Colombia ratifies UNESCO’s Regional Recognition Convention: A new step forward for academic mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean

In a decisive step toward strengthening academic mobility in the region, Colombia has become the seventh country to adhere to the Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (Buenos Aires Convention). The instrument of ratification was deposited on 11 March in Paris by H.E. Laura Andrea Guillem Gloria, Colombia's Ambassador to UNESCO, before Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO Director-General.

Colombia's ratification comes just two weeks after the fourth session of the Committee of the Buenos Aires Convention, held in Montevideo, Uruguay. During the meeting, countries from Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on academic recognition, mobility, and improvements in the quality of higher education systems.

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Colombia has one of the highest rates of student mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than half of Colombian students who submit their degrees for recognition earned these in countries of the region, according to the Ministry of National Education.

This trend reflects the growing importance of intraregional mobility, which has nearly doubled in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past two decades, rising from 24% to 43%.

Adopted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July 2019 and in force since October 2022, the Convention plays a fundamental and increasingly influential role in the region. In addition to Colombia, it has also been ratified by Cuba, Ecuador, Grenada, Peru, Uruguay, and the Holy See.

UNESCO invites all countries in the region to ratify both the Buenos Aires Convention and the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education. Nearly one hundred countries are now part of the five regional conventions and the Global Convention, creating an ecosystem that promotes mobility, access, inclusion, and quality.