Latin American Regional Workshop of Non-Governmental Process

for the Community of Democracies

The Latin American Regional Workshop for the Non-Governmental Process for the Community of Democracies was held this week in Santiago, Chile, on December 13th and 14th.

The workshop was held at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and was co-organized by the Executive Secretariat, International IDEA and the Organization of American States. The workshop began with a welcome from Mr. Genaro Arriagada (Executive Secretariat), Mr. José Luis Machinea (ECLAC), Ms. Andrea Sanhueza (Executive Secretariat), Mr. Daniel Zovatto (IDEA International), Mr. John Biehl (OAS) and Mr. Marcelo Díaz (Chilean Chancery).

The workshop was also inaugurated by presentations from Minister José Miguel Inzulza and Professor Pepi Patrón, the Director of Transparencia Perú.

The workshop was attended by 36 representatives from non-governmental organizations, political parties, and political foundations from 10 countries in the region. The Executive Secretariat was represented by Genaro Arriagada, Andrea Sanhueza, Silvana Lauzán, and Lea Sarles Newfarmer. The discussion was focused around the following issues:

• Economic aspects of Democracy and Development
• Social aspects of Democracy and Development
• Democratic Institutions and Governance
• Political Reform and Reform of the State
• Presidentialism, Multi-party systems, and Political Stability
• Democracy and Citizenship
• The Media and Democracy

The proposals developed by participants were compiled into a final report, along with the other regional reports, in the final meeting of the Non-Governmental Process in Santiago, Chile in March. The final version of these regional proposals was presented to the Governments in the Ministerial meeting that took place in May 2005 and was published by the Executive Secretariat in 2005.