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The
Brasilia Communique
Meeting of the Presidents of South America
Brasilia, September 1, 2000
1. On August 31 and September 1, 2000, at the invitation of the President of
Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the Heads of State of Argentina, Fernando De
la Rúa; Bolivia, Hugo Bánzer Suárez; Chile, Ricardo Lagos Escobar; Colombia,
Andrés Pastrana Arango; Ecuador, Gustavo Noboa; Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo;
Paraguay, Luis Angel González Macchi; Peru, Alberto Fujimori Fujimori; Suriname,
Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan; Uruguay, Jorge Batlle Ibañez; and Venezuela, Hugo
Chávez participated in a Meeting of the Presidents of South America. Also
present were the Presidents of the Inter-American Development Bank, Enrique
Iglesias, and the Andean Development Corporation, Enrique García. This meeting,
a historic, trailblazing event for the region, has imparted a major impulse to
the organization of our shared experience in a common South American setting. It
has also demonstrated the continued support for the shaping up of South America
as a unique environment of democracy, peace, mutual cooperation, integration,
and shared economic and social development.
2. Held in the context of the
celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Brazil,
the Meeting of the Presidents of South America reaffirmed the spirit of
understanding and harmony that characterizes relations among South American
countries and which should be continuously encouraged. This meeting was born of
the conviction that geographic proximity and shared values demand a common
agenda of specific opportunities and challenges that should be examined in their
own forum, in addition to their discussion in other regional and international
forums.
3. South America begins the new
century strengthened by the progressive consolidation of its democratic
institutions and by its commitment to human rights; the protection of the
environment based on the concept of sustainable development; the overcoming of
social injustice and the development of its peoples; the growth of its economies;
the determination to maintain economic stability; and the expansion and
deepening of its integration process.
4. The peaceful, friendly, and
cooperative atmosphere reigning among the twelve South American countries is a
distinctive characteristic that reflects favorably on the region on the
international front. The definitive end to differences over territorial
boundaries, as exemplified by the 1998 agreement between Ecuador and Peru, is a
recent example of the prevailing spirit in South America, which has made and
will continue to make this part of the world into an area of peace and
cooperation, free of territorial conflicts. The South American Presidents have
taken this opportunity to reaffirm their allegiance to the principle of a
peaceful and negotiated resolution of disputes, as opposed to the use of force—or
the threat thereof—against any other sovereign State, pursuant to the applicable
rules of International Law.
5. Recognizing that peace,
democracy, and integration are essential for guaranteeing the region’s
development and security, the Presidents emphasized the importance of the
Declaration of MERCOSUR, Bolivia, and Chile as a Peace Zone free of weapons of
mass destruction, signed in Ushuaia, in July 1998, and of the Andean Commitment
to Peace, Security and Cooperation under the December 1989 Galapagos Declaration.
In this spirit, the Presidents agreed to establish a South-American Peace Zone.
To this end, they will instruct their respective Ministers of Foreign Relations
to take the necessary steps to implement this decision. The Presidents will also
encourage the deepening of the dialogue on security in South America, taking
into account the human, economic, and social aspects of the issue.
6. Strict respect for the
values of representative democracy and its procedures, human rights,
international law, disarmament, and the nonproliferation of weapons of mass
destruction is fundamental to the process of cooperation and integration in
which the South American countries are currently engaged.
7. The Presidents concurred in
their assessment that political stability, economic growth, and the promotion of
social justice in each of the twelve South American countries will depend to a
great extent on the widening and deepening of cooperation and of the sense of
solidarity within the region, as well as on strengthening and expanding the
network of mutual interests. They thus identified a series of topics that may
benefit from a specific South American cooperative approach: democracy; trade;
integration infrastructure; illicit drugs and related crimes; information,
knowledge, and technology.
8. The Heads of State
reaffirmed their commitment to regional integration in Latin America and the
Caribbean, a foreign policy goal that is inherent to the very national identity
of the countries of the region. They expressed their conviction that a firmer
concerted action on the part of South America regarding specific issues of
common interest will further strengthen their commitment to the ideals and
principles that have guided the integration process.
9. The Presidents recalled that
sub-regional processes in South America, particularly MERCOSUR and its process
of association with Bolivia and Chile, the Andean Community, the Andean
Development Corporation, the Latin American Reserve Fund, as well as the Latin
American Integration Association-LAIA, the River Plate Basin Treaty, the Amazon
Cooperation Treaty, the Group of Three, the Central American Common Market, and
CARICOM, among others, have been the most dynamic components of Latin American
and Caribbean integration. Coordination among the countries of South America
will strengthen Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative aimed at the
establishment of a free trade area of the Americas is also based on the
consolidation of sub-regional processes.
10. The Presidents also
congratulated themselves over the Andean Community’s proposal to start a
political dialogue with MERCOSUR and Chile, an offer which was formally accepted
under the agreements adopted during the Summit of MERCOSUR, Bolivia and Chile
held in Buenos Aires on June 30, 2000. In this spirit, they welcomed the
Bolivian initiative to host the aforementioned dialogue, with the participation
of Guyana and Suriname in the deliberations involving the topics of the agenda
of common interest.
11. Consolidating South
American identity and endowing it with effective tools will contribute to
strengthening other regional organisms, mechanisms or processes of a broader
geographic scope in which the South American countries also participate. On the
political front, this applies particularly to the Rio Group—a point of
convergence of initiatives to strengthen ties among the countries of Latin
America and the Caribbean — and to the Organization of American States, the
Summit of the Heads of State and of Government of the Americas, or the Ibero-American
Conference, among other forums. On the economic and trade front, this also
applies to the Latin American Integration Association-LAIA, to the Latin
American Economic System-SELA, and to the negotiations for the establishment of
a free trade area of the Americas. South American identity, already consolidated
in countries that share common borders, reinforces and complements the bilateral
and multilateral ties with the other nations of Latin America and the Caribbean,
the Continent, and the world.
12. South American cohesion is
also essential to ensure that integration into the world economy will be
beneficial. The common challenges of globalization—its unequal effects on
different groups of countries and on the populations of individual countries—may
be met more efficiently if the region carries its integration further and
continues to act ever more effectively on the great issues of the international
economic and social agenda in a manner that reflects coordination and solidarity.
13. The South American
Presidents agreed that the globalization process, if conducted from the
perspective of balanced and equitable development and results, may generate
benefits for the countries of the region, such as increased trade, expansion of
investment flows, and broader dissemination of knowledge and technology. This
process also entails challenges that should be equally faced through political
commitments and concerted actions by the countries of South America, in a such a
way that globalization becomes an effective means for expanding growth and
development opportunities in the region and for improving the standards of
social welfare in a sustainable and equitable manner.
14. The Heads of State agreed
with the assessment that the determination to implement consistent macroeconomic
policies is essential to the internal stability of each country and to
guaranteeing continued advances in integration processes. They emphasized,
moreover, the fundamental importance of a favorable international economic
environment to complement the national and regional efforts. In this context,
they stressed the importance of appropriate prices for commodities exported by
the region, keeping in mind the importance of this aspect for the drive to
eradicate poverty.
15. It is crucially important
that multilateral trade negotiations adhere to a greater degree of balance and
symmetry between the rights and commitments of developed and developing
countries. The Presidents recalled that their countries have adopted courageous
trade liberalization programs in the 1990s while the developed countries
continue to raise major trade barriers against exports from South America. The
implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements was not sufficient to correct the
existing imbalances in international economic and trade flows. The multilateral
trade system continues to suffer distortions caused by protectionist measures
and other production support measures adopted by the major trading partners.
16. The Presidents of the South
American countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the World Trade
Organization and to improving the multilateral trade system on an equitable,
just, and nondiscriminatory basis. This would require that future multilateral
trade negotiations be based on a positive agenda and take into consideration the
link between trade and development as well as the specific needs and concerns of
developing countries. Launching a new round of multilateral trade negotiations
that include a clear commitment with respect to access to, and liberalization of
agricultural markets and to the elimination of the distortions in these markets
and of related export subsidies is a high priority for South America. Another
priority is to include modes of special, differentiated treatment that take
structural differences into account and meet the needs of developing countries
through adequate instruments.
17. The imbalances in
international financial markets remain a source of concern. The international
community should persevere and ascribe higher priority to identifying and
implementing measures to correct these imbalances, which could have extremely
negative effects on the domestic economic stabilization efforts in South America.
Moreover, for some of the highly indebted South American countries, the debt
service not only constitutes a heavy burden but also places the countries’
stability at risk and seriously compromises their economic and social
development. The Presidents thus urged the international financial community to
work together to find a rapid solution to this problem and appealed to the
creditors to adopt measures conducive to this end so as to facilitate the
resumption of economic growth in the indebted countries and to assist the
governments of the region in the fight against poverty.
18. The Presidents expressed
their satisfaction with the participation of the Representative of the National
Congress of Brazil, Deputy Vilmar Rocha, as well as with the presence of the
following observers: Jorge Castañeda, Representative of Mexico; Juan Francisco
Rojas Penso, Secretary-General of the Latin American Association for Integration-LAIA;
Sebastián Alegrett, Secretary-General of the Andean Community-CAN; Ney Lopes de
Souza Filho, Alternate President of the Latin American Parliament-PARLATINO;
Otto Boye, Permanent Executive Secretary of the Latin American Economic System-SELA;
José Antonio Ocampo, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean-CEPAL; Genaro Sánchez, Chairman of the Board of the
Financial Fund for the Development of the River Plate Basin-FONPLATA; and
Sebastião Cunha, President of the Council of the Latin American Export Bank-BLADEX.
* * *
19. The South American
Presidents register hereunder the understandings, conclusions, and
recommendations resulting from their deliberations on the topics of the Brasilia
Meeting agenda.
DEMOCRACY
20. The consolidation of
democracy and peace throughout the region is the foundation for both the
historical close ties uniting the South American countries and the resolution of
disputes between sister nations through negotiated settlements. Fully
established democratic institutions are an essential condition for the
strengthening of regional integration processes. The extensive exchange of ideas
at the Brasilia Meeting has strengthened the countries’ common, irrevocable
commitment to democracy, peace, and integration.
21. Representative democracy is
the foundation of the legitimacy of political systems and an indispensable
condition for the region’s peace, stability, and development. It is essential to
stimulate the effective, ethical, and responsible participation of citizens and
their organizations in democracy; to contribute to the modernization and
strengthening of political parties; to promote the participation of civilian
organizations and their contribution to the discussion of issues of public
interest; to broaden the access of the populations of the of South American
countries to the judicial system; to ensure the maintenance of free, periodical,
transparent, fair, and pluralistic electoral processes based on universal,
secret ballot; and to promote the institutional strengthening of electoral
processes by means of advanced computer technology.
22. The Heads of State
concurred that democracy in South America should be strengthened through the
continual promotion and defense of the rule of law; effective application of the
principles of good governance; transparency of public institutions and public
policy decision-making processes; fight against corruption through legal,
administrative, and political measures; reform and improvement of the judicial
services, so as to achieve more efficient, transparent, and widely-accessible
systems for the inhabitants of the South American countries; free access to
information on the activities of public authorities and administrative appeal
mechanisms; higher levels of competence; and the promotion of ethics and
professionalism in public service.
23. The Heads of State stressed
the importance of Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile’s "democratic commitment"
formalized by the Ushuaia Protocol of July 1998 and by the Additional Protocol
to the Cartagena Accord on the "Andean Community’s Commitment to Democracy."
These are two additional guarantees of political stability and institutional
continuity in South America. Inspired by these precedents, the Presidents agreed
that maintenance of the rule of law and strict respect for the democratic system
in each of the twelve countries of the region are at once a goal and a shared
commitment and are henceforth a condition for participation in future South
American meetings. Having due regard for existing regional mechanisms, the
Presidents agreed to conduct political consultations in the event of a threat of
disruption of the democratic system in South America.
24. The strengthening,
improving, and updating of the democratic system are intimately linked to the
economic and social development of the peoples of South America. Poverty and
marginalization threaten institutional stability in the region and their
eradication should continue to merit high priority of the governments of South
America. The South American Presidents thus welcomed the signing, on June 29,
2000, of the Buenos Aires Charter on Social Commitment in MERCOSUR, Bolivia and
Chile.
25. The arrival of the new
millennium coincides with great social challenges in South America. Over the
last two decades, the vulnerability of large segments of the region’s population
has not ceased to grow. Basic needs are still unmet in areas such as nutrition,
health, education, housing, and employment. The eradication of extreme poverty,
a decrease in inequalities, and the incorporation of the poor into the other
social sectors through integral development plans require the implementation of
programs that focus on malnutrition and on access to education and basic health
services, so as to improve the Human Development Indices in each country.
26. The Presidents of the South
American countries emphasized the need to guarantee the right to a life with
dignity as an inalienable right of every individual, as well as the need to
conceive a regional public action program with the participation of multiple
social, economic, and political actors. Action in accordance with democratic
rules and systematic, solidarity-oriented criteria should lead to the adoption
of policies that will help in addressing the region’s historical income
distribution disparities. Moreover, the South American Presidents concurred on
the need to encourage actions aimed at strengthening the rights and duties of
citizens and at helping to ensure the full exercise of citizenship by
establishing information exchange and cooperation mechanisms for this purpose.
27. The governments of the
region will reinforce their commitment to adopt measures for combating human
rights violations, including those frequently associated with social inequity.
In this spirit, the South American Presidents will instruct the appropriate
agencies to identify cooperation programs aimed at the institutional
strengthening of their respective national systems responsible for the
protection of human rights. The Presidents of the South American countries
further reiterated their commitment to the Inter-American System for the
Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, and pledged their firm support to the
consideration, within the OAS framework, of mechanisms for its improvement.
28. In the area of human rights,
the fight against racism and discrimination, in all its manifestations and
expressions, has special significance for the societies of South America for
they are incompatible with the rule of law and the ideals and practice of
democracy. The Presidents follow, with concern, the resurgence of racism and of
discriminatory manifestations and expressions in other parts of the world and
affirm their commitment to shielding South America from the propagation of this
phenomenon. They recognized that the World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Similar Forms of Intolerance provides a unique
opportunity to seek appropriate responses from the international community. The
Presidents reaffirmed that the countries of origin and destination of migrants
have the responsibility of strengthening cooperation in this area in order to
ensure migrants the full exercise of their human rights, and, in particular, the
right to life and to dignified, just, and nondiscriminatory treatment.
TRADE
29. The South American
Presidents agreed in their assessment of the substantial advances in the
economic and commercial integration processes among the countries of the region
in the nineties, and on the need to persevere in strengthening these processes.
They alluded to the negotiations for building up Mercosur, to the conclusion of
free trade agreements between Mercosur and Bolivia and Chile, to the progress
achieved by the Andean Integration System Community, to free trade agreements
between Chile and the countries of the Andean Community, and to their interest
in encouraging closer coordination between Guyana and Suriname and the other
South American economies.
30. The participation of the
private sector—both business executives and workers — as well as the support of
society as a whole, is a guarantee that these processes will continue and
succeed. The Presidents thus decided to instruct their competent Ministers to
coordinate the drafting of proposals for establishing a South American
consultative forum at which high-ranking officials and civilian leaders would
identify joint actions by the countries of the region in the trade and
investment areas, with the aim of consolidating and deepening the South American
integration process. This initiative could also contribute to the coordination
of South American positions in civil society forums that regularly meet for
negotiations related to the establishment of a free trade area in the Americas.
These negotiations must take into account the different levels of socioeconomic
development among countries of South America and, in particular, the
circumstances, needs, economic conditions and opportunities of the smaller
economies, with the objective of guaranteeing their full and effective
participation in the process.
31. The Heads of State of
MERCOSUR and the Andean Community (CAN) decided to start negotiations leading to
the signing of a free trade agreement between the two groups as soon as possible
and, in any case, by January 2002. The South American Presidents were unanimous
in stressing the importance of the process of liberalization of markets in South
America and thus welcomed the beginning of negotiations leading to Chile’s full
membership in MERCOSUR.
32. The negotiations aimed at
the signing of a free trade agreement between MERCOSUR and the Andean Community
will, by taking into account the contribution of the agreements the latter has
signed with Brazil and Argentina, decisively move forward toward the shared goal
of creating a broader economic and trade area in South America, with the
participation of Chile, Guyana, and Suriname. This will be based on the gradual
liberalization of trade in goods and services, on facilitating investments, and
on the creation of the infrastructure needed to achieve this objective.
33. The Presidents of the South
American countries reaffirmed their understanding that the creation of an
expanded economic area in the region will occur in accordance with the
principles of an "open regionalism." This will strengthen the position of the
South American countries in important negotiations the region wants to see
brought to a successful conclusion, such as those for a free trade area of the
Americas, those aimed at closer coordination with the European Union, or those
in the framework of the World Trade Organization, among others. The Presidents
indicated their expectation that these extra-regional trade negotiations will
contribute to the social and economic development of the South American
countries and to their full integration into the international economy.
34. The Presidents of the South
American countries reaffirmed their support to the process of expanding and
deepening economic integration in the Hemisphere. They welcomed the results of
the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the FTAA, held in Toronto in November 1999 and
reiterated their engagement in the gradual establishment of a free trade area of
the Americas, the negotiation of which should be concluded by no later than
2005, on an equitable and balanced basis that will ensure the effective access
of South American exports to markets. To this end, the Presidents decided to
intensify the coordination of the South American countries’ negotiating
positions.
35. The South American
Presidents emphasized that, in order to achieve comprehensive and balanced
results that meet the interests of all the countries involved, the FTAA
negotiations should take into consideration the varying stages of economic
development and the economic size of the actors involved. The Hemispheric
initiative should be an effective instrument for fostering the sustainable and
equitable development of all the Americas.
INTEGRATION INFRASTRUCTURE
36. The Heads of State noted
that the driving force for cross-border integration is strong because it arises
from, among other factors, geographic proximity, cultural identity, and the
consolidation of shared values. Borders within South America should no longer
serve as an element of isolation and separation; they should rather be a
connecting link for the circulation of goods and individuals and thus
circumscribe a privileged area for cooperation.
37. Integration and the
development of physical infrastructure are two complementary approaches. The
establishment of an expanded South American economic area desired by the peoples
of the region will depend on the broadening and complementation of initiatives
under way and on the identification of new integration infrastructure
initiatives. This must be guided by the principles of social and environmental
sustainability and have the ability to attract capital from outside the Region
and to generate multiplier effects within it. Advances in the area of
infrastructure will, in turn, release new driving forces toward integration,
thereby setting in motion dynamics that should be encouraged. This scenario
would also benefit from the adoption of an investment policy based on a regional
rather than a merely national perspective.
38. The Presidents ascribed
high priority to the identification of infrastructure projects of bilateral and
sub-regional interest. Given their magnitude, the financing of integration
infrastructure projects must be shared by the governments, the private sector
and the multilateral financial institutions, particularly the Inter-American
Development Bank-IADB, the Andean Development Corporation, the Fund for the
Development of the River Plate Basin-FONPLATA, and the World Bank. The
Presidents noted, in particular, the importance of rules that favor the South
American countries’ access to long-term financing, at appropriate interest rates,
from international financing institutions, for infrastructure projects. They
further stressed the need to identify innovative modalities of financial support
for infrastructure projects so as to encourage the participation of private
investors and mobilize all possible resources, as done by the Latin American
Reserve Fund.
39. The region’s Heads of State
took note with special satisfaction of the attached Action Plan for Integrating
Regional Infrastructure in South America, which contains suggestions and
proposals, with a time-line of ten years, for the expansion and modernization of
South America’s physical infrastructure, especially in the areas of energy,
transportation, and telecommunications. The aim is to establish corridors of
economic and social development and integration for the region’s future expanded
economic area, taking into particular account the situation of countries
hindered by geographical difficulties to access international markets by sea.
The Action Plan, prepared by the IDB, benefited greatly from contributions by
the Andean Development Corporation-ADC and from input from other relevant
regional entities and from the South American countries.
40. The Presidents stressed the
role of energy, transport and communications networks as the engine of the
integration of South American countries. To this end, infrastructure projects
geared to integration should be complemented by the adoption of regulatory and
administrative regimes that facilitate the interconnection and operation of
energy, transport, and communications systems.
41. In the area of transport,
the South American countries have set as a priority the establishment of
intermodal networks to ensure a better utilization of land, river, sea, and air
ways and facilitate the movement of people, vehicles and goods across borders,
as well as help boost trade and investment in the region as a whole. Still in
the area of transport, the Presidents referred to the existence of other
important sources of input for the task of expanding and modernizing South
America’s physical infrastructure. In this context, they pointed out the
Transport Network and the Inventory of Priority Projects for South American
Integration, approved by the South American Ministerial Conference on Transport,
Communications, and Public Works; the Master-Plan for Transport and its
Infrastructure for South America, prepared by LAIA as part of the South American
Ministerial Conference on Transport, Communications, and Public Works, the
activities of the Multilateral Working Group on Bioceanic Land Corridors, and
the work carried out under the River Plate Basin Treaty and the Amazon
Cooperation Treaty, aimed at the integration of transport networks.
42. In the energy sector, the
integration and complementation of the South American continent’s energy
resources—in the areas of liquid and gas carbon fuels, integration and exchange
of fuels, such as natural gas, and of electrical energy interconnection and
electrical energy ventures—provide an axis for approximation among the countries
of the region. This axis should be expanded and improved, in parallel with
environmental preservation and the elimination of unjustifiable barriers arising
from restrictions and regulation in this sector.
43. The Presidents recalled
that the development of telecommunications is essential to the establishment of
logistical systems and to the integration of energy systems according to a South
American regional approach. The telecommunications infrastructure also provides
a foundation for cooperation initiatives among South American countries aimed at
meeting the demands of the information society.
44. The Presidents decided to
instruct their representatives at the IDB and other international financial
organizations to propose, when convenient, that these institutions adopt all
necessary measures for implementing the proposals contained in the attached
Action Plan, bearing also in mind the difficulties pointed out in Paragraph 39
above as well as the situation of countries under foreign borrowing restrictions.
The objective is to carry out studies, provide consulting services, and ensure
the disbursement of funds to assist in the implementation of initiatives for
developing integration axes for the future expanded economic area in South
America. The Presidents further emphasized the unique importance of the future
coordination work with the IBD and the ADC, among other relevant international
and regional entities.
45. At the same time, the
Presidents of the South American countries reiterated their commitment to
ascribing an even higher political priority to the ongoing national, bilateral,
and sub-regional initiatives aimed at modernizing and developing the integration
infrastructure network throughout the region. In this connection, they
emphasized the fundamental role of the private sector.
46. To consolidate an
integrated regional vision of the lines of action for the expansion and
modernization of South American infrastructure, based on the Action Plan and the
other documents referred to above, the Presidents of the South American
countries decided to call, through their Chancelleries, a ministerial-level
meeting, to be held in November/December. The offer from the Eastern Republic of
Uruguay to host this meeting was accepted with satisfaction. On that occasion,
ways to stimulate and facilitate the full engagement of private initiatives in
the process of infrastructure modernization in the region should be examined.
ILLICIT DRUGS AND RELATED
CRIMES
47. The South American
Presidents emphasized their concern about the issue of illicit drugs and related
crimes in the region, which, as specific national circumstances show, may be
associated with other issues such as contraband, the illicit arms trade, and
terrorism. These threats pose a risk to the very integrity of the political,
economic, and social structures of the South American countries. It is essential
that all branches of the government and of the civil society be engaged in the
struggle to solve these problems.
48. The Presidents emphasized
the role of the OAS in the progress achieved in the fight against drugs in this
Hemisphere. They pointed out the importance of the 1996 Anti-Drug Strategy in
the Hemisphere, which affirmed the principle of shared responsibility. They also
stressed the 1999 approval by CICAD of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism-MEM,
which, by utilizing transparent and multilaterally agreed criteria to assess the
progress in the fight against drugs in each country of the Americas, should
encourage hemispheric cooperation and replace unilateral evaluation initiatives.
49. The Presidents thus
reaffirmed South America’s commitment to the principles that govern relations
among States and international cooperation in this area, namely, shared
responsibility among the producing, transit, and consuming countries and an
approach that puts equal emphasis on supply control, demand reduction, and the
treatment of addicts.
50. With regard to supply
control measures, the South American Presidents agreed on closer cooperation in
the areas of intelligence, police operations, control of the traffic and
deviation of chemical precursors (including the homologation of lists of
controlled drugs in the region), control of the illicit arms trade, and
combating money laundering. In this context, they decided to establish a formal
mechanism for regular consultations among the entities responsible for fighting
drug trafficking and related crimes.
51. The Presidents reiterated
their interest in establishing a regional group for combating money laundering,
similar to the Financial Action Task Force – FATF-. They have thus supported the
understandings reached by the South American national parties responsible for
controlling money laundering, who met in Brasilia on August 16-17, on which
occasion they issued a Memorandum of Understanding on the creation of the South
American Financial Action Group—GAFISUD. They further encouraged all South
American countries to participate in GAFISUD, as well as stimulated the creation
of an Executive Secretariat for the Regional Group.
52. The Presidents reiterated
their support in the search for sustainable alternative economic activities to
guarantee an adequate income for the population involved with illicit crops.
They also committed themselves to instructing their representatives to explore
ways to facilitate access of alternative products to the regional market, in the
context of the negotiations aimed at regional trade liberalization.
INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND
TECHNOLOGY
53. The Presidents of the South
American countries shared the perception that the last decades of the 20th
century have witnessed the unfolding of an unprecedented revolution in knowledge,
the consequences of which touch upon all areas of life and will be felt even
more intensely in the future.
54. The Presidents concurred
that the existence of a link between the production of science and technology
and a nation’s level of development is being consistently corroborated by
reality. Scientific and technological knowledge thus imposes itself as the
foundation for the production of national wealth at every level. On a national
level, the access to knowledge and information is becoming ever more important
for boosting and improving the productive sector’s quality and efficiency;
encouraging the creation of technology-based enterprises, particularly small and
medium ones; improving employment opportunities; breaking the marginalization
and poverty cycles; and distributing the national wealth in a more just and
equitable manner.
55. In this regard, the
Presidents pointed out that in order to speed up entry into the new information
and knowledge society, it is important that the countries strengthen a
continuing education system to ensure education at all levels for the broadest
sectors of society, and unrestricted access to knowledge and information. This
should be accomplished through the steady incorporation of new information
technologies into the educational systems and the progressive access of schools
and professional training centers to the Internet.
56. The Presidents concurred on
the need to undertake efforts aimed at installing a basic connection structure
to link the region to the Internet centers of the world. Furthermore, they
agreed to disseminate advanced network services through this basic structure by
including such fields as, among others, high performance data processing,
digital libraries, telemedicine and remote education, and work with a view to
employing the region’s educational, scientific, and technological potential to
foster sustainable development in their respective countries. The Andean
Community countries stressed the possibilities for cooperation among the South
American countries in view of the results obtained by the Andean
Telecommunications Authorities Commission-ACTA and the Andean Science and
Technology Council.
57. The Presidents recognized
that to ensure progress in laying a scientific and technological foundation in
the region, it is necessary to encourage the creation, in a spirit of
solidarity, of cooperative research networks in strategic areas, which will
allow closer coordination of national capabilities and the strengthening of the
research infrastructure. The aim is to raise the countries’ creative and
competitive capabilities to a level consistent with the demands of an
information and knowledge society, in the broader spirit of the Ministerial
Declaration on information technology, communication and development, adopted on
July 7, 2000 by the High Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council-ECOSOC
of the United Nations, a document which captures the perceptions contained in
the so-called "Declaration of Florianopolis," approved by the Latin American and
Caribbean countries during a preparatory meeting of the aforementioned Segment.
58. The Presidents noted that,
with the intensification of trade on a global scale, we are witnessing a
systematic reduction in tariffs, simultaneously with a gradual increase in the
technical barriers to our countries’ trade. Scientific and technological
advances increasingly require complex infrastructures and laboratories operated
by highly qualified scientific and technical personnel as well as the intensive
and extensive development of higher education at all levels. In the medium and
long term, fuller integration of the South American countries into the
international economy will only be possible through the permanent incorporation
of technological innovations that raise the added value of exports and increase
the region’s competitive ability. The commitment to undertake joint efforts to
develop basic technologies conducive to the achievement of these goals must be
one of the South American Governments’ top priorities. In this connection, and
in view of the recent adoption of the "2000 Okinawa Communiqué," the South
American countries express their firm interest to interact with the G-8 members,
particularly in the context of the issues relating to the fields of information
technology and biotechnology.
59. The South American
Presidents welcomed the announcement by the Brazilian government of a specific
program for this sector, to be carried out through the establishment of a South
American Fund to stimulate scientific and technological cooperation activities
in the region, in the context of South America’s integration into the
information and knowledge-based society, open to the participation of all
countries, so as to generate new activities and benefit those already under way.
* * *
60. The South American Heads of
State congratulated themselves on the successful results of the Brasilia Meeting
for the objectivity, openness, and transparency of the exchange of opinions on
the agenda topics. The meeting has reinforced the synergistic forces already
active in the region. Its results constitute a significant contribution to the
ongoing debate on these same topics in other regional and hemispheric forums in
which the South American countries also participate.
61. The South American
Presidents agreed to instruct their respective Ministers of Foreign Relations to
adopt—in coordination with the competent areas—the necessary measures for
designating, as needed, focal points for the implementation of the commitments
assumed under this Communiqué.
62. The Heads of State thanked
the Government and the people of the Federative Republic of Brazil for their
hospitality and praised the excellent organization that ensured the success of
the South American Presidents Meeting. They also thanked President Fernando
Henrique Cardoso for his initiative and for the invitation to participate in
this important South American encounter which will most certainly signal a
renewed path towards regional understanding.
Brasilia, September 1, 2000
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