The bloc has been debating the steps it should take toward reducing poverty, improving food security, and protecting the environment.

On June 28 and 29, 2017, a meeting entitled “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Toward Regional Cooperation” was held at Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event brought together authorities from the different MERCOSUR countries to analyze and debate the main challenges that the bloc needs to tackle to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Representatives from the private sector, civil society, and academics also took part.

The event was part of an exchange of experiences between the countries in relation to the adaptation processes that each is implementing; the institutional designs that they are deploying to implement, monitor, and report on these processes; the participation strategies they have effected; and the obstacles they have identified. Those at the meeting also emphasized that there is an opportunity for identifying possible shared measurement and monitoring criteria for the results that are obtained, in order to promote an agenda for regional action.

During his presentation, the executive director of the MERCOSUR Social Institute (link in Spanish) (ISM), Gabriel Toselli, drew attention to (link in Spanish) to “the Strategic Social Action Plan (PEAS) (link in Spanish), which is aligned with international standards on human rights, the Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015), and the Sustainable Development Goals (2030),” describing the document as a touchstone for all MERCOSUR member countries.

Other delegations at the meeting also emphasized the assistance they had received from the United Nations (link in Spanish), specifically the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).