THE 60Th ANNIVERSARY OF THE OAS AND ITS RENEWED ROLE OF
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Declaration presented by the delegations of: Venezuela, Bolivia, St. Vincent & the
Grenadines, St. Lucia, Chile, Antigua and Barbuda, Mexico, Dominica, the Dominican
Republic, Honduras and Canada
THE HEADS OF DELEGATION OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS), meeting in Washington D.C. from
December 3-6. 2008.
HAVING SEEN:
The Inter-American Democratic Charter;
The Organization of American States Charter;
Resolution
AG/RES.
1402
(XXVI-O/96),
“PROMOTION
AND
STRENGTHENING OF DEMOCRACY;"
CONSIDERING:
That the year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the Organization of American
States (OAS);
That this moment presents an opportunity for the OAS to declare its role and
responsibilities in the 21st century; and
RECALLING:
Article Two of the OAS Charter, which states that the purpose of the OAS is “to
promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of
nonintervention;"
Article three of the Inter-American Democratic Charted, which enumerates the
"essential elements of representative democracy";
Article sixteen of the Inter-American Democratic Chart, which states that
"education is key to strengthening democratic institutions, promoting the development of
human potential and alleviating poverty;"
RECOGNIZING;
The importance of instilling democratic values in our youth as stated in the
"Declaration of Medellin: Youth and Democratic Values," in which the Member States
made a "commitment to promote a favorable economic, social and cultural environment,
enabling young people to develop fully;"
NOTING:
That the Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and
practices was created in August 2005 to spread the principles of democracy among the
people of North and South America;
That this program launched new summits and special initiatives to spread the
principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter such as the Young Researchers
Program, the Peruvian government's National Program for Continuing Education and
Training, 2008-2011, and the Second International Summit on Conflict Resolution
Education: Youth and Conflict: Global Challenges, Local Strategies, held in Cleveland,
Ohio. United States of America, March 2008;
The continuing success and popularity of the various OAS educational
simulations for young people, among them the Model General Assembly for University
students and the Model OAS for high-school students: and
BEARING IN MIND:
That Article Three of the OAS Charter confers upon every Member State “the
right to choose, without external interference, its political, economic, and social system
and to organize itself in the way best suited to it,''
DECLARE:
1. That, in the 21st century, the OAS will rededicate itself to it’s' role as an organization
for strengthening democracy throughout the Americas.
2. That democracy is strengthened when Member Nations practice the criteria of
democracy listed in Article Three of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and
declares their renewed commitment to promoting democratic systems of government
concur with those criteria:
a) Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
b) Access to and the exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law
c) The holding of periodic, free and fair elections based on secret balloting and
universal suffrage as the expression of the sovereignty of the people
d) The pluralistic system of political parties and organizations
e) The separation of powers and independence of the branches of government
3. That democracy is strengthened when the values of democracy are successfully
transferred to the youth of the next generation, and also declare their continuing
goodwill toward the Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values
and Principles and their belief in the necessity of this successful program as a means
for teaching democratic values to the youth of the Americas.
4. Their belief that democracy is strengthened when nations hold respect for the unique
and special character of every democracy; and also declare their conviction to remain
respectful of each nation's right to national self-determination.
5. That democracy is strengthen when there is solidarity and cooperation between
individual democratic nations, and also declares that the following principles have
been, and will continue, to be key to preserving a common ground of understanding
between individual nations:
a) Democracy emerges within different historical realities. No one model of
democracy is superior to another and no country can set itself up as a paradigm
for democracy.
b) Democracy must be established through democratic methods. True
democracies spread their values in peaceful ways.
c) Democracy is a global phenomenon. All societies, cultures and civilizations
are capable of adopting the customs and practices of democracy.