UNASUR PDF

Preview

Summary

Download UNASUR PDF

Description

Latin America.

María Llanos González

Lesson 7. UNASUR. There is an agreement between MERCOSUR and the CAN. UNASUR is the result of joining CAN and MERCOSUR. It is another integration process, that in the beginning tried to counter the perceived inference of the US in Latin American states, so it was kind of a reaction against the Organization of American States. They perceived that it was a need to integrate all the states of South America in a framework that was independent from the OAS, in a framework where the US was not present, because it was thought that several integration processes existed in the region, but all of them were limited to some states. However, now this approach is changing towards a more participatory system, in which they try to influence OAS and make their voices to be heard. Hugo Chavez was its main proposer, as he was really against the US. He had a very practical approach to integration, thinking that infrastructures should be improved. Each time an integration process starts to be developed, there is the need to call for a sense of common identity, as integration processes have to be based on a common identity. So maybe creating an integration process as a reaction to one we do not like is not the best way of starting something that should be done because of a common identity and a common will to work together. This can be applied to both UNASUR and CELAC. Mexico and the members of SICA are not members of UNASUR, as they are not South American states. So only the members of CAN, MERCOSUR, and Surinam and Guyana are part of it, that is, South American states. Important summit in Isla Margarita (for its origins). Its treaty entered into force on 2011, so from that year on the treaty is working. Even if there were already meetings before, there was a meeting very important, which was made at Margarita Island in Venezuela. At that moment, in 2007, the process started to be known as UNASUR instead of South American Community of Nations, which was the first name given to this process. The treaty creating it as an international organization was signed in 2008.

Goals Goals.. It has the common goals to all integration processes. The important goals are those that are different from others:   

Infrastructure/physical integration. This deals with, for instance, roads. Promoting cultural diversity. Reinforcing their identity is, again, a reaction towards foreign inference. Human Rights are NOT included in these goals because of the human rights issues in the Bolivarian states, and because most of the times they are seen as an imposition from the US.

1...