Inter-Parlamentary Forum of the Americas Forum Interparlamentaire des Amériques Foro Interparlamentario de las Américas Fórum Interparlamentar das Américas

Working Group 3 - Realizing Human Potential

Background Considerations

There was broad consensus at the meeting that the aim of government authorities, and especially of the legislative powers in the hemisphere, should be to eradicate poverty on the continent in its ethical, political and social ramifications.

The poverty and marginalization imposed on millions of citizens violates the dignity inherent in every human being. This situation is especially serious in the case of women, children, seniors, indigenous communities, rural populations and marginal urban concentrations.

Furthermore, there is broad agreement that the parliamentarians of the Americas should work together to reduce poverty and its impact, without losing sight of the fact that it is not only the fault of material elements.

Accordingly, improving the quality of life of our peoples is directly related to sustained efforts to combat poverty, increase education and strengthen cultures, generate employment in adequate conditions in a framework of acceptable minimum levels of food, health, housing and clothing for the whole population.

Moreover, the creation of prosperity will be reflected in the achievement of a new generation of workers with higher levels of schooling to gain access to better opportunities and higher incomes.

The condition of poverty is often the result of a multiplicity of factors, and there is often a close relationship between unstable political systems and weak institutions, along with endemic corruption, inequity in the redistribution of wealth, deterioration of the terms of trade and situations of poverty, linked to nonrespect for economic, social and cultural rights.

International cooperation based on the mutual interest of states, coupled with processes of integration, such as free-trade initiatives, must lead to improvement of economic competitiveness, especially in less-developed countries, without forgetting that the aim must be to improve the people’s quality of life.

Finally, the focal point and aim of all public policy must be the welfare of the people. Elected representatives of the people, congresses and parliaments of the Americas, as well as FIPA, should see that this goal is achieved.

Likewise, poverty is closely related to deterioration of the environment. Economic-development policies should be harmonized with care of the environment within the framework of sustainable-development policies.

Failure to achieve anti-poverty goals will have a negative repercussion on the environment.

In fact, poverty leads to irrational use of resources in order to meet the basic needs of the poorest populations.

Infrastructure works, territorial organization and transportation contribute to the quality of life and must contribute to sustainable development.

Depletion of a nation’s natural heritage affects not only the country in which this takes place but also mankind as a whole, since future generations will not be able to benefit from these natural goods exhausted by irrational use.

It is necessary to encourage the involvement of civil society in matters related to sustainable development and the environment. This requires political efforts that lead to public awareness and training and education on environmental issues. Such efforts should be promoted not only at all levels of government, but also at all levels of civil society.

Preservation of the environment is a common theme of mankind, and national and international policies must include penalties and incentives that reward discipline in preservation of the environment.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In the light of these considerations, we make the following recommendations:

We commit ourselves to proposing bold, concrete and effective initiatives in the search for solutions to the problem of poverty. We will work to optimize the efficiency of the oversight role of the administration and of the executive power; and we will take decisive action to promote a frontal assault on poverty, using, for example, a better and more suitable budgetary allotment aimed at social equity.

We will work to strengthen the role of the political parties, civil society and the local levels in the search for solutions that address the structural and endemic causes of poverty.
We will promote well-rounded development based on equity and social inclusiveness which, while recognizing cultural diversity, overcomes conditions that entrench and reproduce situations of poverty as well as economies dependent on a single product, by establishing specific policies and programs for each vulnerable sector, zone or population.

We recognize that, at the national level, parliamentarians can play a decisive role, increasing opportunities for poor and marginalized people through legal mechanisms that enable less-favored sectors to take advantage of new economic opportunities and to overcome the lack of connections, information, knowledge or credit. The key to reducing poverty in the Americas is overcoming the high level of injustice. Accordingly, we commit ourselves to strengthening institutional relations at the international level, and to exchanging knowledge and experience in the struggle to reduce poverty.

We affirm that FIPA should be an instrument for exchanging experiences and capacities as well as a forum for group thinking, using the modern technological means to assume a proactive approach to the reduction and eradication of poverty and to encourage the governments of the Americas to establish public policies for sustainable development, with the support of international organizations.

Likewise, we commit ourselves to promoting cooperation between national governments and international agencies, with a view to exchanging replicable experiences in environmental matters and creating effective legal and regulatory frameworks.

We commit ourselves to promoting quality education that is relevant and equitable, and that promotes values and respect for the cultural identity of peoples.