MoU - LA Referencia

The project named as "Regional Strategy and Framework for Interoperability and Management for a Latin American Federated Network of Institutional Repositories for Scientific Documentation" was developed between June 2010 and December 2013. This project, which gave birth to LA Referencia (the Federated Network of Institutional Repositories of Scientific Publications), was presented by RedCLARA, with the participation of the science and technology organizations that are part of LA Referencia, to the Regional Public Goods Fund of the Inter-American Bank of Development (IDB).

During the project, the general framework of operation of LA Referencia was established in the "Cooperation Agreement between High Authorities of Science, Technology and Innovation of Latin America for the Constitution of LA Referencia", that was signed in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November 29, 2012. This states that the Board of Directors of LA Referencia is the supreme decision-making body of the latter and is made up of one (1) representative appointed by the authority of each partner country plus one (1) representative of RedCLARA. This Council is responsible for issuing the different regulations and policies for the operation of LA Referencia. It is also indicated that there will be an Executive Secretariat responsible for carrying out the actions established by the Directing Council.

Finally, at the meeting of the Directing Council of San Luis de Potosí, Mexico, in October 2016, the figure of a President -as the political representative of LA Referencia- was established for a period of two (2) renewable years.

In December 2018, for the above, LA Referencia and RedCLARA, represented respectively by its President, Bianca Amaro, and its Executive Director, Luis Eliécer Cadenas, signed a Cooperation and Administration Agreement, which, among other things, states that:

1. RedCLARA will support LA Referencia in disseminating its objectives and in broadening the participation of representatives of the Latin American and Caribbean States in order to facilitate open, equitable access and give visibility to the scientific production generated in the higher education and scientific research institutions of the region.
2. RedCLARA and its Member networks will inform LA Referencia regarding open access repositories in each country.
3. LA Referencia will support RedCLARA in disseminating its objectives and in broadening the participation of academic institutions in its operations, in all Latin American and Caribbean States to support its mission of strengthening the development of science, education , culture and innovation in Latin America through the innovative use of advanced networks.
4. LA Referencia will support the objectives of RedCLARA.
5. LA Referencia will inform RedCLARA and its members of the actions in each country.
6. Collaborate in the management and proper execution of the activities of LA Referencia, complying with the obligations described in the agreement signing document.

Download the document of Cooperation and Administration Agreement between RedCLARA and LA Reference, HERE (only in Spanish).