The Challenge to Deliver
Our citizens embrace democracy as the best form of government, and have reasonable expectations that it will deliver a better quality of life. When it fails to deliver these benefits, people lose faith in democracy as a political ideal and democratic governments are undermined. In many countries in the region, social and economic conditions slow the consolidation of democratic institutions. Free elections are only the beginning for consolidating democracy. Today’s democratically elected leaders must make democracy work by providing their people the tools and extending opportunity to improve their lives and contribute to the common good. Elected leaders must govern democratically and respect essential elements of democracy as spelled out in the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
Improving the Delivery System
The legitimacy of democratic institutions derives from an implicit promise to help everyone achieve their full potential within society. Fulfilling this promise requires each element of society to do its part. Individual citizens should vote and participate in the political process, for example, through political parties and civil society organizations. They should respect the rights of others and live their lives under a culture of lawfulness. They should be prepared to exert the effort necessary to improve their work skills and those of their children by supporting and taking advantage of services, such as education, provided by the state. They should partner with their employers for mutual economic benefit. And they must bear in mind that democracy thrives where individual interests are joined by a broad allegiance to protecting the rights of all and providing for the well being of future generations.
Likewise, as the engine of growth and foundation for prosperity in our economies, the private sector is responsible for practicing good corporate citizenship, abiding by national laws, respecting workers rights, protecting the environment, training employees, and exposing corruption.
At the 2004 Special Summit of the Americas in Monterrey, leaders reaffirmed that "each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development through sound policies, good governance, and the rule of law." This responsibility of governments requires a sustained commitment to fight corruption, invest in their people through the provision of quality education and health care, and establish a business and investment climate that attracts private capital. Such policies provide a framework that allows individual citizens to participate fully in the political process and to claim their fair share of economic opportunity. In tandem with efforts to establish a level playing field for business and to promote private enterprise, government policies that empower the individual are crucial to boost national competitiveness in today’s globalized world economy.
Much of the weakness of the delivery systems of our democracies can be traced to political institutions that do not adequately extend political power, ensure accountability and transparency in the operation of government, guarantee basic rights, promote freedom of expression and of the media, provide security against burgeoning crime, and resolve disputes. To address these shortcomings, the basic institutions of government require reform aimed at decentralization of power, judicial systems that are credible and functional, greater participation, a well-trained civil service, appropriate regulations, and honest, effective enforcement of the law. It is only by adopting these specific measures that our governments can fulfill the promise of democracy and deliver its benefits to all citizens.
Role of the Inter-American System
Multilateral institutions should also play a role in perfecting democracy. Governments have approved, and the OAS is actively engaged in implementing, a core agenda of major initiatives that can significantly improve delivery of the benefits of democracy by expanding democracy’s reach, strengthening democratic institutions and encouraging governmental transparency and sound management.
- The Inter-American Democratic Charter sets forth basic principles for preserving and consolidating democracy in the hemisphere. It is a firm commitment by the Organization of American States to help all citizens of the Americas claim their democratic freedoms.
- Through the Summits of the Americas, leaders have made specific commitments aimed at opening trade, promoting entrepreneurship, facilitating lending and remittance flows, and improving access to quality education and health care as steps toward bridging the gap between the rich and poor within our countries.
- The XXXIV General Assembly, building on the Monterrey Summit’s democratic governance and transparency directives, brought sharp focus on corruption as an obstacle to development and the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption provides a practical instrument for multilateral cooperation to combat corruption.
- The Declaration of Nuevo Leon recognized the valuable contributions of civil society, the private sector and academia to public policies and to sound public administration.
- The Declaration on Security in the Americas defined the various security threats our democracies face, among them terrorism and trafficking which CICTE and CICAD are actively engaged in fighting. The Declaration provides a blueprint for fostering a climate of confidence, trust, transparency and cooperation in the hemisphere.
Focus of the Dialogue
Given the breadth and significance of our agreed initiatives, our discussion of "Delivering the Benefits of Democracy" at the XXXV General Assembly of the Organization of American States should focus on how to improve our collective efforts to implement this democratic agenda through the Organization and the broader inter-American system.
- Based upon the commitments of the Inter-American Democratic Charter to promote and defend democracy we should explore what further steps we might take to ensure that all people of the Americas enjoy basic freedoms and full participation in democratic political systems.
- Poverty alleviation cannot succeed without sustained economic growth, which in turn requires good governance. At the 2005 Summit of the Americas in Mar de Plata we should reinforce our collective efforts toward creating sustainable jobs through policies that promote more competitive economies, attract investment, and foster private sector-led growth.
- Our citizens demand that we fight corruption as a way to strengthen government and promote economic growth. We should find ways to strengthen and quicken the pace of the follow-up mechanism to the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption.
- OAS and government efforts to deliver democratic, sustainable development will be effective only insofar as they are open to citizen participation. To mobilize the full potential of our populations, we must broaden political participation including the elimination of all forms of discrimination and the protection of indigenous rights as aspired to in our negotiations of the Inter-American Declaration on Indigenous Rights.
- Security is key to a flourishing democracy, investment and personal freedom, but too many of our citizens live under the tyranny of crime. We must work together to modernize our law enforcement agencies and judicial systems, and seek to create a cooperative hemispheric network to dismantle gangs and other criminal enterprises and to promote the rule of law.
If we can resolve to advance these goals, the XXXV General Assembly of the Organization of American States will have done its part to reassure our peoples that their democratic representatives are determined to deliver both freedom and a better quality of life.
