The Eurasian Economic Union & Latin America and the Caribbean: A Transcontinental Partnership
health coverage have been ensured. Uruguay is internationally recognized for providing all citizens and even non-residents high-quality health services free or virtually free of charge.40 For their part, the experience of EAEU member States in improving equality may provide countries in the LAC region with examples of good practices. For instance, due to the support given its national programs for young professionals, Kazakhstan has managed to ensure labour market access equality for young and older persons. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, EAEU girls are as likely to get a school education as boys. The efficient use of young people’s human capital is a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth in the years to come. Ensuring that all members of society, regardless of their sex or age, are provided an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and apply it by participating in the labour market lays the foundation for future economic development. Meanwhile, persisting social and economic inequalities appear to be a major impediment to inclusivity for the majority of LAC countries, but the region possesses certain comparative advantages that might be of interest to EAEU countries. For example, none of the countries included in the inclusivity index has progressed farther in promoting female participation in its national parliament than the Plurinational State of Bolivia. After a long trajectory of progressively reinforcing women’s rights, the country has finally enshrined their right to equal parliamentary representation in its constitution. 41 While determining a country-specific pattern of gender equality achievement requires in-depth consideration, the case of the Plurinational State of Bolivia undoubtedly represents a valuable example of women rights-oriented policy implementation. To conclude, by aiming at ensuring an improvement in the welfare of the population, both regions should take into account certain aspects of inclusivity. The heterogeneity of the progress countries has achieved so far offers a broad scope of exchangeable best practices that can serve as a promising area of cooperation between both regions.
B.
Environmental sustainability of economic growth: the evidence from addressing climate change
The ecological aspect of living conditions requires additional effort from many EAEU and LAC States, especially petroleum exporters. Insufficient progress in this direction negatively effects people currently living in countries of either region, but also entails long lasting effects that will be evident to future generations, who might suffer both from unhealthy environmental conditions and unsustainable economic growth resulting from resource depletion. This issue is even more pertinent now that the only positive side-effect of the currently evolving global health crisis may be its impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Whereas during the last five years each appeared to have been among those setting new temperature records and current efforts will not allow for compliance with the Paris Agreement, several countries reported some of the lowest pollution numbers in recent years during the height of the crisis. The challenge seems to be transforming these short-term gains into long-term positive impacts.
40
41
See, for instance, the assurances of respect by the former Russian Federation Minister of healthcare, Veronika Skvortsova: Minister of healthcare Veronika Skvortsova speaks at the conference in Montevideo, Uruguay. See [online] https://www.rosminzdrav.ru/ministry/61/24/materialy-po-deyatelnosti-departamenta/globalnaya-konferentsiya-vozpo-voprosu-povysheniya-soglasovannosti-politiki-v-oblastyah-vliyayuschih-na-profilaktiku-i-epidemiologicheskiynadzor-neinfektsionnyh-zabolevaniy/ministr-zdravoohraneniya-veronika-skvortsova-vystupila-na-otkrytii-konferentsiig-montevideo-urugvay (retrieved: 7 April 2020). International IDEA (2014). Bolivian elections result in more women in parliament. See [online] https://www.idea.int/newsmedia/news/bolivian-elections-result-more-women-parliament (retrieved: 7 April 2020).
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