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FOREIGN AFFAIRS STRATEGY FOREIGN AFFAIRS GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA FOREIGN AFFAIRS STRATEGY GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA Biblioteca de Catalunya. Dades CIP: Pla de l’Acció Exterior del Govern de Catalunya 2010-2015 Government of Catalonia Foreign Affairs Strategy 2010-2015 ISBN 9788439383888 I. Clavell Soldevila, Roser, dir. II. Miralles Solé, Débora, 1972- ed. III. Cotxà Pagans, Joan, ed. IV. Catalunya. Generalitat V. Títol 1. Catalunya – Relacions exteriors 327(467.1) © Generalitat de Catalunya Departament de la Vicepresidència Comissionat d’Afers Exteriors i Cooperació First Edition: September 2010 ISBN: 978-84-393-8388-8 Legal Deposit in Spain: B-38889-2010 Coordination of editing and production: Entitat Autònoma del Diari Oficial i de Publicacions GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA FOREIGN AFFAIRS STRATEGY Contents Índex Introduction ...................................................................................... 15 Major trends in a changing world ................................................................. 19 Globalisation ..................................................................................... 21 Emerging new players in contemporary international relations. 21 Catalonia’s assets in a global world ............................................................... 23 Aspiration to self-government as an expression of identity ........................................... 25 Entrepreneurial tradition and an open, innovative economy .......................................... 25 Committed, cohesive civil society .................................................................. 26 Unique, universal culture .......................................................................... 27 Framework for the government of Catalonia’s foreign policy ...................................... 29 Regulatory framework under the new statute of autonomy ............................................ 31 Instrumental values and principles ................................................................. 32 Mission and strategic objectives ............................................................. 34 Foreign affairs strategy of the government of Catalonia .................................... 35 1. Fully exercising Catalonia’s authority to conduct foreign affairs ................................. 37 1.1. To reform and update the regulation and functioning of foreign policy ................................... 39 1.2. To coordinate and support the government’s foreign affairs ........................................... 42 1.3. To reinforce the mutual commitment between the Catalan and Spanish governments in the implementation of Catalonia’s foreign policy ................................................................... 45 1.4. To deploy and consolidate the networks of government delegations abroad.............................. 47 1.5. To promote the education and specialisation of government personnel in the foreign policy arena ............ 50 2. Positioning Catalonia as a benchmark for other governments, international organisations and interregional networks. 53 2.1. To assure that bilateral relations are structured in accordance with the government’s geographic and sectoral priorities ............................................................................ 54 2.2. To strengthen relations with the diplomatic and consular corps ........................................ 60 2.3. To promote direct participation by the government of Catalonia in multilateral organisations . 61 2.4. To orchestrate participation in interregional cooperation networks that further Catalonia’s interests............ 67 7 3. Implementing a public diplomacy strategy that projects Catalonia’s image to the world ............. 71 3.1. To develop a governmental strategy for public diplomacy ............................................ 72 3.2. To promote a close, ongoing dialogue with the generators of opinion, image and awareness................. 74 3.3. To promote international actions by Catalan organisations............................................ 76 3.4. To relaunch Catalan communities abroad as agents of public diplomacy ................................ 78 3.5. To promote culture and language as assets of Catalonia’s image ...................................... 79 3.6. To generate synergies with the international actions of local governments and other public entities in Catalonia.. 81 4. Promoting the social and economic internationalisation of Catalonia ............................ 83 4.1. To promote Catalonia’s economic internationalisation ............................................... 84 4.2. To contribute to recruiting and retaining talent and the outreach of Catalan RDI . 87 4.3. To spur the creation of an international Catalan society .............................................. 89 5. Consolidating Catalonia as a committed, responsible and socially conscious international player .... 91 5.1. To become a committed, active player in international debates on energy, sustainability and the environment ... 92 5.2. To be an effective, valuable player in development cooperation and international solidarity .................. 95 5.3. To actively foster the processes of democratisation, pluralism, peace and human rights ................... 100 Implementation and revision of the plan ......................................................... 103 Appendix: Summary of strategic objectives, operational objectives and priority activities ........ 107 8 Introduction 9 Catalonia’s world is the whole world. Catalonia has always viewed internationalisation as an obligation and a responsibility, an opportunity and a mission which cannot be avoided if we wish to exist, since we only exist in relation to others. The gov- ernment of Catalonia’s Foreign Policy is a country-building policy. Today, if Catalonia wishes to prosper, it must be present in the world. Bringing progress to all of Catalonia requires spending time outside the country looking out for our economic, cultural, political and institutional interests. No one from the outside is going to approach us to ask who we are and what we do and produce; rather, we must venture abroad, around the world, to explain and sell who we are in order to make Catalonia an attractive country in all respects. We need an ambitious foreign policy, a policy that takes the greatest advantage of every possibility offered by our Statute of Autonomy. This policy should include participating in the negotiation and conclusion of international agreements and trea- ties by the state, achieving a more stable, influential position in UNESCO, strengthening our presence within international organisations to exert a greater influence on the global policies that may affect Catalonia, and contributing to the implemen- tation of international policies aimed at promoting peace, solidarity and sustainability. We need a foreign policy with territorial priorities that determine where our presence must be strengthened and which ob- jectives are to be attained. We need a foreign policy that promotes the internationalisation of Catalonia as a genuine force for progress and welfare in defence of our economic, social, political and cultural interests. Catalonia’s world is truly the whole world. We need a foreign policy that fulfils our mission of making Catalonia a truly global player, one that promotes its values and defends its interests with the aim of attaining greater prosperity and welfare at home and becoming a society that is more fully committed to the values of progress, peace, solidarity, culture and freedom. In short, we need truly national foreign policy with clear and attainable objectives and strong and ongoing foreign actions that reach beyond political junctures. We now have the means to achieve these goals: the Foreign Affairs Strategy. Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira Vice-President of the Government of Catalonia 11 Approval of a Government of Catalonia Foreign Affairs Strategy signals the culmination of an intense process of work and participation spearheaded by the High Commission for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation over the course of two years. Different departments and bodies within the government of Catalonia have been exercising the foreign dimension of their powers for several decades. However, until now the government had not pursued the goal of integrating all the different foreign actions and initiatives into a single strategy in order to assure the ongoing, cross-cutting nature of Catalonia’s foreign affairs. Our aim, then, was to draft a country-building plan that sets out the proper strategies to reinforce Catalonia as an inter- national, responsible, influential and prestigious player capable of rising to global challenges and defending its interests in a world where autonomous governments such as ours are taking on increasing importance. In this context, the Foreign Affairs Strategy has two objectives: first, it includes all the foreign actions being carried out in a single document, organised according to strategic avenues, and secondly, it defines the roadmap for foreign policy for the next five years. The government of Catalonia’s intention was to draft the Foreign Affairs Strategy in a participatory, consensus-building way. To this end, we gathered the experience of members of the institutions who have been and remain at the forefront of foreign affairs, along with the contributions of academia and civil society. Lastly, I would like especially to acknowledge the involvement of all the

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