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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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TrilateralRelationsbetweenChina theEUandLatinAmerica:LittleExperience ButBigPotential 09 MGI2008 Phillips2008 .Withoutreforms theseinstitutionswillnot re gain thelegitimacytheyneedtoact.Theycanfunctionefficientlyonlyifthereisa minimumofcommonvaluesandaims. Alookattheinternationalweightandengagementofmajorpartnersis encouraging.TheEU27commandoneeighthofthevotesintheUnitedNations GeneralAssembly UNGA ), theEUandLACtogetheronethird.EU member statesusuallyvoteunanimously 97percentsince1998 99 ), provide39percent oftheUNsregularbudget andtheEUplusmemberstatesare together by farthelargestdonorofdevelopmentassistance with55percent.EU member statesarelikewisethelargestfinancialcontributorto UN peacekeeping missionswithsome40percentin2007.Theythereforeprovidehalfthebudget ofUNfundsandprogrammes GowanandBrantner2008 Inmyview thereisnodoubtthatweneedcomprehensivereformandrevitalisation oftheUNsystemandoftheinternationalfinancialarchitecture.Thisisnecessaryto reinforcetheirdemocraticnature transparency accountabilityandefficiency andtheir representativeness whichmustcorrespondtotodaysworld nottothatof1945.Ialso considervetorightsasoutdated andIregretnonconstructivebehaviourincertain reformed institutions.Ontheotherhand achangeinvotingrightsisnoguarantee ofgreaterefficiency asillustratedbytheWTOorthenewCouncilonHumanRights. Chinahasalsotakenanactiveroleindealingwithfinancialcriseselsewhere beitin1997ortoday.Itspresenceininternationalorganisationsorinternational nongovernmentorganisations INGOs hasincreasedsince1977from21to50 internationalorganisationsandfrom 71tosome1 300INGOs.Brazilhas fosteredcoalitionsforcooperationwithinLatinAmericaandbeyond.TheUnion ofSouthAmericanNations UNASURUnióndeNacionesSuramericanas ), the creationofaSouthAmericanDefenceCouncilandtheIndiaBrazilSouthAfrica DialogueForum IBSA ), allcanhaveabeneficialimpactonregionalsecurity. IBSAiscertainlyahighlyasymmetricalandheterogeneousscheme butoffers particularpotentialasaninitiativebetweenregionalmiddlerangepowerswith multiethnicandmulticulturalsocieties andexperienceofdialogue bargaining and peacefulconflictresolution.Brazilisreaching outto otherlusophone Portuguesespeaking countriesandtheCaribbeanwithitsbestpractices for example withregardtoHIV AIDS.Mexicoisnotonlyaleadingeconomyin LatinAmericaanda memberofthe North American Free Trade Association NAFTA ), butalsooftheOECD anobserverattheCouncilofEurope the largestLACcontributortotheUNbudgetandpartnertosome40freetrade agreements FTA aroundtheworld.Mexicohastakenmanyinitiativesandis theauthorofimportantresolutionsandconventions promotedandadopted