Background Information
The Mexican initiatives on South-South Cooperation have become a fundamental pillar of the country’s foreign policy towards development of capacities which contributes to the social and economic development of recipient countries. The activities are focused in Latin American and Caribbean countries and in particular in Central America. In 1971, Mexico created the Directorate General for Technical International Cooperation which has been reformulated since then and in1990 was transformed in the Directorate General for Technical and Scientific Cooperation (DGCTC) In 1998, was established the Mexican Institute for International Cooperation (IMEXCI), strengthening the work of this country on the referred field and in 2004 was established the Secretary for External Relations created the Unit for Economic Relations and International Cooperation (URECI), which was incorporated to the DGCTC. Since 1991, Mexico has established a government directorate at that time focused on the cooperation with Central America acting in the following areas: agriculture and livestock, education, environment, health, tourism and prevention of disasters. In 1998 the programme has been enlarged for regional and bilateral levels basing on the transference of knowledge and experiences to other countries. Mexico has also been very active in triangular cooperation with Japan and international organizations such as OEA, OPS and Ibero-american Conference. Currently, 71 agreements of technical and scientific cooperation are under process, of which, 17 with Central America and Caribbean countries. Mexico cooperation covers the following sectors: agriculture, science and technology, trade, communication, social development, education, energy, industry, environment, natural resources, transport, tourism among others.
Examples of Key Projects of Mexico
| PIEM |
Programa de Integración Energética Mesoamericana (PIEM) is a project signed between Mexico and Centro America countries aiming to enhance regional integration cooperation for economic and sustainable development of the region on the field of energy. PIEM key projects includes a crude oil refinery, co-generation of electricity, integration of electric systems of México, Centro America and Colombia, the introduction of alternative energy sources such as natural gas in the region. PIEM is based on the principle of exchange of initiatives, resources and experiences on this related field. |
Escuelas Mexico
(Mexico Schools) |
Since 1996 Mexico has conduced the programme called Escuelas Mexico to improve the buildings and general education systems of schools of the seven countries of Centro America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama) and Dominic Republic. The programme also organizes concourses competition such as Premium Mexico –Centro America for Children’s paintings in which the selected candidates from each country were invited to develop a programme of cultural and recreation activities in Mexico with their relatives all paid by the Mexican cooperation department. The 80 works selected were presented at the Mexican-Centro-America Exhibition Children Painting.
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| Agriculture |
Mexico has cooperated in a number of projects aiming the development of agriculture in Central America region. The country finances the programme of Formation of Instructors for Management and Preservation of Water, a project implemented under coordination of the Mexican Technology Institute for Water (IMTA) and the Regional Committee for Water Resources of Central America and Panama (CRHH). In the bilateral context, one example is the Mexican supports of a project in Belize for development of crops in frontier zone with the envoy of specialists to identify possible uses of the soil as to propose alternative for the use of sustainable production systems.
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Health
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The Programme for the Strengthening of Prevention and Control of Diseases transmitted by vectors coordinated by the CENAVECE – National Centre for Monitoring Epidemiology and Control of Diseases has a project to establish strategic cooperation with Central American countries aiming to reduce risks as to keep control of epidemiologic diseases caused by vectors such as dengue, chagas, leishmaniosis, rickttsiosis y virus from West Nile among others. In the context of this programme Mexico also contributes to the process of human resources capacity building of directorates of national programmes of the countries of this region.
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| Education and training |
The Directorate for Special Projects of the DGCTC has a considerable programme of courses and seminars, in particular for officials, other professionals and students coming from Central America countries. The exchange country has an intensive programme of academic basis such as the Association of Universities and Institutions of Superior Education (ANUIES) and the Centro-American Council for Superior Education (CSUCA) exchange programme with over 40 projects in the field of engineer and technology, agricultural science, health science and education and humanities. The projects aim the joint development and professional capacity building to strengthen the academic institutional bodies. With the Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR)/ and the Universidad de San Carlos (USAC)-Guatemala, Mexico cooperates also with the formation of agro-industry entrepreneurs and with the Institute of Technology of Costa Rica (ITCR). Another example is the projects with the Integration of the Centro American Network for Education and Science which resulted in the establishment of a Plan of Action for Mesoamerica to enhance inclusive education in the region.
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Public Administration
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Mexico organizes a number of courses directed to officials of the public administration of Centro America and Caribbean countries. One example is the Course of Formation in Diplomacy offered for officials coming from the countries of this region. Other ministries such as health and agriculture and environement also organize similar courses. Mexico has also contributed significantly in the formation of officials in issues related to human rights and drug traffic combat among others. Other programmes includes the control of animal disease, use of bio-fertilizers, and other technologies for promoting sustainable agriculture in the benefited countries with the support of the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and related Institutes.
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| Science and Technology |
Mexico has developed a intensive programme of exchange with countries of Central America on the field of science and technology linking universities and institutes of research with support of the Mexican cooperation department. The country receives visits of officials of Centro America and organizes training courses among others. Similar programmes have also benefited South American countries including Brazil and Chile. |
Environment
And indigenous people |
Regional cooperation in the context of environment includes the project for Conservation of Protected Areas under coordination of the Mexican Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Belize and the National Council for Protected Areas of the Republic of Guatemala. Other initiatives have been implemented or are in phase of implementation covering a number of countries of Central America. Mexico also cooperation on the field of indigenous people with the countries of Central America with the elaboration of the document Guidelines Technical- Pedagogic for Education Inter-cultural Bilingual in which where defined philosophic, pedagogic, linguistic and political principles providing a reference for each country to define its own policy in the field of education of indigenous people.
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| Infrastructure and Energy |
Under the context of the partnership for Financial Cooperation between Mexico and BCIE – Centro-American Bank for Economic Integration, Mexico contributed with over US$ 5 million to support the project Rehabilitation and Construction of the Roadway Puerto Cortés-Frontera with Guatemala, US$ 11.3 million for the rehabilitation and improvement of the roadway Chinandega-Guasaule Frontera with Honduras. With El Salvador, among other projects, Mexican cooperation aims also to develop a programme of cooperation in order to study possibilities of development on the field of wind energy and improvement of hydroelectric energy resources in the country. In the Caribbean Mexico cooperates with Jamaica on the development of nuclear energy and with. In Haiti, Mexico supports the energetic efficiency and the development of renewable energy. |
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
Homepages: http://www.sre.gob.mx/ and http://dgctc.sre.gob.mx/
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