States Parties and Observers gather for the 3rd session of the Buenos Aires Convention Committee and CINALC Network
The Committee adopted its work plan for 2025, focusing on advocacy to accelerate ratifications, capacity development and policy advice and inter-regional cooperation
States Parties and Observers to the Buenos Aires Convention for Latin America and the Caribbean met in Montevideo, Uruguay on 11 and 12 December for the third session of the Convention Committee – responsible for promoting its application and overseeing its implementation.
The Committee adopted its work plan for 2025, focusing on advocacy to accelerate ratifications, capacity development and policy advice, the strengthening of the regional CINALC Network of information centres and advancement of inter-regional cooperation.
Members of the Committee’s Bureau were also elected, with Gonzalo Baroni as President, Dana Mc Quilkin as Vice- President and Denise Pereira as Rapporteur.
The session provided an opportunity for States Parties and Observers to discuss several key issues for the region, such as the recognition of refugee qualifications, feasibility of a Diploma Supplement, digital systems for qualifications recognition and internationalization.
On 10 December, this session was preceded by a meeting of the CINALC Network, which serves as the operational arm of the Convention.
The Network – open to all countries in the region – elected its coordination group, to include Cuba, Granada, Ecuador and Uruguay. It will be working in close cooperation with the Convention Committee to implement the work plan for 2025, in particular with regard to the development of a guide on the implementation of the Convention, a regional strategy on the recognition of qualifications for refugees and displaced persons, and data on recognition and mobility.
The Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education, also known as the Buenos Aires Convention, was adopted in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2019 and entered into force in 2022. To date six countries have ratified it to – Cuba, Ecuador Granada, Holy See, Peru and Uruguay – and several others announced that they are in the final stages of the process.
The Buenos Aires Convention aims to strengthen recognition, mobility and inter-university cooperation within the region and is implemented in complementarity with the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education.
The next session of the Committee will take place in the last quarter of 2025.
