XX Ibero-American Summit

December 3-4, 2010

Mar del Plata, Argentina

The XX Ibero-American Summit took place in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from December 3-4, 2010. Secretary General Enrique Iglesias welcomed the 22 Members of the Ibero-American General Secretariat to discuss “Education for Social Inclusion” as the main theme of the Summit.

This gathering will be remembered for the approval of a very ambitious Action Program on education with the goal of achieving full literacy in Latin America by 2015, as well as for the adoption of a historic special declaration on the “Defense of Democracy and Constitutional Order in Iberoamerica”. In commenting on the latter, Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timmerman stated "There is now no Latin American forum in which you can be a member if you do not respect the democratic order." Under this new collective document, it would take unanimous approval to suspend a member nation for non-democratic actions, such as a coup removing an elected leader.

The Action Program commits leaders to promote improvements in national education and achieve full literacy by 2015. It also sets out the objectives for the Ibero-American region of ensuring free primary and secondary education and requiring compulsory basic education for all citizens.

The two-day meeting of Spanish and Portuguese-language countries also approved a special communiqué on the fight against corruption, pledging to collaborate regionally to prevent it, and recognizing and supporting the Inter-governmental Mechanism against Corruption (MESICIC) of the Organization of American States, as an integral component for implementation of the 1997 Inter-American Convention against Corruption.

In the framework of the XX Ibero-American Summit, the report on the “Economic Perspectives for Latin America in 2010” was launched by the OECD on November 29th. OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, who attended the XX Ibero-American Summit, also provided comments on the OECD report.

The next year’s Summit will take place in Paraguay and the Pro-Tempore Secretary was handed over to its President, Fernando Lugo.

Please find a link to the documents approved at the XX Ibero-American Summit:

Mar del Plata Declaration

Action Program of Mar del Plata

Special Declaration about the “Defense of Democracy and Constitutional Order in Iberoamerica”