The Pacific Alliance hosted meetings from the Ministers of Finance and the High-Level Group this week. What progress did they make?

During the XVI Meeting of Ministers of Finance, which took place in New York, they agreed to explore the option to issue a new catastrophic bond to cover risks of floods and droughts. This initiative is well received after the successful issuance of  CAT Bonds to cover earthquake risks last February.  The Pacific Alliance is also working on an agenda towards financial inclusion. Members agreed on the development of common criteria/standards for Fintech Regulation to promote these kinds of activities. They also reported some progress on the implementation of the Pacific Alliance Infrastructure Fund.

On the 24th of April 2018, the Deputy Ministers of Trade and Foreign Affairs held a virtual meeting to discuss the awaited 2030 Strategy for the Pacific Alliance, the entrance of the four associate members, and the next presidential meeting to take place in July. However, not much else is reported on the content and scope of this strategy and proposals are not publicly available for consultation on their website or through other means.

In the meantime, other regional players continue to explore membership to the Pacific Alliance. This is the case for Ecuador which has expressed interest in joining the mechanism on two occasions.  Whether these intentions are to materialise seem unlikely in the short and even medium term. However, Ecuador’s statement is a strategic geopolitical move by president Lenin Moreno to distance from this predecessor’s foreign policy. With this announcement, Moreno makes the call that he wants to build new alliances during his presidency, ideologically different to the ones made by Correa. He wants to signal a more open and liberal approach to regionalism with the aim to embrace economic and political relations with the Asia Pacific beyond China.

How stable this resolution is as a state policy will be a challenge for Ecuador’s membership acceptance and would certainly test one of the openness features that the Pacific Alliance preaches. Adding a new full member with an unstable foreign policy orientation could prove disastrous for the future progress of a consensus-based intergovernmental mechanism such as the Pacific Alliance.

Sources: Nueva Sociedad; 20minutos.com.mx; alianzapacifico.net
photocredits:@MauricioCard

Abstract:
The purpose of this article is to address the supranational integration process in South America from the perspective of the internationalisation of constitutional law. To do so, the first part proposes a basic classification to understand the supranational integration clauses, what they are and what purpose they serve. The second part applies the categories proposed and provides an analytical compilation of the (twelve) constitutions currently in force in South America. Based on an analysis of the explicit text in these constitutions, it identifies both their common features and the discrepancies, to pose questions that may contribute to the economic, political and social integration of the region.

Resumen:
Este artículo tiene el propósito de abordar la integración supranacional en América del Sur desde la perspectiva de la internacionalización del derecho constitucional. Para ello, en la primera parte propone una clasificación básica para entender las cláusulas de integración supranacional; cómo son y para qué sirven. En segundo lugar, aplica la clasificación planteada y ofrece una compilación analítica de las (doce) constituciones vigentes en la región. A partir del examen del texto explícito en las disposiciones, identifica características comunes y discordancias, para proceder a plantear consideraciones que podrían contribuir al proceso de integración económica, política y social que está planteando la región.

Author: Juan Camilo Herrera
Spanish Title: Las Cláusulas de Integración en las Constituciones de Suramérica: 200 años después de la Carta de Jamaica
Full document: 2016, Herrera, Las Cláusulas de Integración en las Constituciones de Suramérica- 200 años Después de la Carta de Jamaica

Abstract:
This research develops a method to attract foreign direct investment to Pacific Alliance countries. The aim is to identify, through statistical crosses, Latin-American companies with potential to invest in productive clusters in a region of the Pacific Alliance, and to turn it into a platform for transformation and distribution of goods that target other markets of the Pacific Alliance, taking advantage of the tariff benefits and competitive advantages of the region within the framework of that agreement. The analysis allowed the identification of six companies in Argentina, nine in Brazil and fourteen in Ecuador, with potential to invest in the region of Valle del Cauca in Colombia, in sectors such as processed foods, automotive, packaging and personal care, among others.

Resumen:
Esta investigación desarrolla un método para atraer inversión extranjera directa a países de la Alianzadel Pacífico; el objetivo es identificar, a través de cruces estadísticos, empresas latinoamericanas con potencial de invertir en clústeres productivos de una región de la Alianza del Pacífico, para convertirla en una plataforma de transformación y distribución de bienes con destino final en otros mercados de la Alianza del Pacífico, aprovechando los beneficios arancelarios y las ventajas competitivas de esa región en el marco de dicho acuerdo. El análisis permite identificar seis empresas en Argentina, nueve en Brasil y catorce en Ecuador, con potencial de invertir en la región del Valle del Cauca en Colombia, en sectores como alimentos procesados, automotor, empaques y cuidado personal, entre otros.

Author: José Roberto Concha and Oscar Alberto Gómez
Spanish Title: Análisis de atracción de inversión extranjera a países de la Alianza del Pacífico
Full document: 2016, Concha & Gómez, Análisis de Atracción de Inversión Extranjera a Países de la Alianza del Pacífico

Abstract:
Not available

Resumen:
¿Cuáles son los modelos de administración pública en pugna en América Latina? El documento «La modernización de la organización gubernamental» permite identificar los criterios políticos y las propuestas para un modelo de administración pública desde la perspectiva de los gobiernos de la Alianza del Pacífico, y contraponerlos con los de la perspectiva populista, que aun sin haber desarrollado un sistema conceptual completo y consistente como el anterior, plantea caminos alternativos para pensar y hacer funcionar el Estado.

Author: Horacio Cao and Maximiliano Rey
Spanish Title: El modelo de administración pública en cuestión/ Visiones desde América Latina
Full document: 2015, Cao & Rey, El Modelo de Administración Pública en Cuestión Visiones desde América Latina