A special partnership with the UN: a Latin American perspective.

• Author: Munoz, Heraldo
• Position: United Nations and Latin America's partnership

Latin America is the region in the developing world where democracy is now almost universal. (1) Its roots, however, are weak. Latin America has a population of approximately 550 million people, of which about 44 per cent live under the poverty line and 18 per cent are affected by extreme poverty. The socio-economic inequality is admittedly the greatest in the world. Both realities encapsulate the greatest challenges facing the region.

I have selected nine priority areas, which, if addressed, could make a difference in the lives of millions of peoples in the region; in each area the United Nations should play a role, either at the centre of the effort or as a facilitator.

A right to democracy. The relationship between human rights and democracy has been dealt at length in doctrine and practice. Democracy is founded on the primacy of the law and the exercise of human rights. In a democratic State, no one is above the law and all are equal before the law. (2) When the Organization of American States General Assembly met in 1991, it approved the "Santiago Commitment to Democracy" and Resolution 1080, both landmarks in the development of what I called the "emerging right to democracy" in the Americas--a growing acceptance that democracy can and should be defended through peaceful collective action; all participating countries had democratically elected governments. The continued existence of democracy cannot be taken for granted, even though there are legitimate collective instruments to act multilaterally to impede or reverse abrogations of democratic rule. Most countries of Latin America are attempting to consolidate democratic gains and have successfully resisted coup attempts; but the situation in the region is more complex than a simple division between democracies versus dictatorships.

Democracies must deliver to their citizens. Though economic growth is fundamental to address people's demands, well-focused social policies to create equal opportunities are fundamental for democratic governance. It is necessary to work for an integrated and well-coordinated system of democracy promotion and defense at a global level. It seems desirable to attempt coordination, and identify sets of instruments and measures for fostering democracy while differentiating according to the degree of consolidation of democracy in the country. In short, we need to get the United Nations more actively involved in promoting the right to democracy. Recommended...