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Democracy is essential for the social, political and economic development of the peoples of the Americas.

The OAS General Assembly approved the Inter-American Model Law on October 21, 2020, resolving:

1. To urge the governments of the region to support the agencies specialized in access to information and transparency and to consolidate public policies that foster participatory democracy through the effective exercise of this citizen right.

2. To urge the national governments of the region to work together with local governments to ensure that the basic principles that give substance to the right of access to public information are uniform nationwide, regardless of where that right is exercised, without impinging on autonomy at the local level (provincial, state, or municipal) given that access to public information is a human right, as established by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

3. To urge the governments of the region to consider as a matter of necessity the nature of access to public information as a human right, even though steps need to be taken to contain the current health emergency, so as to prevent implementation of measures which in practice absolutely nullify the exercise of this right but rather, in the public interest and in the interest of law and order, to promote measures for transparency in the area of access to public information during the health emergency and in particular those related to the pandemic created by the SARS-CoV2 virus (COVID-19) and the protection of other rights such as those related to health, work, and education, among others.

4. To adopt Inter-American Model Law 2.0 on Access to Public Information and to request the Inter-American Juridical Committee and the Department of International Law—the latter in its capacity as technical secretariat to said Committee—to disseminate Model Law 2.0 as widely as possible among the various stakeholders and continue supporting the efforts of member states that so request to adopt or adjust legislation, as appropriate, to ensure access to public information, using Model Law 2.0 as reference.

- AG/RES. 2958 (L-O/20) Strenghtening Democracy

Terms and Conditions of the Principles for Participation of  Civil Society Organizations and Social Actors in the Summit of the Americas Process  A large number of civil society representatives and other social actors attend the activities that are organized by the Summits Secretariat, which also provide an open forum for this sector to engage in 
dialogue and exchange views with the countries participating in the Summits process. 
The Summits Secretariat expects all activities to take place in workspaces that are safe and productive for all participants. This document therefore establishes the rules of conduct each participant is expected to observe. 
 We are committed to having the diversity of views and the rich and constructive discussions represented based on plurality and respect. In that regard, participants must commit to ensuring that these workspaces are welcoming and respectful for all participants, regardless of national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, or physical appearance.  
 No form of harassment of event participants or event organizers will be tolerated. Examples of harassment include offensive comments, verbal threats, intimidation, stalking, harassment via photographs or recordings, disturbing behavior at sessions or events, and unwanted physical contact or sexual attention.   
 Participants must follow these rules of participation, at all times. If a participant is asked to cease any improper behavior, he or she must immediately comply with the request. 
 In the event these principles are violated, the Summits Secretariat will reserve the right to decide whether the participants involved will stay, inviting them to leave the event without the right to continue participating; and the right to consider taking such measures as it deems appropriate to safeguard the principles of pluralism and respect. If applicable, individual penalties will be determined at the discretion of the organizers. 

This course is to help build an understanding of the complementarity of justice, integrity and equity. Content will be presented for study, while questions are presented for reflection. Feedback is required for all sections before moving on to another section.

Losses due to climate change, pollution, environmental degradation and biodiversity need to be addressed as they negatively affect humanity. Altering political and economic systems is vital but must begin with a change in the behavior of individuals.

The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22).(Laudato Si, Pope Francis)