Busting the Myth of Convergence Between the EU and LAC Countries: Analysis From UN Resolutions

Rafael Mesquita and Bruno Theodoro Luciano

Global Policy, 2025, vol. 16, issue 4, 589-601

Abstract: Politicians and scholars have often considered Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean as like‐minded, natural partners, characterized not only by historical and cultural ties, but also by shared values and principles. This article aims to test the extent to which EU‐LAC convergence is a reality by comparing the agreement between both regions in multilateral arenas. Specifically, we explore the similarity in roll‐call votes and cosponsorship of draft resolutions at the UN General Assembly from 2000 to 2020. EU‐LAC convergence on those metrics is placed into perspective by comparing similarities across all UN regional groups. Furthermore, our analysis zooms in on the content of the proposals to detect the issues that have caused greater divergence/convergence between EU‐LAC. We find that the two regions continuously cooperate on the rights of the child, but are increasingly at odds with regard to topics such as human rights and armaments. The realist tone of these themes suggests that a normative Europe has met an emerging geopolitical Europe that is increasingly concerned with security‐related issues. We trace this new agenda to the rising challenges in Europe's external relations, from protectionism to the Russia–Ukraine war, and see the diminishing EU‐LAC convergence as its multilateral expression.

Date: 2025
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