Spain and Bolivia have today signed a new Country Association Framework (Spanish acronym: MAP) for the period 2022-2025, establishing the geographic and sector priorities for joint action by the two governments to foster the sustainable development of the people of Bolivia, focused on a just ecological transition, social cohesion, governability and gender. Development aid managed by Spain for Bolivia will amount to 100 million euros, to be executed in addition to the funds assigned under the previous MAP (2018-2021).
Bolivia is considered to be a middle-income partner country. This new MAP defines the new shared cooperation strategy focused on common targets and visions of sustainable human development, a reduction in inequalities and peacebuilding. The Spanish State Secretary for International Cooperation, Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, attended the signing on behalf of Spain, and the Bolivian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rogelio Mayta, on behalf of Bolivia.
“Under this new MAP, we ratify our commitment to sustainable and inclusive development in Bolivia, a sister nation for Spanish Cooperation. We do so in line with the Paris Declaration, the Accra Agenda for Action and the agreement of the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation”, stated Pilar Cancela during the signing. In this regard, Rogelio Mayta stressed “the importance of the contribution of joint cooperation for national development” and expressed his gratitude to Spain “for its commitment and accompaniment”.
Both delegations agreed on the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, and on the suitability of integrating bilateral action within the framework of its goals and targets. They also highlighted the potential of triangular and south-south cooperation to share successful experiences in the application of public policies and development programmes.
The Country Association Framework 2022-2025 focuses the efforts of Spanish Cooperation on a just ecological transition (access under equal conditions to the rights to water and sanitation, to food and to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; social cohesion (through the effective exercise of the rights to education, health and cultural rights; together with democratic governability and gender (access to justice and equality, increasing social and political participation in a framework of democratic governability and the protection of human rights, with a particular focus on reducing gender gaps and the rights of indigenous peoples).
The MAP between Spain and Bolivia is framed within a general perspective of knowledge transfer and the strengthening of institutions and civil society to promote inclusive and equitable progress on sustainable development, undertaken within a framework of greater democracy and respect for human rights.
This agreement places special emphasis on the principle of ownership by the Bolivian authorities and on the alignment with the national development priorities identified by Bolivia in the Social and Economic Development Plan 2021-2025.
Spanish Cooperation in Bolivia
Spanish Cooperation has a long track record in Bolivia, with the presence of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Technical Cooperation Office, the Cultural Centre of Spain in La Paz and the Training Centre in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Other decentralised cooperation bodies, such as Autonomous Communities and Local Entities, play a very important role in development cooperation with Bolivia, as do non-governmental organisations and other Spanish actors with a presence in Bolivia.
In the implementation of the Bolivia-Spain MAP and the Roadmap with Civil Society Organisations, supported by the European Union Delegation and in which Spain has actively participated, Spanish and Bolivian civil society organisations are particularly important. Some 20 Spanish development NGOs have a presence in Bolivia and, since 1998, are grouped under the platform of the Coordinator of Spanish development NGOs in Bolivia (Spanish acronym: COEB).
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