The 11 South American presidents gathered in Brasília this Tuesday (30th) released, at the end of the meeting, a letter in which they reaffirm common values and agree to deepen discussions on the creation or reestablishment of some cooperation mechanism that involves all the countries of the region. The commitment appears in the publication called the Consensus of Brasilia, released by the chancelleries. Divided into nine points, the letter says that the presidents “recognized the importance of maintaining a regular dialogue, with the purpose of boosting the South American integration process and projecting the region’s voice in the world.” The signatories propose a broader discussion on concrete forms of cooperation around a permanent group, yet to be defined. “They decided to establish a contact group, led by the chancellors, to evaluate the experiences of the South American integration mechanisms and to prepare a road map for the integration of South America, to be submitted to the consideration of the Heads of State.” According to president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, after the meeting, this group of foreign ministers should present a proposal in about four months. “This group that was created, of chancellors, has 120 days to present, in a next meeting [de presidentes], the proposals they intend to complete,” he said in a statement to journalists. Earlier, in his speech, Lula defended the resumption of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Created in 2008, during President Lula’s second term, and in amid the rise of center-left governments, the group came to bring together all the countries in the region, but it disintegrated over time, after changes in governments in several countries, and now brings together only seven: Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana , Suriname and Peru, as well as Argentina and Brazil, which have recently returned to the group. The resumption of Unsaul, however, is not a consensus among leaders in the region. “We have to stop this trend: the creation of organizations. We are going to base ourselves on actions”, affirmed the president of Uruguay, Luís Lacalle Pou, in a speech at the summit. “When it was up to us to take over the government, we withdrew from Unasur. Then they invited us to Prosul [bloco criado em 2019 em contraponto à Unasul], and we said no. Because otherwise we end up being ideological clubs that have life and continuity only while we march with our ideologies”, added the Uruguayan. For other presidents, however, Unasur has the potential to articulate actions in different areas. “This mechanism of dialogue and political concertation It had the great value of uniting us and opening up the possibility of a multidimensional regional construction in different areas, such as defense, security, democracy, human rights, infrastructure, energy, among others”, highlighted the president of Bolivia, Luís Arce. The Brasilia Consensus also registers “the common vision that South America constitutes a region of peace and cooperation, based on dialogue and respect for the diversity of our peoples, committed to democracy and human rights, sustainable development and justice social security, the rule of law and institutional stability, the defense of sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs”. and energy, risk of new pandemics, increase in social inequalities and threats to institutional and democratic stability as the region’s problems and challenges. Still on integration, the letter cites the strengthening of democracy, fighting discrimination, promoting gender equality, orderly, safe and regular management of migrations as other challenges common to South American countries. The Brasilia Consensus cites the commitment of countries to work towards increasing trade and investments, improving infrastructure and logistics, strengthening regional value chains, applying trade facilitation measures and financial integration, overcoming of asymmetries, the elimination of unilateral measures and access to markets through a network of economic complementation agreements. Check out the full statement by the Heads of State and Government Brasilia Consensus – May 30, 2023 1. At the invitation of the President of Brazil, the leaders of South American countries met in Brasilia on May 30, 2023, to exchange points of view and perspectives for cooperation and integration in South America. 2. Reaffirmed the common vision that South America constitutes a region of peace and cooperation, based on dialogue and respect for the diversity of our peoples, committed to democracy and human rights, sustainable development and social justice, the Rule of law and institutional stability, defense of sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs. 3. They agreed that the world is facing multiple challenges, against a background of climate crisis, threats to international peace and security, pressure on food and energy chains, risks of new pandemics, increased social inequalities and threats to institutional stability and democratic. 4. Agreed that regional integration must be part of the solutions to face the shared challenges of building a peaceful world; the strengthening of democracy; the promotion of economic and social development; the fight against poverty, hunger and all forms of inequality and discrimination; the promotion of gender equality; the orderly, safe and regular management of migrations; tackling climate change, including through innovative mechanisms for financing climate action, among which could be considered the ‘swap’, by developed countries, of debt for climate action; promoting the ecological and energy transition, based on clean energies; strengthening health capacities; and combating transnational organized crime. 5. Undertook to work to increase trade and investment among the countries of the region; improving infrastructure and logistics; the strengthening of regional value chains; the application of trade facilitation and financial integration measures; overcoming asymmetries; the elimination of unilateral measures; and access to markets through a network of economic complementation agreements, including within the Aladi framework [Associação Latino-Americana de Integração], with the goal of an effective South American free trade area. 6. Recognized the importance of maintaining a regular dialogue, with the purpose of boosting the integration process in South America and projecting the region’s voice in the world. 7. Decided to establish a contact group, led by the Chancellors, to evaluate the experiences of the South American integration mechanisms and to prepare a road map for the integration of South America, to be submitted to the consideration of the Heads of State. 8. Agreed to promote, from now on, South American cooperation initiatives, with a social and gender focus, in areas that concern the immediate needs of citizens, in particular vulnerable people, including indigenous peoples, such as health, food security, food systems based on traditional agriculture, environment, water resources, natural disasters, infrastructure and logistics, energy interconnection and clean energies, digital transformation, defence, border security and integration, combating transnational organized crime and cybersecurity . 9. They agreed to meet again, at a date and place to be determined, to review the progress of South American cooperation initiatives and determine the next steps to be taken.
Agência Brasil
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