SPECIAL SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS

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JUSTICE

When, where and who:

The Special Summit of the Americas was held in Monterrey, Mexico on January 12-13, 2004 bringing together the democratically elected Heads of State and Government of the members countries of the Organization of American States.

Purpose :

The goal of the Special Summit was to facilitate hemispheric cooperation at the highest level of government in order to address current economic, social and political challenges in the region. Approximately one third of Heads of State and Government in the Hemisphere have assumed office since the Third Summit of the Americas held in Quebec City in April 2001. The agenda of the Special Summit focused on three issues:

Ø Economic Growth with Equity to Reduce Poverty

Ø Social Development

Ø Democratic Governance

" The strengthening of and respect for the rule of law, the defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms, economic progress, well-being and social justice, transparency and accountability in public affairs, the promotion of diverse forms of participation by our citizens, and the development of opportunities for all are fundamental to promote and consolidate representative democracy.” Declaration of Nuevo Leon

The Declaration of Nuevo Leon:

The Declaration contains 75 paragraphs reflecting the policies and decisions adopted by the leaders on the three Summit topics. For example, in economic growth, they made a commitment to implement sound macroeconomic policies, to create an enabling environment for the private sector, and to reduce the costs of remittances. In the area of social development, the Heads of State recognized that the main challenge is the elimination of poverty, hunger, and inequality. They reiterated that a decisive factor for human development is education and also committed to taking the appropriate measures to reduce the threat of HIV/AIDS. In the area of democratic governance, the leaders of the Americas expressed their support for the Declaration of Santiago on Democracy and Citizens Confidence, as well as their respect for the rule of law, strengthening political parties, and defending human rights. They also committed to fight corruption and acknowledged the role of civil society in the design, execution, and evaluation of public policies.

Justice:

In the Declaration of Nuevo Leon, the leaders of the Americas agreed that access to information, held by the State, is an indispensable condition for citizen participation and promotes effective respect for human rights. Also, the Heads of State and Government recognized the modernization of the State as an important element for strengthening democratic and good governance. They also agreed to promote the use of new information and communication technologies in public administration and to adopt strategies for the development of electronic government. Also, they adopted compromises to strengthen the Follow Up Mechanism of the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, and they committed to deny safe haven to corrupt officials, to increase to increase transparency in the international organizations and in electoral party finances, among others. They also reiterated that terrorism, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, constitute grave threats to international security. Leaders also committed to fighting all forms of transnational crime, including illicit trafficking in drugs, arms, and persons.