”Analyse av den aktuelle politiske og sosio-økonomiske situasjonen i Latin Amerika”

5. An Overview of Regional Organizations

Andean Community of Nations (ACN)

Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN)

The Andean Community is formed by the Andean Countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It originates from the Andean Group, which dates back to 1969. After an initial period of organization, regional integration and cooperation was slowed down in the 1980s, as a result of the economic crisis in the region. In 1989, the Presidents of the Andean Community countries decided to adopt an open model of integration and, setting aside the development agenda, centered their efforts on trade liberalization. As a result, the Andean free trade area was formed and began to operate in 1993, and a common external tariff was adopted in 1995.

The Andean Community has come up against challenges that are both internal (poverty, exclusion, inequality, and social cohesion) and external (international negotiations, multilateralism and multipolarism) in recent years and in order to meet them has approved a new strategic design that establishes the key lines of action for the next few years. This strategic design has three key areas of action: deepening of integration, development and competitiveness, and political cooperation and the social agenda. These areas contain specific actions for moving ahead toward a single market, an Andean territorial development strategy and an Andean strategy for social cohesion.
The Andean Community has experienced a crisis in the last few weeks, following the announcement of Venezuela’s withdrawal from the Community. Venezuela had become increasingly critical of Peru and Colombia’s free trade agreements with the United States, considering them as counterproductive for effective regional integration. The situation weakened the joint position of Andean countries in their meeting with the European Union during the LA-EU Summit in May 2006. The dissolution of the Andean Community has been speculated, but that scenario seems unlikely given the extent of regional trade and regional integration – even without Venezuela.
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)

The Inter-American Development Bank was established in 1959, and is the oldest and largest regional development bank today. The IDB is the main source of multilateral financing for economic, social and institutional development projects as well as trade and regional integration programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Bank assists its borrowing member countries in formulating development policies and provides financing and technical assistance to achieve environmentally sustainable economic growth and increase competitiveness, enhance social equity and fight poverty, modernize the state, and foster free trade and regional integration.

Seven sector strategies guide the Bank's activities. Two of these sector strategies follow the overarching objectives established in the context of the 8th replenishment and the institutional strategy: sustainable economic growth, and poverty reduction and promotion of social equity. The institutional strategy also identifies four areas of competitive advantage for the Bank: social development, modernization of the state, competitiveness and regional integration. The environment, crosscutting in nature, is the focus of the seventh strategy. To complement these seven sector strategies, the IDB gives priority to programs and activities aimed at supporting policy reforms, women, civil society, microenterprise, emergency situations, culture, youth, indigenous peoples, infrastructure, information technology and labor.
IDB operations include investment loans, policy-based loans, private sector loans, Social Entrepreneurship Programs, emergency loans, guarantees, technical cooperation programs, project preparation facilities and grants. The Bank also provides trade financing through its private sector department and investment financing through the Multilateral Investment Fund and the Inter-American Investment Corporation. By the end of 2005, the Bank had approved over USD 137 billion in loans and guarantees to finance projects with investments totalling USD 326 billion, as well as USD 2.1 billion in grants and contingent-recovery technical cooperation financing. Public entities eligible to borrow from the Bank include national, provincial, state and municipal governments, and autonomous public institutions. Civil society organizations and private companies are also eligible.
Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR - Washington)

Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH)

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is one of two bodies in the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights. The Commission has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The other human rights body is the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which is located in San José, Costa Rica. These institutions apply the regional law on human rights, providing recourse to people in the Americas who have suffered violations of their rights by the state and who have been unable to find justice in their own country.

Any person, group of persons or non-governmental organization may present a petition to the Commission alleging violations of the rights protected in the American Convention and/or the American Declaration of Human Rights. The Commission examines petitions and may recommend measures to be carried out by the state to remedy violations. The Commission may only process individual cases where it is alleged that one of the member States of the OAS is responsible for the human rights violation at issue. The Commission applies the Convention to process cases brought against those States which are parties to that instrument.²⁰ For those States which are not parties, the Commission applies the American Declaration. The Commission also conducts on-site visits to member countries, at their invitation, to analyze and report on the status of human rights. It promotes human rights throughout the hemisphere, focusing attention on specific issues such as freedom of expression, the rights of indigenous peoples and women’s rights.
The Commission and the Court have played a vital role in the protection of human rights protection in Latin America, and many of their decisions have set historical and legal precedent. The legal binding of CIDH’s decisions has occasionally caused tension with individual national governments, who complain against interference in internal affairs. Most states however, abide with Court’s decisions promptly.
Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR)

Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR)

MERCOSUR was founded in 1991 as a customs union between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Through a process of regional integration, the consolidation of free trade, and a common trade policy for the region, MERCOSUR aims to create a common market area, that will include the customs union and the free movement of labour and capital. Since 1997 six Latin American countries have joined MERCOSUR as associated members: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Venezuela will become a full member country by the end of 2006. Bolivia has also been invited to join as a full member.

MERCOSUR is undergoing a difficult period, as Paraguay and Uruguay have raised concerns about their effective participation vis-á-vis the larger countries Argentina and Brazil. The smaller countries are seeking alliances with countries outside the organization in order to improve their situation. The inclusion of Venezuela in the near future, and its increasing influence upon other countries in South America, might challenge the cohesion of this regional organization even further.
Organization of American States (OAS)

Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA)

The Organization of American States (OAS) brings together the countries of the Western Hemisphere to strengthen cooperation and advance common interests. It is the region’s premier forum for multilateral dialogue and concerted action. At the core of the OAS mission is an unequivocal commitment to democracy, as expressed in the Inter-American Democratic Charter: “The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” Building on this foundation, the OAS works to promote good governance, strengthen human rights, foster peace and security, expand trade, and address the complex problems caused by poverty, drugs and corruption. Through decisions made by its political bodies and programs carried out by its General Secretariat, the OAS promotes greater inter-American cooperation and understanding.

Democratically elected Heads of State and Government of the 34 member states meet at high level forums called Summit of the Americas, to discuss and seek solutions on diverse hemispheric issues. The Fourth Summit of the Americas – which took place November 4-5, 2005, in Mar del Plata, Argentina – focused on a broad theme that reflected some of the region’s most pressing concerns: “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance.” The Declaration and Plan of Action of Mar del Plata, adopted at the conclusion of the meeting, affirms the member states’ shared goals and commitments, underscoring the importance of sound macroeconomic policies and the central role of the private sector in creating “decent work” and fighting poverty.
Member states recognized “the contribution that economic integration can make to the achievement of the Summit objectives of creating jobs to fight poverty and strengthening democratic governance.” However, they were unable to reach consensus regarding the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations. Some countries reiterated their commitment to the achievement of a balanced and comprehensive FTAA Agreement and favored an instruction to trade officials “to resume their meetings, during 2006, to examine the difficulties in the FTAA process, in order to overcome them and advance the negotiations within the framework adopted in Miami in November 2003.” Other countries maintained “that the necessary conditions are not yet in place for achieving a balanced and equitable free trade agreement with effective access to markets free from subsidies and trade-distorting practices.” In the end, the presidents and prime ministers decided that the final document should reflect both points of view and agreed to explore both positions in light of the outcomes of negotiations held through the World Trade Organization (WTO). The next Summit will take place in Trinidad & Tobago in 2009.