Andean Parliament

Last updated
Andean Parliament

Parlamento Andino
Parlamento Andino bandera.jpg
Logo Vectorizado 3Da.png
History
FoundedOctober 25, 1979 (1979-10-25)
Leadership
President
Vice-President
Vice-President
Martha Ruiz, Colombia
Vice-President
Mirian Liduvina, Ecuador
Vice-President
Eduardo Chiliquinga, Peru
Structure
Seats25 parlamentarians
Parlamento Andino 2022.svg
Political groups
Bolivia (5)
    •    MAS-IPSP: 5
Chile (5)
Ecuador (5)
Perú (5)
Meeting place
Bogotá, Colombia
Website
www.parlamentoandino.org

The Andean Parliament is the governing and deliberative body of the Andean Community, conformed by representatives of its four member states Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and one associate member, Chile. It is composed of 25 parliamentarians, five representing each state.

Contents

It was created on 25 October 1979, in La Paz, Bolivia, through the Constitutive Treaty signed by the chancellors of the five member states, including Venezuela at the time. It entered into force in January 1984. Venezuela abandoned both the Andean Community and the Parliament in 2006. Chile joined the Parliament in 2015, despite not being a full member of the Andean Community.

The Andean Parliament has its headquarters in Bogotá and is administered by the Secretary General. In addition, each country has national headquarters that serve as liaison and coordination bodies.

The main functions of the Andean Parliament include legislative harmonization in its member countries, permanent and active representation of the peoples of the region, guaranteeing their participation and strengthening of the integration process, and parliamentary management through the political control of institutions of the Andean Integration System (IAS).

History

Headquarters of the Andean Parliament in Bogota, Colombia. Sede Parlamento Andino Col Bta.jpg
Headquarters of the Andean Parliament in Bogotá, Colombia.

The Andean Parliament is the political organ, deliberative, representative of the people, as well as guarantor of the rights and democracy in the Andean Community.

The origins of the Andean Parliament go back to 1966 with the Bogotá Agreement, drawn up on the recommendation of ECLAC under the Montevideo Treaty of 1960. With the Cartagena Agreement, signed on May 26, 1969, the five countries met In what was originally called the Andean Pact, when its legal norms and provisions were established.2 Its objective was to strengthen its economies through free trade, tariff elimination and the customs union. Its Constitutive Treaty was signed by the chancellors of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Its first headquarters were in Lima, then later moved to Bogota.

Venezuelan diplomat Milos Alcalay served as Secretary General of the Andean Parliament (1984–85) and as Permanent Secretary of the Andean Parliament (Bogotá, 1985–89). Subsequently, in 1996, through the Trujillo Protocol modifying the Cartagena Agreement, the governments of the subregion granted it supranational powers, defining it as the Political Control Unit of the Andean Integration System (SAI).

Its representatives were initially elected by the national congresses of the member countries. According to the Protocol of Trujillo, approved on March 10, 1996, its representatives would be elected for a period of five years directly by the respective member countries of the Andean Community; In Colombia they were by direct suffrage since the elections of March 14, 2010. It consisted of five members for each member country, which gave a total of twenty-five parliamentarians.

On April 22, 2006, Venezuela withdrew from the Andean Community and, therefore, from the Andean Parliament, denouncing the Treaty establishing the Cartagena Agreement. The reason given was the signing by Colombia and Peru of free trade agreements with the United States that distorted the CAN, according to the Venezuelan government. Later the Colombian legislature through law 1157 of 2007, which allowed the election in that country of parliamentarians by means of universal and direct suffrage, approved the salaries and commissions of the Andean parliamentarians. They would thus be paid with part of the budget of the State, when before they sat free of charge.

In October 2011, Spain, Mexico, and Panama became permanent observer members of the Andean Parliament. In 2016, Argentina became an observer member as well, followed by Turkey in 2019. [1]

In 2015, Chile became a permanent member of the Andean Parliament.

Missionary Axes

The Andean Parliament developed four missionary axes, which each axis seeking the integration of the peoples and the spreading of the values of Andean citizenship.

1. Legislative Harmonization

It seeks to harmonize complementary criteria of the Andean countries. The Normative Frameworks, have the support of experts, academics, universities, multilateral agencies and specialized institutions. Together with academics of the body and teams of parliamentarians, the analysis of international treaties, constitutions and national laws, development plans drawn up by governments, is carried out as a comparative exercise.

2. Citizen Participation

A fundamental axis as role of the organism in the region, through which the concepts of Open Parliament have been applied:

Youth and Youth Parliaments and universities

The "Andean Youth and University Parliaments" program seeks to renew the political class of the Andean countries and strengthen leadership among young people. Conformed in different cities of the region, with emphasis on areas of conflict and vulnerability. The participants enter into a constant training process through: the Agency's Technology Platform, chairs in social networks and participation in the Plenary Sessions of the organization, in international events and other spaces. In the same way, a complete program of scholarships and incentives has been established for leaders with better proposals and academic performance.

Schools to Parliament

'Schools to the Parliament' is a project that makes the selection of the Schools and carries out a day of development of play and learning activities. Through physical and digital tools such as "I am Andean Parliament" and "Join the Integration" students learn about the work of Andean parliamentarians, values of Andean citizenship and the riches of the region.

Documentation Center

The Documentation Center 'Simón Rodríguez' was established, specialising in legislative, integration and international law issues. Linked in a virtual way with the best libraries of national congresses and multilateral organizations such as the Library of Congress of Chile, or the Library of Congress of the United States. The Documentation Center offers its services free to the public of the countries of the region.

Inclusive Fairs for Integration

Inclusive Fairs include the exhibition of handicrafts, natural products and entrepreneurship of the cultures of each Andean country, with the purpose of including vulnerable populations such as mothers head of household, people reinserted into civil society, displaced by conflict, people with disabilities, Among others, in the support of our organism to its work. Likewise, monthly art exhibitions of new talents, Art students and positioned artists of the region are presented. These initiatives allow strategic alliances with Andean citizens for the development of community awareness and socio-cultural identity through art.

3. Strengthening Integration

The Andean Parliament promotes and guides Latin American integration processes. To this end, it has been strengthening cooperation and inter-institutional work with Integration Parliaments such as Latin American, Central American, MERCOSUR, among others. In the same way, it has been working on projects with organizations such as:

In addition, Andean parliamentarians have spearheaded the international spreading of crucial issues for the region, in integration forums such as the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

4. Political Control

The Cartagena Agreement grants the Andean Parliament the mission of exercising political control over the bodies of the Andean Integration System (IAS).

Member states

Current members of the Andean Parliament South-America-CAN.png
Current members of the Andean Parliament
Former members

Elections

Article 2 of the Constitutive Treaty mentions that parliamentarians will be elected in universal and direct elections in the constitutive countries. However, not all member states have established these elections or ratified the additional protocols to hold these elections. According to the Constitutive Treaty, in case direct elections are not held by a country, the five members will be selected by the national legislature, according to their own protocols.

Currently, only Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have elections for the Andean Parliament, concurrent with their own general elections, similar to the Central American Parliament. Bolivia had direct elections in 2014, [2] [3] but after that parliamentarians have been selected by the National Assembly. Since joining the Andean Parliament, the National Congress of Chile has chosen their national representatives between members of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

See also

Related Research Articles

Colombia seeks diplomatic and commercial relations with all countries, regardless of their ideologies or political or economic systems. For this reason, the Colombian economy is quite open, relying on international trade and following guidelines given by international law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Trade Area of the Americas</span> Failed 2005 trade agreement for North and South America

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas, excluding Cuba. Negotiations to establish the FTAA ended in failure, however, with all parties unable to reach an agreement by the 2005 deadline they had set for themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean Community</span> South American free-trade agreement

The Andean Community is a free trade area with the objective of creating a customs union comprising the South American countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The trade bloc was called the Andean Pact until 1996 and came into existence when the Cartagena Agreement was signed in 1969. Its headquarters are in Lima, Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Group</span> Permanent association of political consultation of Latin America and Caribbean countries

The Rio Group (G-Rio) was a permanent association of political consultation of Latin America and Caribbean countries, created in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 18, 1986 with the purpose of creating a better political relationship among the countries. It was succeeded in 2011 by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States

Andean Group is a trade organization in Lima, Peru. In 1969, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru established the group by the Treaty of Cartagena. In 1973, Venezuela joined. Chile quit in 1976, as did Peru in 1992. The group created a free trade area called the Andean Pact in 1992.

The Andean states are a group of countries in western South America connected by the Andes mountain range. The "Andean States" is sometimes used to refer to all seven countries that the Andes runs through, regions with a shared culture primarily spread during the times of the Inca Empire, or it can be used in a geopolitical sense to designate countries in the region that are members of the Andean Community trade group and have a local cultural orientation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union of South American Nations</span> Intergovernmental regional organization

The Latin American Free Trade Association, LAFTA, was created in the 1960 Treaty of Montevideo by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The signatories hoped to create a common market in Latin America and offered tariff rebates among member nations. In 1980, LAFTA reorganized into the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) which now has 13 members: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latin American Parliament</span> Organization of countries of Latin America and the Caribbean

The Treaty of Asunción was a treaty between the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay signed on March 26, 1991. The objective of the treaty, signed in Asunción, was to establish a common market among the participating countries, popularly called Mercosur. Later, the Treaty of Ouro Preto was signed to supplement the first treaty, establishing that the Treaty of Asunción was to be a legally and internationally recognized organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolivarian Games</span> Regional multi-sport event in South America

The Bolivarian Games are a regional multi-sport event held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization. The event is open to athletes from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. In 2010, the ODEBO decided to include Chile as the seventh member of ODEBO. Except Panama, all other participating countries are Andean states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercosur Parliament</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of South America</span> Hierarchical outline list of articles related to South America

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South American Parliament</span> Proposed body of the South American Union

The South American Parliament is a proposed body of the Union of South American Nations (USAN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean</span>

The Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF) – Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe (Portuguese: Corporação Andina de Fomento – Banco de Desenvolvimento da América Latina e Caribe, is a development bank that has a mission of stimulating sustainable development and regional integration by financing projects in the public and private sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean, and providing technical cooperation and other specialized services. Founded in 1970 and currently with 20 member countries from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe along with 13 private banks, CAF is one of the main sources of multilateral financing and an important generator of knowledge for the region.

The integration of Latin America has a history going back to Spanish American and Brazilian independence, when there was discussion of creating a regional state or confederation of Latin American nations to protect the area's newly won autonomy. After several projects failed, the issue was not taken up again until the late 19th century, but now centered on the issue of international trade and with a sense of pan-Americanism, owing to the United States of America taking a leading role in the project. The idea of granting these organizations a primarily political purpose did not become prominent again until the post-World War II period, which saw both the start of the Cold War and a climate of international cooperation that led to the creation of institutions such as the United Nations. It would not be until the mid-20th century that uniquely Latin American organizations were created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign policy of the Ollanta Humala administration</span>

The foreign policy of the Ollanta Humala concerns the policy initiatives made towards other states by the former President of Peru, in difference to past, or future, Peruvian foreign policy as represented by his Foreign Minister Rafael Roncagliolo. Humala's foreign policy was based on relations with other states of the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolivarian countries</span>

The Bolivarian countries are six Hispanic American countries whose republican origin is attributed to the ideals of Simón Bolívar and the independence war led by the Venezuelan military in the viceroyalties of New Granada and Peru.

The Court of Justice of the Andean Community was founded in 1979 by the Cartagena Agreement and began operating in January 1984 in Quito, Ecuador; it was originally known as the Andean Pact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecuador–Spain relations</span> Bilateral relations

Ecuador–Spain refers to the current and historical relations between Ecuador and Spain. Both nations are members of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language and the Organization of Ibero-American States.

References

  1. "Turkey being observer at Andean Parliament significant". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  2. "Parlamento Andino inició un proceso de difusión con el objetivo de promocionar las elecciones directas al organismo en Bolivia" (in Spanish). Parlamento Andino - Oficina de Comunicaciones.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. "Nueva representación boliviana juramenta en Parlamento Andino" (in Spanish). La República. 5 March 2015.
  4. "Resultados oficiales - Parlamentarios andinos" (in Spanish). Consejo Nacional Electoral - República del Ecuador. Archived from the original on 2016-02-05. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  5. "Parlamentarios andinos posesionados - Política - Noticias | El Universo". 2016-06-04. Archived from the original on 2016-06-04. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  6. "Elecciones Parlamento Andino" (in Spanish). Jurado Nacional de Elecciones. Archived from the original on 2016-02-20.