Cusco Declaration on the South American Community of Nations
Third South American Presidential Summit
Cusco, December 8, 2004

We, the Presidents of the South American countries, gathered in the city of Cusco during the celebration of the heroic battles of Junín and Ayacucho and of the convening of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama, following the example of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, of the Grand Marshal of Ayachuco, Antonio José de Sucre, of the Liberator José de San Martín, and of our pro-independence nations and heroes who built the great American Nation without any borders, interpreting the aspirations and hopes of their people for integration, unity and the construction of a common future, have decided to form the South American Community of Nations.

I. The South American Community of Nations is formed bearing in mind:

The shared and unified history of our nations which, from the very heroic deeds in their striving for independence, have confronted common internal and external challenges, shows that our countries have a still untapped potential for making better use of their regional aptitudes and for reinforcing their capacities for international negotiation and projection;

The political and philosophical thinking born of their tradition, which, recognizing the preeminence of human beings, their dignity and rights, the plurality of peoples and cultures, has consolidated a shared South American identity and common values, such as: democracy, solidarity, human rights, freedom, social justice, respect for territorial integrity, for diversity, non-discrimination and the affirmation of their autonomy, the sovereign equality of States and the peaceful settlement of disputes;

The convergence of their political, economic, social, cultural and security interests as a potential element for strengthening and developing their internal capacity for improving their international trade presence;

The conviction that access to better standards of living for their peoples and the promotion of economic development cannot be reduced merely to sustained economic growth policies, but must also encompass strategies that, together with a responsible environmental consciousness and the recognition of the existence of asymmetries in the development of their countries, will ensure a more just and equitable distribution of income, access to education, cohesion and social inclusiveness, together with environmental conservation and the promotion of sustainable development.

In this context, the development of the regions inside the South American area will help to deepen the community project and to improve the quality of life in these zones, which are among the world’s relatively less developed.

Their essential commitment to the struggle against poverty, the elimination of hunger, the creation of decent employment, and access by all people to health and education as fundamental tools for the development of nations;

Their identification with the values of international peace and security based on the affirmation of the effective exercise of international law and of a renewed and democratic multilateralism that link up economic and social development firmly and effectively on the world agenda;

The sharing of democratic systems of government and of a conception of governance resting on the people’s participation that will increase the transparency of the conduct of public and private affairs and exercise of power with strict adherence to the state of law, in keeping with the provisions of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, in the context of the struggle against corruption in all spheres;

Their determination to develop a politically, socially, economically, environmentally and infrastructurally integrated South American area that will contribute toward strengthening the unique South American identity and, from a subregional standpoint and in coordination with other regional integration experiences, that of Latin America and the Caribbean and will give it a greater weight and representativeness in international forums.

Our conviction that the materialization of the shared values and interests that unite us, not only commit the Governments, but will be viable only if the people assume the leading role that is rightfully theirs in this process. South American integration is, and should be, an integration of people.

II. The integrated South American space will be developed and perfected by means of the following processes:

· The concerted and coordinated political and diplomatic efforts that will strengthen the region as a differentiated and dynamic factor in its foreign relations.

· The deepening of the convergence between MERCOSUR, the Andean Community and Chile through the perfecting of the free trade area, with efforts based, as pertinent, on Resolution 59 of the Thirteenth Ministerial Council of ALADI of October 18, 2004, and its progression to more advanced stages of economic, social and institutional integration. The Governments of Suriname y Guyana will collaborate in the process without neglecting their obligations under the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

· The physical integration and integration of energy and communications in South America based on the deepening of existing bilateral, regional and subregional experiences, with the consideration of innovative financial mechanisms and current sectoral proposals that will allow for better implementation of investments in physical infrastructure for the region. .

· The harmonizing of policies to promote rural and agrifood development.

· The transfer of technology and of horizontal cooperation in all scientific, educational and cultural spheres.

· The growing interaction between enterprises and civil society in the integration dynamics of this South American area, bearing in mind corporate social responsibility.

III. The Action of the South American Community of Nations:

The South American Community of Nations will progressively establish and implement its levels and spheres of joint action, promoting convergence and, based on existing institutions, avoiding the duplication and superimposition of efforts without, in so doing, involving new financial expenses.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs will draw up a concrete proposal of courses of action that will consider, among other things, the meetings of Heads of State as the supreme political body and of Foreign Ministers as the executive decision-making body of the process. The Ministers will enjoy the cooperation of the Chairman of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of MERCOSUR, the Director of the MERCOSUR Secretariat, the Secretary General of the Andean Community, the Secretary General of ALADI, and the Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, and of other subregional cooperation and integration systems. The Meetings of the Heads of State and of Foreign Ministers will replace the so-called South American Summits.

The Government of Peru will occupy the Pro Tempore Secretariat until the First Meeting of Heads of State of the South American Community of Nations takes place in Brazil in 2005. The Second Meeting will be held in Bolivia.

Signed in the city of Cusco, on the eighth of December of 2004.


 

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