Today in El Salvador, the Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Edgardo Riveros, officially began his tour of Central America with a speech at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies, an intergovernmental organization that seeks to support the development of democracy in the world.
The meeting, held in San Salvador, was attended by major international authorities, such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, Hugo Martinez; the former President of Guatemala, Alvaro Colom; the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies, Ambassador Maria Leissner; and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who sent a message through an audiovisual recording.
Under-Secretary Riveros took part in the second plenary activity with high-level representatives such as the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Takashi Uto; the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Carlos Raul Morales; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India, Vijay Kumar Singh, among others.
In his speech, the national authority indicated that "for Chile, promoting democracy and the rule of law are fundamental pillars of our foreign policy and a hallmark of Chilean society."
He also assured that, like other countries in the international community, Chile is concerned about the deteriorating situation of human rights and democratic stability in various nations, especially as a product of armed conflicts and humanitarian crisis.
Under-Secretary Riveros stressed that, as nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2014-2015, Chile has expressed concern. "We have promoted our conviction that inclusive development is central to the maintenance of international peace and security, and to overcome conflicts," he emphasized.
He also expressed that promoting equality and combating discrimination are essential for safeguarding democratic processes. "The right of women to political and economic participation, the recognition and participation of indigenous peoples and the protection of children based on a human rights approach, are elements that cannot be lacking," he affirmed.
Finally, the Under-Secretary said that the promotion of democracy is a task for everyone. "Chile recognizes as essential for civil society to engage in the work of governments, playing a major role in the recovery and development of inclusive democracy and the defense of human rights," he said.
About the Community of Democracies
The Community of Democracies is an intergovernmental coalition created in 2000, with the aim of governments collaborating with civil society and the private sector, to work on strengthening democracy. Chile is a founding member of this organization and hosted the ministerial meeting in 2005.
Currently this organization, of which El Salvador is the President Pro Tempore, has a Governing Council, made up of 27 nations among which Chile is one and is responsible for the activities carried out on behalf of the Community.