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The Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a new round of meetings of the Pacific Alliance, which began August 25th with the National Coordinators Meeting, continued August 26th with the meeting of the High-Level Group (GAN) made up of Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru; and ended with the IV Cooperation Forum on August 30 - with the presence of the 61 Observer States.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ana Cecilia Gervasi, reported that they are discussing the external relationship of the Pacific Alliance with the four candidates for Associated States (Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand), as well as on the interest of Ecuador and Costa Rica in becoming full members of this bloc.

The Pacific Alliance is the eighth-largest world economy and the sixth exporting power worldwide. It also represented 42.9% of GDP of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2021.

Canada makes official a 2nd economic support package, of CAD$4.5 million, to the Pacific Alliance countries to strengthen their Climate Measuring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems.

Thanks to a 1st support package from the Government of Canada, it was possible to develop and implement, between 2018 and 2021, a Coordination Framework that guided the work of the Technical Sub Group on MRV.

The 2nd support package, which started to come together on August 3rd and 4th in Colombia, consolidates the work done in the 1st phase, continues promoting decision-making based on data and evidence, and improves the implementation of the regional climate agenda.

"Our engagement with the Pacific Alliance will provide new tools and help national & local governments to build the capacity to establish effective and efficient Climate MRV systems to set mitigation priorities and attract the funding needed to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions".
- Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada

On August 5, the First Ministerial Meeting on Empowerment and Economic Autonomy of Women of the Pacific Alliance was held. The meeting was divided into 3 blocks.

1st block. On the progress made in promoting gender in the economic & commercial sphere, and the challenges that still persist to expand the participation of rural and indigenous women in trade.
2nd block. Officials from the World Bank, CAF, ECLAC, and the OECD, pointed out the importance of betting on economic & foreign trade policies with a gender approach, and of promoting access to digitalization, as this is what allows women to face the world out there with their enterprises.
3rd block. A dialogue with different rural entrepreneurs from the Pacific Alliance countries, where attendees participated and delved into the success stories of the businesswomen present.

By August 19th, the Secretary General of the Andean Community, Jorge Hernando Pedraza, in a dialogue with the chief director of SENASICA, Francisco Javier Trujillo, explained the work carried out by the Andean countries in agricultural health and suggested signing an agreement that articulates actions in the area of plant and animal health.

The agreement proposal contemplates the formulation of projects in sanitary and phytosanitary matters, the execution of activities for the exchange of experiences on the surveillance and monitoring of pests in plants and diseases in animals, and the implementation of the Regional Phytosanitary Intelligence Center based on the successful experience developed by the Mexican organization.

On August 29, Peru has received the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Andean Community (CAN) for the period 2022-2023, which will allow the adoption of a series of actions to further strengthen regional development and integration among member countries, with priority given to economic reactivation, and its social impact.

The CAN is a subregional integration mechanism, created by the Cartagena Agreement on May 26, 1969. It is currently made up of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia, which includes joint work in favor of the more than 112 million Andean citizens. The year 2021 registered a total of 8,667 million dollars for intra-community exports, 32% more than the year 2020; and 136,448 million dollars in value of its exports, 42% more than in 2020.

Verano Capital Peru obtained the approval for the pre-operational study (EPO) of the 45.3MW Sol de Verano I photovoltaic park.

The plant would be built in the southern Arequipa region and connected to the national grid at the 138kV Majes substation, owned by Sociedad Electrica del Sur Oeste. It is expected to reach the "ready to build" phase in May 2023 and start operations at the end of 2024.

Eight photovoltaic parks operate in Peru, with a total installed capacity of 284.48 MWp connected to the National Interconnected Electric System (SEIN). Currently, there is also a proposal for a ninth solar plant, called Las Dunas, presented by the joint venture Bow Power. If approved, it would be the largest solar plant that Peru would have.

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) presented its 15th annual Regional Policy Award to the Honorable Rosa Galvez, an independent Senator for Quebec, on August 14, during the ESA Annual Meeting Opening Plenary.

"ESA is honored to recognize Senator Galvez. The Society applauds her work to integrate scientific expertise into policy for climate action", said ESA President Dennis Ojima.

Senator Galvez is an environmental engineer, and President of the Parliamentary Network on Climate Change of ParlAmericas.

Congratulations Senator ROSA GALVEZ!