Inter-American parliamentary dialogue

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair,

We thank the delegations that requested this special meeting, as well as the presenters who have joined us today, for offering examples of good practices and sharing their recommendations for improving inter-American parliamentary dialogue and cooperation. We also thank Ambassador Hugh Adsett and Ambassador Francisco Mora, Permanent Representative of the United States, for moderating.

This forum allows us to continue reflecting on the role of inter-American parliamentary dialogue and to address more comprehensively the possible areas of joint cooperation, as well as the practices that each of our countries can adopt or expand for the continued defense of democratic values.

An effective relationship between parliament and the executive branch is fundamental to the proper functioning and governability of a democratic system. We recognize the need for the branches of government to complement one another, giving effect to the diversity of thought required for representative and equitable decision-making, and allowing for the separation of powers, accountability, spaces for participation and the building of consensus.

When these branches work side by side, the needs of different groups are weighed, and it becomes possible to act on them from a fuller and better-informed perspective, since the voices and votes of the people are taken into account. This capacity of our democratic governments to be accountable and to legislate in proportion to what citizens require strengthens public trust and the mechanisms of response.

These qualities are strengthened through efforts that promote cooperation with interparliamentary institutions such as ParlAmericas. Our countries often face similar challenges, owing to the spillover effects of political, social and economic phenomena. It is therefore a clear strength to have mechanisms of multilateral dialogue that also include key actors in decision-making on issues that directly affect the populations they represent.

ParlAmericas has collaborated with the Organization of American States (OAS) by creating spaces for the exchange of information and experience, thereby strengthening democratic governance in the region. The coordination of efforts between these institutions has likewise been key to the promotion of human rights and the strengthening of the institutional capacities of the parliamentarians of the participating countries, and key as well in electoral processes, through its role as observer and its provision of technical support.

We take this opportunity to reiterate our recognition and appreciation of the work carried out by ParlAmericas in its more than 20 years of existence, through the promotion of democracy, dialogue and attention to the region's priority issues, such as mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, open parliament, and the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women; as well as its support for and cooperation with our respective parliaments in strengthening effective and inclusive democratic processes in the inter-American system, with both national and hemispheric impact. We cannot fail to mention its valuable contribution to legislative harmonization on matters related to trade, migration, the protection of the environment and the fight against corruption.

As for good practices, in collaboration with ParlAmericas our country has carried out initiatives that foster participation and dialogue, transparency and accountability, the leadership of women in decision-making, and attention to the impact of climate change on democratic and sustainable development, among which I would mention the 6th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change, held in July 2022. Thematic working groups have likewise been created to bring legislators together to share their conclusions on experience in these areas, as was the meeting of Parliamentary Committees on Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Ethics in Latin America in November 2022. This cooperation has made possible the training of and technical assistance to our parliamentarians, drawing on good practices to reinforce their work for the benefit of citizens.

Mr. Chair,

My country reiterates its commitment to the search for new areas of cooperation with parliamentary institutions, and to that end to continuing to hold meetings such as this one to strengthen dialogue between States and parliamentary institutions.

Thank you very much.