This document presents the bases of discussion for a joint programme between Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union to fight poverty, inequality and exclusion. The study examines the evolution of economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean and its main proposals take account of the most recent and significant studies on the issue, in accordance with the guidelines on social cohesion and protection prepared by ECLAC in the last four years. The argument here is that a programme to combat poverty, inequality and social exclusion needs to be structured on the basis of three essential pillars: (i); strong, sustained and high-quality economic growth, (ii); social policies that include strong investment in human capital and equitable distribution of the benefits of this growth, and (iii); political will, democratic institution-building and the development of large-scale agreements in the interests of progress along the path of development.