The Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (IPDAL) celebrated its 20th anniversary on 22 January with an institutional reception at the Marquês da Fronteira Palace in Lisbon, bringing together ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Portugal, representatives of partner institutions, academics, members of the Government, Members of Parliament and guests from civil society.

The ceremony featured addresses by the President of IPDAL, Paulo Neves, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ana Isabel Xavier, and the Ibero-American Secretary-General, Andrés Allamand, who highlighted the Institute’s role over two decades in promoting public diplomacy, political dialogue and cooperation between Portugal, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as with partners from other regions of the world.

As part of the celebrations, the President of IPDAL awarded Ana Isabel Xavier, Andrés Allamand and José João Abrantes, President of the Constitutional Court, with the IPDAL – 20 Years Award, in recognition of their significant contribution to the Institute’s mission and to the strengthening of international relations in the Ibero-American and global spheres.

The final moment of the reception was dedicated to a special tribute to the President of IPDAL, Paulo Neves, who was honoured by the Institute’s Board with the presentation of an Award, acknowledging his merit, leadership and dedication to the development and consolidation of IPDAL throughout its 20 years of existence.

The celebration reinforced the positioning of the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean as a reference platform in the debate on international relations and strategic cooperation at a global level, highlighting its trajectory and projecting the future challenges of its institutional action.