Spanish MFA hosts Meeting of Ibero-American Association of Diplomatic Academies, Institutes and Schools

From Thursday 21 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation is hosting the Meeting of the Ibero-American Association of Diplomatic Academies, Institutes and Schools in the run-up to the forthcoming Ibero-American Summit in Madrid.

These meetings have been held since 2003, when the Spanish Diplomatic School, with the aim of strengthening academic and professional cooperation between the institutions responsible for training diplomats in the Ibero-American region, hosted the first meeting at its headquarters to promote cooperation among them.

The Spanish Pro Tempore Secretariat has decided to convene a new meeting of this association to continue the work begun in the Dominican Republic in 2023 and to propose new avenues for collaboration and joint work. To this end, a two-day programme has been designed, structured around sessions on the role of Ibero-American Diplomatic Academies in the construction and promotion of the Ibero-American Community; the professionalisation of the diplomatic service and function; methodology and practical experiences in the fields of scientific diplomacy and cultural diplomacy; or the potential of teaching Spanish and Portuguese to diplomats from third countries as a means of promoting our Community.

The 16th Meeting of the AIAIED aims to provide a forum for debate on these and other issues, as well as for the presentation and discussion of in​itiatives in this regard: on the institutional strengthening of Ibero-American diplomatic academies and institutes; the exchange of information and best practices; the organisation of seminars and meetings on feminist foreign policy, cultural diplomacy or scientific diplomacy; training in Ibero-American cooperation; or the possibility of collaborating to meet the growing demand for learning Spanish and Portuguese.

The aim is thus to highlight the significant legacy of the Ibero-American acquis built to date, based on the common values of democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the promotion of the rule of law and the defence of multilateralism as its main pillars. This is complemented by the Ibero-American principles of inclusivity, respect for the diverse forms of political and economic organisation within our Community, and consensus as a working method.

This meeting takes place within the framework of the forthcoming Ibero-American Summit, which will be held in Madrid on 4 and 5 November.

The Pro Tempore Secretariat has been holding numerous preparatory meetings to ensure that the Ibero-American Summit produces tangible declarations and agreements that have a direct and positive impact on the citizens of the countries that make up the Ibero-American Community.