Latin America as an island of peace: Reflection of judicial authorities
See GalleryVice President of Colombia gave a message to the attendees of CUMIPAZ
Presidents and vice presidents of Supreme Courts, government leaders and human rights defenders, made panel discussions in the Justice and Democracy Session of the Summit for Peace Integration, CUMIPAZ 2017.
The introduction of the segment was carried out by the former president of the Republic of Colombia, Ernesto Samper Pizano. Peace and democracy in Latin America was the topic that gave way to the development of the day.
Samper said that when talking about Latin America, we think of a region rich in natural resources, where half the world's biodiversity exists, as well as hydroelectric possibilities and 20% of oil reserves; but it is ignored that it is an oasis of peace in the world. He stated:
"In a world plagued by ethnic and religious wars and ideological conflicts, it is still very good news, there is a region that has been able to somehow avoid this kind of confrontation, and Latin America is a region of peace."
What do you think are the main disruptive factors of peace in Latin America today?
With this question the panel discussion "Latin America as the island of peace" began, by moderator Santiago Castellá Surribas, professor of Public International Law.
Carmen Escoto Fernández, vice president of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica, said that the disturbing factors of peace have been social inequality, violence, and crime, resulting from an inadequate provision of health and education services or lack of employment.
The president of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica, Ernesto Jinesta Lobo, responded: "With an adequate distribution of wealth, greater social justice, real and effective equality, with citizen participation and respect for pluralism, peace in Latin American states can be built.
Peace-generating factors
Carmen Escoto emphasized as to the factors that generate peace, it is important to build democratic societies that respect human rights and intend to achieve paradigm changes.
In this regard, José Beltrán Benítez, general director of Human Rights in Mexico, believes that it is necessary to attend to universal principles and values so as not to generate violence and transgression of the law.
"We will have to strengthen the courts, the complementary systems of prevention and human rights attention; because the countries cannot. We have to strengthen them," said Beltran.
Democratization of the UN
Jinesta Lobo, in relation to the issue of democratization of the UN, mentioned that it is important to build a more open, democratic, efficient, dialogical, deliberative Security Council that does not lose its enforceability. He proposed:
“What I propose are two very specific things: to increase the seats in the Security Council and to restrict the possibility of enforcing the veto to absolutely assessed cases."
The former leader, Ernesto Samper, said that there must be an understanding between the regional blocks to strengthen the integration of each one. In the case of Latin America, he indicated that convergence in an area of integration is necessary to achieve the unification of nations.
» For the closing of the panel a message was transmitted from the Vice President of the Republic of Colombia, Oscar Naranjo, in which he thanked the executive president of the GEAP, William Soto, for joining forces for a culture of peace and all the activists and leaders that assembled with the objective of advancing through negotiated solutions in the banishment and defeat of violence.
