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter. We thus reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN, including the Security
    Council, to make it more effective, democratic, accountable, efficient and transparent.
30. We reconfirm our commitment to cooperate together in regional and multilateral fora in strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime and terrorism within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three protocols and relevant international instruments on counter-terrorism.

From Santiago to Bali and Beyond

31. Since its creation, FEALAC has evolved from a forum of dialogue into a solid and stable cooperation forum linking the two regions. We reaffirm our commitments as outlined in Santiago in March 2001, in particular, to increase mutual understanding, trust and friendly cooperation among member countries. We have continuously enriched and developed ways and means to sharing experiences and best practices as well as tapping potentials for cross-sectorial cooperation, inter alia in trade, tourism and investment, science and technology, sustainable development, as well as people-to- people exchanges.
32. We welcome the recommendation proposed by FEALAC Vision Group, which aims at evaluating FEALAC cooperation, and providing future visions on how FEALAC can contribute to address global challenges as well as promoting a strong and closer cooperation among member countries. The Vision Group recommendation demonstrates the strong commitment of both regions to strengthen and deepen the bi-regional partnership of FEALAC based on openness and cooperation. This partnership shall be pursued with the purpose of contributing to what is good not only for the region but also for the world. In this context we welcome Korea’s proposal to hold FEALAC Cyber Secretariat Workshop in March 2014 to discuss follow-up measures of the Vision Group report.
33. We noted the need for strengthening FEALAC processes and institutions in order to adequately respond to global challenges and opportunities as well as enhance inter-regional cooperation. In this regard, we agreed to refocus the existing Working Groups into as follows: 1) Working Group on Socio-Political Issues,; (2) Working Group on Trade, Investment, MSMEs, Sustainable Development; (3) Working Group on Tourism, Youth, Culture, Sports; (4) Working Group on Innovation, Education, Science and Technology.
34. Noting the importance of constant monitoring of the progress of the cooperation, we underline the necessity to enhance communication between FEALAC members and therefore the need to have more interaction and explore intersessional meetings at the SOM or Deputy SOM level when necessary, strengthen the role of the Coordinating Board as well as the need to fully utilize the FEALAC Cyber-Secretariat sponsored by the Republic of Korea to facilitate online communication within FEALAC. As we recognize that continuous communication and coordination is key to strengthening and expanding FEALAC, enhancing the utilization of the FEALAC Cyber Secretariat is imperative. In the same vein, in order to increase visibility, we shall encourage member countries to create a national website of FEALAC linked with the Cyber Secretariat so as to enable the general public of FEALAC member countries to access national data and information. Appreciating the contributions made by the Cyber Secretariat to the FEALAC, we renew the request to member countries to make continuous and timely cooperation with the Cyber Secretariat (Korea), including by updating and enhancing data banks.
35. To improve our mechanism of dialogue and to advance our partnership, we believe in the significance of involving cross-sectorial institutions. Regular and timely deliberations among Focal Points are foreseen as a way and mean to achieve an effective cooperation as well as monitor progress in each working group.
36. Noting the importance of research as well as strengthening FEALAC analytical and policy recommendations, we underline the importance of cooperating closely with regional organizations, including APEC, ABAC, IDB, ADB, ASEAN, Pacific Alliance, CELAC, UNASUR, OAS and think tanks in Latin America and East-Asia.
37. In order to fully achieve its objectives and goals, FEALAC needs to transform itself into a more effective and efficient framework of bi-regional cooperation. Within this context, it is deemed necessary to evaluate finished and ongoing national projects, with a view to restructure the mechanism of work, and to establish a reliable instrument to provide data regarding various aspects of FEALAC relations. It is necessary to develop mechanisms to ensure that national projects have a wider scope of participation and transform themselves into bioregional projects in the future.
38. In achieving all the above-mentioned objectives, we, therefore, reaffirm the importance of further strengthening bi-regional cooperation, expanding the network of technical support and cooperation and sharing information and expertise among FEALAC members and international and regional institutions. As such, we tasked the FEALAC Senior Officials to coordinate the implementation and evaluation of all programs and activities agreed at this Meeting. (annexes of national projects)

Closing

39. The next Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be held in 2015 in Costa Rica on a date to be decided by consensus.
40. We express our appreciation to the outgoing Coordinators of FEALAC, Indonesia and Colombia, and welcome the next Coordinators Thailand for East Asia and Costa Rica for Latin America.