Quirama, Colombia, June 25, 2003
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Foreign Trade, gathered at the Andean Presidential Summit, today approved 16 important legal provisions that will give maximum priority to the social dimension of Andean integration over the next few years.  This will contribute to the creation of the Andean Common Market and help to bring about better governance and enhanced democracy within the Andean Community by implementing concerted strategies in the struggle against poverty and social exclusion.

The Andean Secretary General, Guillermo Fernández de Soto, in highlighting the adoption of these Decisions, stated that among them are three socio-labor instruments that permit the unimpeded movement of workers through the territory of the Andean Community, guaranteeing their social security and safety and health at work.  In his opinion, these provisions constitute a landmark in the construction of the Andean Common Market.    

"The adoption of these decisions is a step forward in harmonizing provisions to reach the policy goals we have set ourselves with the intention of establishing a Common Market in 2005," pointed out Fernández de Soto.

In addition, an Andean Plan for the Prevention, Combating and Eradication of Small, Light Weapons was adopted, making the Andean Community the first integration movement in the world to be endowed with a binding instrument of this nature. The intention in adopting this instrument is to strengthen cooperation among the Member Countries and promote citizen safety and ensure that the Subregion will have the necessary legal provisions and procedures in place to exercise effective control over illegal trafficking in those weapons.   

The Foreign Ministers approved the creation of an Andean Cooperation Mechanism on Consular Assistance and Cooperation that will enable our countries’ consulates abroad to, among other things, coordinate actions to protect the fundamental rights of the citizens of the Andean Community Member Countries.   

He emphasized the creation of the Andean Electoral Council endowed with the authority to supervise and oversee the direct election of the Andean Parliaments and recommend the adoption of Andean Electoral Regulations, among other things.    

He went on to add that the Andean Community Commission approved three important Decisions, among them the provision on International Passenger Transport by Road, which will make the use and operation of the vehicles that provide international passenger road transportation within the Subregion more flexible.