Science Diplomacy and South-South Cooperation for Emergency Response: The Case of COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America

Authors

  • Luisa Fernanda Echeverria Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje
  • Karina Elizabeth Aquino Valle Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores y Cooperación Internacional de Honduras (SRECI).
  • Claudia Natalie Widmaier Muller National Customs Office in Uruguay

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22219/sospol.v6i2.11647

Keywords:

Science Diplomacy, South–South Cooperation, Latin America, COVID-19, Emergency Response

Abstract

Abstract

Latin America is a highly culturally and socioeconomically diverse region and it has a long story dealing with a weak, inequitable, inefficient and fragmented health system. The world faces a global health crisis without precedent, where global action and solidarity are crucial. This article highlights the importance of South-South cooperation actions based on science diplomacy, from countries in Latin America, for health-related emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As the qualitative research, this article will first present the concepts of science diplomacy and South-South Cooperation; secondly it will describe how these two concepts can contribute to emergencies associated with health related situations. Then, this article will review initiatives from Latin America to address the current pandemic. Finally, the general conclusions of the article will be presented. The management of the pandemic requires the best public health strategies contributing to its containment, but also an integrated approach using the transfer of good practices between the Global South, creating a network of scientists and diplomats working together to find possible solutions to the disease. South-South cooperation in Latin America occurs mainly bilaterally, especially with other countries in the Global South. Latin America has to work as a region to generate more spaces for collaboration, addressed by governments to achieve universal health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Luisa Fernanda Echeverria, Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje

M.A. Luisa Echeverria currently works as an Internacionalization Advisor at SENA. She served as an Internationalization Advisor at the Office for International Cooperation at the Colombian Ministry of Education.  DAAD scholarship holder. MASHAV Alumna for the course "Pedagogies in the 21. century" (2016). In 2020, takes a Course on Science Diplomacy in India, thanks to a scholarship granted by the indian government.

Karina Elizabeth Aquino Valle, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores y Cooperación Internacional de Honduras (SRECI).

Karina Aquino currently works as Coordinator of Multilateral Cooperation in the Secretariat of Foreign Relations and International Cooperation of Honduras (SRECI). She has more than 12 years of professional experience. She worked as a diplomat in Honduras and in the United States, especially in Washington DC,  where she has managed the country's international and national relations, between the public and private sectors, international organizations, the diplomatic corps and non-governmental organizations, in matters related to investment, trade, cooperation and sustainable development.

Claudia Natalie Widmaier Muller, National Customs Office in Uruguay

Claudia Widmaier has a Degree in International Relations graduated from the University of the Republic (UDELAR) Faculty of Law – Uruguay. She serves at the National Customs Office in Uruguay, as a Specialized Technician in Foreign Trade. Member of GEVA (Customs Value Study Group). Intern at the Institute for the Promotion of Investments and Exports of Uruguay (URUGUAY XXI). In 2020, she receives a scholarship from ITEC for a course on Science Diplomacy in New Delhi, India

References

Adolin, B. N. (2020). Southern Perspectives on Science Diplomacy. In Southern Perspective on Science Diplomacy (pp. 71–74). New Delhi: RIS.

Balakhrisnan, B. (2018). Technology and International Relations. Challenges for the 21st Century. New Delhi.

Cabot, E. A. (2014). Una aproximación a la concepción de ciencia en la contemporaneidad desde la perspectiva de la educación científica. Ciência & Educação (Bauru), 20(3), 549–560. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-73132014000300003

Chaturvedi, S. (2016). The Development Compact: A Theoretical Construct for South-South Cooperation | Research and Information System For Developing Countries. New Delhi. Retrieved from https://www.ris.org.in/development-compact-theoretical-construct-south-south-cooperation

Colombia, G. de. (2020). Colombia recibe donaciones de China por 1,5 millones de dólares para enfrentar covid-19. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://id.presidencia.gov.co/Paginas/prensa/2020/Colombia-recibe-donaciones-de-China-por-1-5-millones-de-dolares-para-enfrentar-covid-19-200507.aspx

Dados, N., & Connell, R. (2012). The Global South. Contexts, 11(1), 12–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536504212436479

de Renzio, P., & Seifert, J. (2014). South–South cooperation and the future of development assistance: mapping actors and options. Third World Quarterly, 35(10), 1860–1875. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2014.971603

El Comercio. (2020). South American countries agree to protect borders and buy medical supplies due to coronavirus | Trade. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/paises-sudamerica-proteccion-fronteras-coronavirus.html#cxrecs_s

Fedoroff, N. V. (2009, January 9). Science Diplomacy in the 21st Century. Cell. Cell Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2008.12.030

Gluckman, P., Turekian, V., Grimes, R., & Kishi, T. (2017). Science Diplomacy: A Pragmatic Perspective from the Inside | Science & Diplomacy. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://www.sciencediplomacy.org/article/2018/pragmatic-perspective

Gustavo, R., & Degaldo, M. (2019). Co-development and Global Political Economy (GPE): The Role of the South – South Cooperation.

Hassan, M. (2020). STI Cooperation in Arab Countries: Challenges and Opportunities. In Research and Information System for Developing Countries (Ed.). In Southern Perspectives on Science Diplomacy (pp. 59–62). New Delhi: RIS.

Jaramillo, J., & Vera Lugo, J. P. (2013). View of Ethnographies from and about the global South. Introductory Reflections. Universitas Humanística. Retrieved from https://revistas.javeriana.edu.co/index.php/univhumanistica/article/view/5957/4807

Martín Faus, C. D. (2015). La Cooperación Sur-Sur y el desarrollo del Sur global. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Retrieved from https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/291818#page=1

Mercosur. (2020a). Mercosur allocates an emergency fund of 16 million dollars to combat COVID-19 in the region - Mercociudades. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://mercociudades.org/mercosur-asigna-fondo-de-emergencia-de-16-millones-de-dolares-para-combatir-el-covid-19-en-la-region/

Mercosur. (2020b). The Contribution to the Pasteur Institute of Montevideo and its contribution to the fight against COVID 19. :: FOCEM. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://focem.mercosur.int/es/noticia/el-aporte-al-instituto-pasteur-de-montevideo-y-su-contribucion-al-combate-al-covid-19/

Mercosur. (2020c). What is FOCEM :: FOCEM. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://focem.mercosur.int/es/que-es-focem/

Mostafa Safdari Ranjbar, M. E. (2019). (PDF) Science Diplomacy in Iran: Strategies and Policy Alternatives in the Making. Science Diplomacy Review. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335756776_Science_Diplomacy_in_Iran_Strategies_and_Policy_Alternatives_in_the_Making

Roa, A. C., & De Santana, J. P. (2012). Regional integration and south-south cooperation in health in Latin America and the Caribbean. Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica/Pan American Journal of Public Health, 32(5), 368–375. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1020-49892012001100007

Royal Society. (n.d.). GCSA: Guidelines on scientific analysis in policy making | Royal Society. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/publications/2005/scientific-policy-making/

Swiss Academy of Medical Science. (2013). (No Title). Geneva, Swiss. Retrieved from https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/sites/internet/files/2019-02/Report_6thHLS_v5_web.pdf

Tickner, I. B. and A. B. (2017). Introduction: South–South Cooperation Beyond the Myths—A Critical Analysis. LOndon: Palgrave Macmillan.

United Nations. (2016). The Global Guardian of Public Health.

United Nations. (2020). Capacity-building | Academic Impact. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://academicimpact.un.org/content/capacity-building

Vadell, J., Lo Brutto, G., & Leite, A. C. C. (2020). The chinese south-south development cooperation: An assessment of its structural transformation. Revista Brasileira de Politica Internacional, 63(2). https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7329202000201

WHO. (2017). WHO | IHR Procedures concerning public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC). WHO. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ihr/procedures/pheic/en/

World Bank. (n.d.). World Bank Group Response to COVID-19 Increases to $ 14 Billion to Help Sustain Economies and Protect Jobs. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.bancomundial.org/es/news/press-release/2020/03/17/world-bank-group-increases-covid-19-response-to-14-billion-to-help-sustain-economies-protect-jobs

Downloads

Published

2020-10-10

How to Cite

Echeverria, L. F., Aquino Valle, K. E., & Widmaier Muller, C. N. (2020). Science Diplomacy and South-South Cooperation for Emergency Response: The Case of COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. Sospol, 6(2), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.22219/sospol.v6i2.11647