Cusco Declaration

by Andean Community

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

We, the Presidents of the countries of South America gathered in the city of Cusco on the occasion of the celebration of the liberation wars of Junin and Ayacucho and the convening of the Congress of Panama Amphictyonic, following the example of El Libertador Simón Bolívar, the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Antonio Jose de Sucre, the Liberator José de San Martín, and independence of our nations heroes who built without borders, the great American Homeland and interpreting the aspirations and hopes of their people in favor of integration, unity and building a common future, we decided to form the South American Community of Nations.

I. The South American Community of Nations is formed taking into account:

The shared history and solidarity of our nations, that since the deeds of independence have faced common internal and external challenges, demonstrates that our countries have yet untapped potential both to better utilize their skills regional to strengthen negotiation skills and international projection, the political and philosophical thought born of his tradition, recognizing the primacy of the human being, dignity and rights, the plurality of peoples and cultures, has established a shared South American identity and democracy, solidarity, human rights, freedom, social justice, respect for the territorial integrity, diversity, non-discrimination and asserting their independence, sovereign equality of States: common values, such as and the peaceful settlement of disputes; convergence of political, economic, social, cultural and security as a potential factor in strengthening and developing its internal for better international integration capabilities interests conviction that access to higher levels of life of their peoples and the promotion of economic development can not be reduced to political sustained growth of the economy, but also to understand strategies, along with responsible environmental awareness and recognition of asymmetries in the development of their countries, ensure an more just and equitable distribution of income, access to education, social cohesion and inclusion, and the preservation of the environment and promoting sustainable development. Against this background, the development of the inner regions of the South American area, contribute community project to deepen and improve the quality of life in these areas are among the relatively less developed. 's essential commitment to the fight against poverty, hunger elimination, generating decent employment and access all health and education as fundamental to the development of peoples tools; Their identification with the values ​​of peace and security, from the assertion of the validity of international law and a renewed multilateralism and democratic decisively and effectively integrates economic and social development on the global agenda, the common belonging to democratic systems of government and a conception of governance Ia, based on citizen participation to increase transparency in the conduct of public and private affairs, and exercise power with strict adherence to the rule of law, pursuant to the provisions of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, a framework to combat corruption in all areas Ios; Their determination to develop a South American space integrated into the political, social, economic , environmental and infrastructure to strengthen the identity of South America and to contribute, from a subregional perspective and in coordination with other regional integration experiences, that of Latin America and the Caribbean and will give a greater weight and representation in international forums. Our belief in the sense that the realization of the values ​​and interests that bind us further to engage governments find only viable to the extent that people take the leading role they deserve in this process. South American integration is and should be an integration of peoples.

II. The South American area will develop and refine integrated promoting the following processes:

. · The political and diplomatic consultation and coordination that claims to the region as a differentiated and dynamic factor in its external relations · Deepening convergence between MERCOSUR, the Andean Community and Chile through the completion of the free trade area, based on what is relevant in Resolution 59 of the Council of Ministers XIII LAIA of October 18, 2004, and its evolution to higher stages of economic, social and institutional integration. The governments of Suriname and Guyana will be associated with this process, subject to its obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. · Physical, energy and communications integration in South America based on deepening existing bilateral, regional and subregional experiences with the consideration of innovative financial mechanisms and ongoing sectoral proposals allow better performing investments in physical infrastructure for the region. · The harmonization of policies to promote rural and agricultural development. · Technology transfer and horizontal cooperation in all fields of science, education and culture. · The growing interaction between business and civil society in the dynamic integration of this South American space, taking into account corporate social responsibility.

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

The South American Community of Nations establish and implement progressive levels and areas for joint action and promoting convergence on the basis of existing institutions, avoiding duplication and overlap without involving new financial expenses. Ministers of Foreign Affairs will prepare a concrete proposal for courses of action to consider, among other things, meetings of Heads of State and highest instance of political leadership and foreign ministers as executive level decision process. Ministers will have the cooperation of the President of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of MERCOSUR, the Director of the Secretariat of MERCOSUR, the Secretary General of the Andean Community, the Secretary General of LAIA and the Permanent Secretariat of the Organization of the Treaty of Amazon cooperation and other cooperation schemes and subregional integration. Meetings of Heads of State and Foreign Ministers will replace the so-called South American Summits. The Government of Peru serve as Secretariat pro tempore until the completion of the First Meeting of Heads of State of the South American Community of Nations, to be held in Brazil in year 2005.'s second meeting will be held in Bolivia.

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

For the Republic of Peru

For the Republic of Argentina

For the Republic of Bolivia

For the Federative Republic of Brazil

For the Republic of Chile

For the Republic of Colombia

For the Republic of Ecuador

For the Cooperative Republic of Guyana

For the Republic of Paraguay

For the Republic of Suriname

For the Eastern Republic of Uruguay

In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela