AG/RES. 1551 (XXVIII-O/98)

PROMOTION OF REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY

(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on June 2, 1998)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN:

The report of the Permanent Council on the promotion of representative democracy (AG/doc.3718/98); and

The Santiago Declaration and the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in 1998;

BEARING IN MIND that the Charter of the Organization of American States establishes in its preamble that "representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and development of the region" and that one of its purposes is "to promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention";

CONSIDERING:

Resolution AG/RES. 1063 (XX-O/90), in which the General Assembly requested the Secretary General "to establish within the General Secretariat a Unit for the Promotion of Democracy," and resolution CP/RES. 572 (882/91), in which the Permanent Council adopted the Program of Support for the Promotion of Democracy; and

That, pursuant to resolution CP/RES. 572 (882/91), the Unit "will be available to perform such tasks as the competent authorities may entrust to it in support of democracy in the Hemisphere";

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT:

Resolutions AG/RES. 1080 (XXI-O/91), AG/RES. 1402 (XXVI-O/96), and AG/RES. 1475 (XXVII-O/97), "Promotion of Representative Democracy," in which the Permanent Council was instructed to prepare a series of proposed incentives to preserve and strengthen democratic systems; and

Resolutions CJI/RES. I-3/95 and CJI/RES. I-2/96 of the Inter-American Juridical Committee, (CJI) as well as the studies and public information activities of that Committee in the area of democracy in the inter-American system; and

RECALLING:

That, in the 1991 Santiago Commitment to Democracy and the Renewal of the Inter-American System, the foreign ministers and heads of delegation of the member states declared their inescapable commitment to the defense and promotion of representative democracy and human rights in the region, in keeping with the principle of nonintervention;

That, in the Declaration of Managua for the Promotion of Democracy and Development, the foreign ministers and heads of delegation of the member states declared that the support and cooperation provided by the OAS-to strengthen democratic institutions through programs that help the states requesting such assistance increase their own ability to improve their political organization models-are fundamental to this new hemispheric commitment; and, in that regard, they underscored the contribution made by the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy and the Permanent Council toward preparing proposed incentives for the preservation and strengthening of democratic systems in the Hemisphere;

That, in the 1994 Declaration of Principles of the First Summit of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government asserted that democracy is the sole political system which guarantees respect for human rights and the rule of law while it safeguards cultural diversity, pluralism, respect for the rights of minorities, and peace within and among nations, and that democracy and development reinforce one another;

That, in the Santiago Declaration of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile, in April 1998, the Heads of State and Government reiterated the importance of strengthening democratic systems in the Hemisphere and, in particular, they pledged to redouble their efforts to develop education for democracy, the capabilities of regional and local governments, more active participation by civil society, respect for and promotion of human rights, and improvement of justice systems; and

That the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas urges governments to enhance cooperation with and support for the efforts of the Organization of American States in the aforementioned activities,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of the report of the Permanent Council on the promotion of representative democracy.

2. To instruct the Permanent Council, through the Working Group on Representative Democracy, to:

a. Continue to give guidance, as necessary, to the General Secretariat regarding its activities in the area of democracy and, in particular, to the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy in the pursuit of its objectives and the implementation of its work plans;

b. Promote cooperation in related activities and, when appropriate, coordination between the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy and the various organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS, in order to strengthen the promotion and defense of representative democracy in the region, and to examine the inventory of activities related to the promotion and defense of representative democracy in the region;

c. Study and approve, by the end of 1998, the 1999 Annual Work Plan of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, ensuring that said plan includes the activities required to implement the relevant initiatives of the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas;

d. Continue examining matters related to the analysis and design of programs for promoting ties and exchanges among young leaders in the Hemisphere, since this is an issue that holds special interest for member states;

e. Continue examining the quarterly progress reports on the activities of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, including data on the level of budgetary execution, which will be presented by the General Secretariat within 45 days following the end of each quarter, and include its comments and observations in its annual report;

f. Continue studying incentives to preserve and strengthen democratic systems;

g. Study the results of the seminar "Democracy in the Inter-American System," which was held at the request of the Inter-American Juridical Committee (CJI) in January 1997, including the resolutions of that body, CJI/RES. I-3/95, "Democracy in the Inter-American System," and CJI/RES. I-2/96, "Democracy in the Inter-American System," and any other documents it considers pertinent.

3. To instruct the General Secretariat to continue to conduct studies and seminars and to continue to promote or sponsor research work to strengthen democracy in the region, through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy.

4. To take note of the discussion of the Working Group on Representative Democracy on the proposal to establish, within the General Secretariat, a permanent voluntary fund to finance electoral observer missions that the member states may request; and to instruct the General Secretariat to reformulate the study of that fund and submit it for consideration by the Permanent Council, through that Working Group.

5. To urge the General Secretariat to continue, through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, developing programs for the promotion, exchange, and training of young leaders in the Hemisphere, and to report periodically on progress in this area to the Permanent Council, through the Working Group on Representative Democracy.

6. To request that the Permanent Council, in studying the organization of the work of the subsidiary bodies of the Councils, in keeping with resolution AG/RES. 1446 (XXVII-O/97), take account of the active and comprehensive work program and the basic topics on the agenda of the Working Group on Representative Democracy, as well as the mandates contained in the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas in this area.

7. To instruct the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth regular session on the implementation of this resolution.