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THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
RECALLING that the Charter of the Organization of American States recognizes
that representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability,
peace, and development of the region;
BEARING IN MIND that the Inter-American Democratic Charter reaffirmed the
commitment of the governments of the Americas to the promotion and consolidation
of democracy, and that democracy is essential for the social, political, and
economic development of the peoples of the Americas;
CONSIDERING that the Heads of State and Government, meeting at the Special
Summit of the Americas in January 2004, adopted the Declaration of Nuevo León,
in which they reaffirmed the Hemisphere’s commitment to democracy and to the
strengthening of democratic governance;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Declaration of Santiago on Democracy and Public
Trust: A New Commitment to Good Governance for the Americas [AG/DEC. 31
(XXXIII-O/03)];
RECALLING that resolution AG/RES. 1960 (XXXIII-O/03), “Program for Democratic
Governance in the Americas,” instructed the Permanent Council to prepare, on the
basis of the decisions of the Heads of State and Government at the Special
Summit of the Americas, and with support from the UPD, a proposed “Program for
Democratic Governance in the Americas,” to be presented to the General Assembly
at its thirty-fourth regular session; and
TAKING NOTE of the contributions made by member states (CP/CISC-82/04 corr. 1
add. 1 to 8) toward the preparation of a “Program for Democratic Governance in
the Americas,” pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 1960 (XXXIII-O/03),
RESOLVES:
1. To reiterate the commitment of the member states of the Organization to
the full exercise and application in the Hemisphere of the democratic principles
and values set forth in the Inter-American Democratic Charter and other relevant
instruments, and to the search for the best mechanisms for their full
development.
2. To reaffirm the contents of the Declaration of Nuevo León, especially in
relation to democratic governance.
3. To approve the document appended to this resolution, “Guidelines for the
Program for Democratic Governance in the Americas,” and to request the Permanent
Council to define that program, with the support of the Unit for the Promotion
of Democracy and the Unit for Social Development and Education.
4. To instruct the Permanent Council and the General Secretariat to carry out
the activities referred to in this resolution within the resources allocated in
the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.
5. To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its
next regular session on the implementation of this resolution.
APPENDIX
GUIDELINES FOR THE
“PROGRAM FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN THE AMERICAS”
[OPERATIVE PARAGRAPH 3 OF RESOLUTION AG/RES. 1960 (XXXIII-O/03)]
I. INTRODUCTION
The Charter of the Organization of American States established the commitment
to democracy as one of the key features of the Organization. This commitment has
evolved over time, so as to address political developments in the Hemisphere
more effectively and confront the challenges of an ever-changing world with new
and appropriate mechanisms.
At the thirty-third regular session of the General Assembly of the OAS, held
in Chile in 2003, member states decided to address those challenges by
undertaking an analysis of democratic governance. As a result, the General
Assembly adopted resolution AG/RES. 1960 (XXXIII-O/03). Operative paragraph 3 of
the above-mentioned resolution instructed the Permanent Council “to prepare, on
the basis of the decisions of the Heads of State and Government at the Special
Summit of the Americas, and with support from the Unit for the Promotion of
Democracy, a proposed ‘Program for Democratic Governance in the Americas,’ to be
presented to the General Assembly at its thirty-fourth regular session.”
According to the distribution of mandates approved by the Permanent Council on
July 16, 2003 (CP/doc.3763/03 rev. 1), this topic was delegated to the Committee
on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation on OAS
Activities (CISC).
The first step taken to prepare the Program for Democratic Governance was the
holding of a meeting of experts in November of 2003, to analyze the main
challenges to democratic governance in the region. The Permanent Council
received a report of the meeting and referred it for review to the Committee on
Inter-American Summits Management. The CISC debated the content of the report
and advanced in the preparation of specific inputs, which became the basis for
the current proposal, prepared jointly by the Unit for the Promotion of
Democracy and the Unit for Social Development and Education of the General
Secretariat.
II. BACKGROUND TO THE PROGRAM FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN THE AMERICAS
In response to the new political challenges in the Hemisphere, as well as the
need to give concrete expression to the mandates of the Inter-American
Democratic Charter, the Organization of American States has brought the issue of
democratic governance to the forefront. This issue is analyzed under the broad
perspective of democracy outlined in the Democratic Charter, and taking into
account the notion of integral development. As stated in the Inter-American
Democratic Charter itself in Article 11, “[D]emocracy and social and economic
development are interdependent and are mutually reinforcing.”
This concept of democratic governance reaffirms and reinforces the basic
principles set forth in Article 2 of the OAS Charter and in instruments and
declarations on democracy adopted by the Organization throughout its existence,
and in particular, since the return to democracy throughout the region. Without
attempting to review each of these instruments in detail, it is worth reviewing
those that have recently stated the Organization’s position on the subject.
In this regard, it is important to mention the “Santiago Commitment to
Democracy and the Renewal of the Inter-American System” (June 1991), the
“Declaration of Managua for the Promotion of Democracy and Development” (1993),
and more recently, the “Declaration of Santiago on Democracy and Public Trust: A
New Commitment to Good Governance for the Americas.”
Finally, one should mention the Declarations of the Heads of State and
Government of the Summits of the Americas, and particularly, section three of
the Declaration of Nuevo León, which outlines the principal commitments related
to democratic governance.
III. CONCEPTUAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE PROGRAM FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN THE
AMERICAS
This Program seeks to establish a set of objectives and complementary actions
to address the interrelationship between democracy and socioeconomic
development, due to the interdependent and mutually reinforcing nature of both
areas. The Program is geared toward advancing an agenda for good governance that
addresses the “political, economic, and social challenges to foster credibility
and public trust in democratic institutions,” as expressed by the Heads of State
and Government of the Americas in the “Declaration of Nuevo León.”
The multidimensional nature of democratic governance is evident in the many
aspects that come into play when analyzing the subject. The basic understanding
of the Organization of American States has been that democratic governance
manifests itself in three different areas: the political-institutional,
socioeconomic, and security. The proposed framework of the Program for
Democratic Governance is built on the priority components identified for each
area. It does not include every single aspect of the wide range of perspectives
and activities that may be taken into account on such broad and complex
subjects. This Program must also be developed with a clear gender perspective.
In the political-institutional area, the Program aims to consolidate the
basic institutions of representative democracy, to facilitate the democratic
management of conflicts particularly through conflict prevention and through
conflict resolution, and to promote a democratic culture. In this domain, the
Program further seeks to strengthen the capacity of key players, such as
political parties and civil society organizations; to channel citizens’ demands
and reach the necessary basic agreements in society; to strengthen the rule of
law and the separation and balance of power among the branches of government; to
protect human rights; and to advance in the fight against corruption. The
underlying premise is that a well functioning democracy is a prerequisite for
economic and social development.
In the socioeconomic area, the Program draws upon the consensus arrived at
the OAS regarding the attainment of equitable economic growth to reduce poverty,
social development, and democratic governance, as three objectives that are
closely linked and interdependent. These three objectives are considered to be
essential to the welfare of the population: Poverty, inequality, and social
exclusion are recognized as the leading causes of instability in the region and
should, therefore, be addressed integrally and as a matter of urgency.
In the security domain, the Program seeks to reaffirm the commitments adopted
in the “Declaration on Security in the Americas” (2003) and, in particular, to
address the multidimensional nature of security as recognized in the "Bridgetown
Declaration” (2002).
IV. OBJECTIVES
The following are the main objectives of the Program for Democratic
Governance in the Americas:
A. To enhance the transparency and credibility of democratic institutions:
To promote the credibility of and public trust in democratic institutions,
recognizing the integrated nature of the political, economic, and social aspects
of development;
To strengthen the basic institutions of representative democracy,
particularly, the transparency and legitimacy of electoral processes, and the
observance of human rights;
To increase the transparency and credibility of the political system and of
public institutions, particularly by strengthening mechanisms for the fight
against corruption;
To promote the full exercise of democratic values and practices and
harmonious relations among citizens;
To build efficient, transparent, and responsible public institutions and, in
particular, to strengthen the effective separation and balance of power among
the branches of government;
B. To strengthen political representation and citizen participation:
To promote effective citizen participation, in particular, the participation
of women, young people, minorities, and indigenous groups;
To strengthen political players, particularly political parties, and to seek
to have them bring about the active involvement within their rank of minority
segments of the population that are traditionally excluded from political,
economic, and social processes;
To promote research and analysis on the feasibility of applying new
institutional mechanisms to support governance, in particular, as they may
relate to current presidential and parliamentary systems;
C. To emphasize the interrelationship between democratic governance on one
hand, and economic, social, cultural development and security-related matters,
on the other:
To promote social development, adequate levels of well-being, and social
participation for disadvantaged groups, as essential elements for eradicating
poverty and social exclusion;
To promote access to decent and gainful employment as a necessary condition
for the participation of citizens and communities in shaping an environment that
fosters their general well-being.
To promote respect for and the development of cultural diversity in the
Hemisphere as the basis for development, social cohesion, and harmonious
relations among citizens;
To promote security in accordance with a multidimensional approach that takes
into account new and traditional threats, concerns, and other challenges to
security in the countries of the Hemisphere;
To promote debate that can further the quest for a new paradigm geared toward
achieving economic development with equity in order to reduce poverty, achieve
social development, and strengthen democratic governance;
D. Specific objectives of the Program include the following:
To contribute effectively to member states’ efforts to strengthen democratic
governance;
To establish a coherent and coordinated framework to guide the actions taken
by all bodies of the Organization with respect to democratic governance, thereby
avoiding duplication of efforts and rationalizing the Organization’s activities;
To promote cooperation, the exchange of information, and political dialogue
among member states on the subject of democratic governance;
To facilitate fundraising for cooperation in this area.
V. GENERAL MANAGEMENT CRITERIA
Activities carried out under this Program will be based on the following
guidelines:
Intersectoral cooperation aimed at integrating different views on economic,
political, and social matters at the hemispheric and regional levels, conducting
a comprehensive review of challenges to democratic governance, and preparing a
work plan that incorporates these concerns;
An invitation to civil society organizations to participate along with the
governments of our countries in the efforts to enhance governance, and the
promotion of opportunities for civil society participation at all levels;
Inter-agency cooperation to ensure that the institutions in the
inter-American system that are responsible for political, economic, and social
issues work in a more integrated manner to strengthen democratic governance;
Efforts to improve follow-up to mandates emanating from the Summits of the
Americas process and from sectoral, ministerial-level meetings, related to the
subject of democratic governance.
VI. PRINCIPAL LINES OF ACTION
A. Political-institutional area
To convene a Governmental Conference on Democratic Governance in order to
promote the preparation of national agendas on the topic;
To promote and undertake the study of political reforms needed to improve
political systems in the region, both at a comparative level as well as for
specific cases;
To promote and further full respect for human rights, as well as strategies
for their protection and to seek mechanisms to facilitate, in particular, the
exercise of economic and social rights;
To improve and strengthen mechanisms for conflict prevention, crisis
management, and conflict resolution within states by facilitating dialogue and
generating consensus;
To place emphasis on and ensure the separation and balance of power among the
branches of government and, particularly, to strengthen the capability and
independence of the judiciary and its effectiveness in the administration of
justice;
To ensure the transparency and legitimacy of electoral processes and,
particularly, to advance on mechanisms which facilitate transparency with regard
to political financing mechanisms;
To strengthen the capacity of parliaments and, in particular, to build
mechanisms to enable legislatures to develop effective oversight and political
power;
To strengthen party systems and the political parties themselves, especially
by instituting legal and financial guarantees to enable them to exercise their
ongoing role of representing the demands of the citizenry and their democratic
role in opposition;
To promote the active participation of civil society organizations in public
life and to design strategies for building social capital;
To improve strategies and mechanisms for the fight against corruption and to
increase transparency in public administration and political activities;
To deepen decentralization processes and open up new opportunities for civic
participation at the local level;
To promote a democratic culture, particularly through the design of formal
and non-formal education strategies that may contribute to the exercise of
democratic values and practices, and to harmonious relations among citizens, and
to promote the development of programs that facilitate a better understanding of
citizens’ rights and more active participation in political life;
To deepen state modernization processes and, in particular, to facilitate
access to public information and the adoption of strategies which raise the
level of efficiency, probity, and transparency of state institutions.
B. In the economic and social areas
To promote the search for points of consensus on fostering economic
development with equity in order to reduce poverty;
To support the economic development of rural and indigenous communities, with
special attention to self-management processes and community participation, to
strengthen democratic governance in its global perspective and in accordance
with inter-American guidelines;
To promote the organized and responsible participation of civil society, and
greater scope for action by the affected groups themselves, in the application
of targeted multisectoral programs to combat poverty;
To promote the training of various social and governmental players to
strengthen their participation in the definition, execution, evaluation, and
follow-up of strategies to fight poverty;
To create and strengthen mechanisms for civil society participation that seek
to ensure transparency, access to public information, and accountability
vis-à-vis the community with regard to the management and use of the resources
of public institutions;
To promote public discussion and the adoption of mutually agreed upon
mechanisms to alleviate the impact of economic crises on the well-being of
vulnerable social sectors;
To raise the skills level of workers and improve working conditions
throughout the Hemisphere, giving special attention to those segments of the
population that have been hit the hardest by economic crises. To actively
involve the labor movement and business associations in discussions on these
topics;
To develop programs that boost micro- and small enterprises in response to
the needs of vulnerable groups and as a strategy for earning a livelihood;
To ensure conditions to enable populations with specific cultural identities
to help shape the parameters for citizen participation;
To implement strategies for the social inclusion of disadvantaged communities
and their active participation in the life of the country, while respecting
their identity and promoting a pluralistic climate;
To analyze and systematize experiences in the Hemisphere on developing
intercultural dialogue as a means of promoting peace, eradicating all forms of
discrimination, and achieving full participation by all people in political,
economic, social, and cultural life.
C. In the area of security
To strengthen the principles and inter-American instruments on security, in
particular, the provisions agreed upon in the Declaration on Security in the
Americas, and to actively support actions undertaken by the Committee on
Hemispheric Security to develop them.
D. In the area of interrelationships among the various components:
To promote increased analysis of the relationship between democracy and
development, in particular, by studying the specific interrelationship between
the development agenda defined in the Monterrey Consensus and the “Millennium
Development Goals,” and the improvement of democratic governance in the region;
To move forward with the analysis of the interrelationships between political
systems in the region and the challenges of poverty, inequality, and exclusion,
so as to explore mechanisms for ensuring that democracy contributes to a more
equitable and inclusive development;
To create opportunities for discussion and facilitate initiatives that
connect ongoing integration processes in the Hemisphere, in particular, the
construction of a future Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), with democratic
processes in the region;
To promote an analysis of the impact that the globalization process and,
particularly, the role of international financial organizations, have on
democratic governance in the region;
To move ahead with analysis of issues related to the democratic capacity to
prevent and resolve conflicts;
To promote the organization of a special meeting of the Permanent Council on
democratic governance with the participation of representatives of international
organizations, such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank,
among others.
VII. METHODOLOGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM
A. Defining priorities and drafting the work plan
Once the overall guidelines of the Program for Democratic Governance in the
Americas are defined and approved, specific and priority program activities,
which will generate the greatest possible impact, will be devised. To this end,
the Inventory of Activities on Democracy carried out by the Organization and
prepared annually by the UPD, will be considered. In addition, proposals put
forward by member states included in the document “Inputs for preparation of the
Program” (CP/CISC-99/04 corr. 1) will be used as a basis. The Unit for the
Promotion of Democracy and the Unit for Social Development and Education will
use these inputs to draft a preliminary Plan of Action detailing the specific
activities required to put in place the Program.
B. Defining levels of management and institutional responsibilities
Specific activities to be carried out under this Program will be divided into
several levels. The first level will include activities undertaken by the
inter-American system, mainly through the Permanent Council and the General
Secretariat of the Organization. The second level will include those activities
which, by their very nature, correspond to the member states. The execution of
these activities will be at the discretion (optional) of each member state.
These activities will be promoted at the Governmental Conference through the
exchange of information and methodologies and through encouragement for the
development of National Agendas for strengthening democratic governance.
Finally, a third level will include activities that need the support and
cooperation of other institutions that are not necessarily part of the
inter-American system. This level could include activities undertaken by both
international agencies and civil society organizations. |
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