AG/RES. 1402 (XXVI-O/96)

PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY

(Resolution adopted at the eighth plenary session, held on June 7, 1996)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the Report of the Permanent Council on the Promotion of Democracy (AG/doc.3345/96 rev. 1);

CONSIDERING that, in resolution AG/RES. 1337 (XXV-O/95), "Promotion of Democracy," it instructed the Permanent Council to continue the study on preparation of a set of proposed incentives to preserve and strengthen democratic systems and to report to the General Assembly at its twenty-sixth regular session;

BEARING IN MIND that the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) establishes as one of its essential purposes the promotion and consolidation of representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention;

RECALLING that, as stated by the heads of state and government participating in the Summit of the Americas, "the strengthening, effective exercise and consolidation of democracy constitute the central political priority of the Americas"; and

RECALLING ALSO that the Plan of Action of the Summit of the Americas states, inter alia, that "the OAS needs to direct more effort to the promotion of democratic values and practices and to the social and economic strengthening of already-established democratic regimes,"

RESOLVES:

1. To receive with interest the report of the Permanent Council on proposals and incentives for the strengthening and preservation of democracy and the initiatives under consideration in that body through its Working Group on Representative Democracy.

2. To note with satisfaction the volume of work and studies being undertaken by member states in the area of education for democracy, with the support of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, so as to further the process of democratic consolidation.

3. To note in particular the initiative putting forward, as a possible strategy for preserving and strengthening democratic systems, the development of programs to reinforce democratic values and practices among youth and youth leaders throughout the Hemisphere.

4. To urge the Organization to continue to develop an agenda to help sensitize youth and youth leaders to issues related to democracy and democratic practices and principles.

5. To instruct the Permanent Council to continue the study on incentives to preserve and strengthen democratic systems and to report to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh regular session.