Cartagena Agreement

The Cartagena Agreement is a subregional integration pact by which the Andean Community is created.

This agreement —also known as the Andean Pact—, signed on May 26, 1969, was signed by the countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. The agreement finally went into effect on October 16.

The Bogotá Agreement (1966) serves as a preamble to the Cartagena Agreement. This allowed to establish the principles for the integration of the South American countries.

Objectives of the Cartagena agreement

The main objective of the Agreement is to improve the quality of life of its nationals through integration. Likewise, greater economic, political and social cooperation is promoted.

The Cartagena Agreement also sets the following objectives for the Andean Community (CAN):

• Promote the balanced and harmonious development of the member countries under conditions of equity.
• Accelerate growth and employment generation.
• Facilitate participation in the regional integration process.
• To tend to reduce external vulnerability and improve the position of member countries in the international economic context.
• Strengthen subregional solidarity and reduce existing development differences.

Importance of the Cartagena Agreement

This Agreement provides, roughly, a progressive integration method that includes economic aspects relevant to development. For example, it contains programs for industrial and agricultural development, and commercial opening. This, as joint measures of the member countries in favor of regional integration.

Likewise, the formation of the subregional bloc contemplates political and social integration, not just economic. The establishment of a supranational foreign policy body, for example, entailed a greater degree of integration than in previous agreements.

Finally, the Andean Community represents a greater commercial scope for local industries. The small domestic markets and low competitiveness, in terms of productivity, impeded the development of new industries.

Structure of the Andean Community

The Cartagena Agreement establishes the indispensable Bodies for the functioning of the CAN. In principle, the bodies designated for its operation were the following:

• The Andean Presidential Council.
• The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers.
• The Andean Community Commission.
• The General Secretariat of the Andean Community.
• The Court of Justice of the Andean Community.
• The Andean Parliament.
• The Business Advisory Council.
• The Labor Advisory Council.
• The Andean Development Corporation.
• The Latin American Reserve Fund.
• The Simón Rodríguez Agreement, the Social Agreements that are attached to the Andean Integration System and the others that are created within its framework.
• The Simón Bolívar Andean University.
• The Advisory Councils established by the Commission.
• The other bodies and institutions that are created within the framework of Andean subregional integration.