Central American Parliament
Encyclopedia
The Central American Parliament , also known as PARLACEN is a political institution
devoted to the integration of the Central American
countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City
.
The PARLACEN origins date back to the Contadora Group
, a project of the eighties that sought to help resolve the civil wars
in El Salvador
, Guatemala
and Nicaragua
. Although the Contadora group was disbanded in 1986, the idea of a greater Central American integration remained, giving rise to the Esquipulas II Agreement
, which among other things, decided to create the Central American Parliament.
The Treaty establishing the Central American Parliament and other political bodies was signed in 1987; its first formal session was carried out on October 28, 1991 in Guatemala City.
The PARLACEN as political body in the region is part of the Central American Integration System
SICA, established by the Protocol of Tegucigalpa to the Charter of the Organization of American States (ODECA) signed on December 13, 1991. SICA has the fundamental aim to realize an integration that is political and ideological representative in a pluralistic democratic system that guarantees free elections and participation on equal conditions for political parties.
One of the tasks of PARLACEN as a regional political forum is the analysis of basic conditions for democracy, peace and the integration of Central America as well as working out initiatives for its realization. Furthermore it is charged with furthering human rights and international law
.
Between 1998 and 2010 the Dominican Republic sent 22 appointed members. Since 2010 it is a full member of the Central American Parliament with delegates elected directly by universal suffrage. (See note)
Withdrawal
Panama announced its retirement from the PARLACEN, though the 12 delegates elected in 2009 will continue until 2014. (See note) (See note)
The President of the PARLACEN for the period of 2010-2011 was the Panamanian delegate Dorindo Cortez and the 12 delegates elected in 2009 stay elected delegates until 2014.
The Central American Court of Justice stated in a resolution about the Treaty establishing the Central American Parliament, that there is no mechanism to withdraw from the PARLACEN, so that Panama cannot get out of the regional parliamentary body.
(Guatemala
) on 25 May 1986 included the following declaration: “It is necessary to establish and complement activities that support understanding and cooperation with institutional structures. They shall make possible to strengthen the dialogue, the common development, democracy and pluralism as fundamental elements for peace in the region and for the integration of Central America. Therefore the foundation of PARLACEN is necessary. Its members are elected freely by universal and direct elections through which the principle of political and participative pluralism is followed.”
With that the agreement of PARLACEN and other political authorities was signed in October (8th, 15th and 16th) 1987 by Guatemala
, El Salvador
, Costa Rica
, Nicaragua
and Honduras
. In the beginning it was an instrument which came into force for only three states (Guatemala
, El Salvador
and Honduras
) on 1st May 1990. PARLACEN was formed on 28th October 1991 and has its head office in Guatemala City
, Republic of Guatemala.
PARLACEN as the political organ of this region is part of the Central American Integration System
(SICA
). This was admitted into the Charta of the Organisation of the Central American States (ODECA) by the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which was signed on 13th December 1999. The basic aim of SICA
is the realisation of the integration of Central America
in order to make it a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development.
and acts as a permanent political organ to represent opinions and to carry out analyses and discussions about political, economic and cultural affairs of common interest. It is to achieve a peaceful coexistence within the framework of security and social welfare, which is well-founded in representative and participative democracy, in pluralism and in respect for national legislation and international law.
PARLACEN has the status of a legal entity according to international law
.
PARLACEN is the organ for democratic and political representation of the people of Central America and the Dominican Republic. Therefore it takes the parliamentary functions of the common system of the regional integration in order to achieve solidarity between our people.
Furthermore the committees and parliamentary parties are involved with its tasks.
The responsibilities of the plenum are the following:
The working committees of PARLACEN can be structured as follows:
Permanent commissions are established in the internal rules to work on affairs of the commission with unlimited duration. The permanent commissions are formed of at most two representatives per state and not exceeding twelve members in total.
At the moment there are the following thirteen permanent commissions:
Extraordinary commissions are established by the plenum for affairs that are of special importance and institutional significance for PARLACEN as well as for the process of integration.
Special commissions are established by the board of parliament to handle special affairs.
The parliamentary groups are founded through the adoption of an internal statute that is presented in the plenary assembly. The board of parliament registers each parliamentary group. The statute is published and consists of the group's ideological principles, the political objectives and the regulations.
The board of parliament is elected out of the members. For the period of one year it is a permanent organ and is made up as follows:
The board makes its decisions with approval of seven of its members. In the event of a tie the votes of the presidency count as qualified majority. The presidency is filled by rota system corresponding to the alphabetical order of the member states, starting with the state, which holds the head office.
It is possible to appeal against all resolutions at the plenum. Owing to the special observer’s status of the Dominican Republic
, one vice-president and one secretary act on their behalf at the plenary.
The tasks of the board are the following:
The secretary office for parliamentary affairs handles and obeys the decisions of PARLACEN. It reports to the plenum on a regular basis and is of technical assistance to the plenum as well as to the commissions in all of their activities. In the same way it coordinates and manages the advice of the commissions and has to assist the extended board with the working out of the agenda for the meetings of the plenum when necessary.
The secretary office for administration and finance has to administer all branches, manager’s offices, departments and administrative units as well as the personnel of PARLACEN and has to control the proper administration of its resources.
The secretary office of the board offers technical help to the board in questions relating to the responsibilities of and the topics worked out by the board.
Institution
An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human community...
devoted to the integration of the Central American
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
.
The PARLACEN origins date back to the Contadora Group
Contadora Group
The Contadora Group was an initiative launched in the early 1980s by the foreign ministers of Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela to deal with the military conflicts in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, which were threatening to destabilize the entire Central American region.The original...
, a project of the eighties that sought to help resolve the civil wars
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. Although the Contadora group was disbanded in 1986, the idea of a greater Central American integration remained, giving rise to the Esquipulas II Agreement
Esquipulas Peace Agreement
The Esquipulas Peace Agreement was an initiative in the mid-1980s to settle the military conflicts that had plagued Central America for many years, and in some cases for decades. It built upon groundwork laid by the Contadora Group from 1983 to 1985. The agreement was named for Esquipulas,...
, which among other things, decided to create the Central American Parliament.
The Treaty establishing the Central American Parliament and other political bodies was signed in 1987; its first formal session was carried out on October 28, 1991 in Guatemala City.
The PARLACEN as political body in the region is part of the Central American Integration System
Central American Integration System
Central American Integration System is the economic, cultural and political organization of Central American states since February 1, 1993. It was on December 13, 1991, however, when all the countries of the ODECA signed the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which extended the earlier cooperation in search...
SICA, established by the Protocol of Tegucigalpa to the Charter of the Organization of American States (ODECA) signed on December 13, 1991. SICA has the fundamental aim to realize an integration that is political and ideological representative in a pluralistic democratic system that guarantees free elections and participation on equal conditions for political parties.
One of the tasks of PARLACEN as a regional political forum is the analysis of basic conditions for democracy, peace and the integration of Central America as well as working out initiatives for its realization. Furthermore it is charged with furthering human rights and international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
.
Member States
The following countries comprise the PARLACEN:Between 1998 and 2010 the Dominican Republic sent 22 appointed members. Since 2010 it is a full member of the Central American Parliament with delegates elected directly by universal suffrage. (See note)
Withdrawal
Panama announced its retirement from the PARLACEN, though the 12 delegates elected in 2009 will continue until 2014. (See note) (See note)
The President of the PARLACEN for the period of 2010-2011 was the Panamanian delegate Dorindo Cortez and the 12 delegates elected in 2009 stay elected delegates until 2014.
The Central American Court of Justice stated in a resolution about the Treaty establishing the Central American Parliament, that there is no mechanism to withdraw from the PARLACEN, so that Panama cannot get out of the regional parliamentary body.
History
The historic Declaration of Esquipulas I which was adopted by the presidents of the Central American states in the city of EsquipulasEsquipulas
Esquipulas is a town in the Guatemalan departmentof Chiquimula on the border with Honduras. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name...
(Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
) on 25 May 1986 included the following declaration: “It is necessary to establish and complement activities that support understanding and cooperation with institutional structures. They shall make possible to strengthen the dialogue, the common development, democracy and pluralism as fundamental elements for peace in the region and for the integration of Central America. Therefore the foundation of PARLACEN is necessary. Its members are elected freely by universal and direct elections through which the principle of political and participative pluralism is followed.”
With that the agreement of PARLACEN and other political authorities was signed in October (8th, 15th and 16th) 1987 by Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. In the beginning it was an instrument which came into force for only three states (Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
) on 1st May 1990. PARLACEN was formed on 28th October 1991 and has its head office in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, Republic of Guatemala.
PARLACEN as the political organ of this region is part of the Central American Integration System
Central American Integration System
Central American Integration System is the economic, cultural and political organization of Central American states since February 1, 1993. It was on December 13, 1991, however, when all the countries of the ODECA signed the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which extended the earlier cooperation in search...
(SICA
Central American Integration System
Central American Integration System is the economic, cultural and political organization of Central American states since February 1, 1993. It was on December 13, 1991, however, when all the countries of the ODECA signed the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which extended the earlier cooperation in search...
). This was admitted into the Charta of the Organisation of the Central American States (ODECA) by the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which was signed on 13th December 1999. The basic aim of SICA
Central American Integration System
Central American Integration System is the economic, cultural and political organization of Central American states since February 1, 1993. It was on December 13, 1991, however, when all the countries of the ODECA signed the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which extended the earlier cooperation in search...
is the realisation of the integration of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
in order to make it a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development.
Legal status and mission
PARLACEN is the regional assembly of SICACentral American Integration System
Central American Integration System is the economic, cultural and political organization of Central American states since February 1, 1993. It was on December 13, 1991, however, when all the countries of the ODECA signed the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which extended the earlier cooperation in search...
and acts as a permanent political organ to represent opinions and to carry out analyses and discussions about political, economic and cultural affairs of common interest. It is to achieve a peaceful coexistence within the framework of security and social welfare, which is well-founded in representative and participative democracy, in pluralism and in respect for national legislation and international law.
PARLACEN has the status of a legal entity according to international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
.
PARLACEN is the organ for democratic and political representation of the people of Central America and the Dominican Republic. Therefore it takes the parliamentary functions of the common system of the regional integration in order to achieve solidarity between our people.
Competences and tasks
The PARLACEN is the regional and permanent organ of political and democratic representation of the System of Central American Integration (SICA) with the main purpose to realize the Central American integration.Competencies
- Propose legislation concerning the integration
- Democratic control of the integration
- Initiatives to deepen and amplify the integration
Tasks
- Promoting the process of integration and leading the way to the greatest possible cooperation between the Central American states.
- Proposing draft treaties and agreements which are to be negotiated by the Central American states and forming an opinion of what the SICA proposes
- Creating special commissions to get to know the discordances between the states who could affect the integration
- Helping to consolidate a democratic, pluralistic and participative form of government in the Central American states.
- Promoting the validity of international law.
- Knowing the nominations and sworn in of the executive authorities of SICA
- knowing the budgets of the institutions of SICA
Bodies of PARLACEN
PARLACEN's organisational structure exists of the Plenum, the Board of Parliament and the Secretary Office.Plenum
The plenum is the highest body of PARLACEN and is formed by all representatives.Furthermore the committees and parliamentary parties are involved with its tasks.
The responsibilities of the plenum are the following:
- It gives advice to the presidents´ assembly concerning affairs of peace, security of Central America and development of the region.
- Annual election of the board of parliament.
- Approval of the budget of PARLACEN.
- Assessment and decision concerning the reports of the board of parliament.
- Composition and approval of internal decrees of PARLACEN and other necessary regulations.
- Formation of working commissions being regarded as necessary by the plenum.
- Proposal of drafts of contracts and agreements that are to be negotiated between the states of Central America and that are supposed to contribute to the satisfaction of the needs in the region.
- Annual discharge of the boards of the parliamentary standing committees.
- Additionally: other tasks which are assigned to it by this contract or its additional instruments.
The Parliamentary Committees
They are parliamentary authorities who – in order to draw up a corresponding report – are supposed to conduct studies and examinations which are either within their sphere of competence or are directed to them by the board or the plenum.The working committees of PARLACEN can be structured as follows:
Permanent commissions are established in the internal rules to work on affairs of the commission with unlimited duration. The permanent commissions are formed of at most two representatives per state and not exceeding twelve members in total.
At the moment there are the following thirteen permanent commissions:
- Commission of Agriculture, Fishing, Environment and Natural Resources
- Commission of Urban Development, Public Participation
- Commission of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Commission of Women, Children, Youth and Family
- Commission of Monetary Affairs and Finance
- Commission of Tourism
- Commission of International Relations and Migration Affairs
- Commission of Health, Social Security, Population, Labour and Corporation Affairs
- Commission of Peace, Public Security and Human Rights
- Commission of Integration, Trade and Economic Development
- Commission of Legal Affairs, Intgration Law and Regional Institutions
- Commission of Politics and Party Affairs
- Commission of Indigenous Peoples and Afro Descendants
Extraordinary commissions are established by the plenum for affairs that are of special importance and institutional significance for PARLACEN as well as for the process of integration.
Special commissions are established by the board of parliament to handle special affairs.
Parliamentary groups
They monitor the political trend of the Central American representatives and are organised according to the political orientation of their groups.The parliamentary groups are founded through the adoption of an internal statute that is presented in the plenary assembly. The board of parliament registers each parliamentary group. The statute is published and consists of the group's ideological principles, the political objectives and the regulations.
Board of parliament
It is the executive body for decisions that come out of the plenum and therefore is the administrative body of PARLACEN. It is expendable according to its internal rules.The board of parliament is elected out of the members. For the period of one year it is a permanent organ and is made up as follows:
- one president
- four vice-presidents
- five secretaries
The board makes its decisions with approval of seven of its members. In the event of a tie the votes of the presidency count as qualified majority. The presidency is filled by rota system corresponding to the alphabetical order of the member states, starting with the state, which holds the head office.
It is possible to appeal against all resolutions at the plenum. Owing to the special observer’s status of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, one vice-president and one secretary act on their behalf at the plenary.
The tasks of the board are the following:
- Consideration and handling of all requests for which PARLACEN is in charge.
- Conveying of the invitations for the ordinary and extraordinary meetings of the plenum of PARLACEN.
- Draft of the budget – designated in Central American Pesos – for the work routine of PARLACEN.
- Provision with information about respectively relevant results for each member state.
- Realizing the resolutions of PARLACEN.
- Handing in the annual report about the execution of its duties and the result of its administration to the plenary as well as the report about the budget.
- Management and controlling of the secretary office and appointment of necessary personnel. Here the equal treatment of all Central American states has to be taken into consideration.
- Handling of the economic and organisational affairs which affect PARLACEN.
- Proposal to the plenum of regulating instruments which are required by the internal order.
- Creation of special commissions to carry out a task or realize a special function.
- Proper filling in of vacancies that occur in absence of a representative.
- Calling of the deputy representative in case of vacancies.
- Proposal of a suitable list of candidates for the appointment of the internal and external accountants of PARLACEN to the plenary.
- Formation of delegations for official missions. This has to be done in accordance to the regulating norms for the integration of special missions of PARLACEN.
- Working out and approval of its own internal rules and task division among its members.
- As well as other tasks which are assigned to the board by the constitutive contract or by additional instruments.
Secretary office
The secretary office is the technical-administrative organ of PARLACEN and is divided into three sections, which basically have the following functions and responsibilities:The secretary office for parliamentary affairs handles and obeys the decisions of PARLACEN. It reports to the plenum on a regular basis and is of technical assistance to the plenum as well as to the commissions in all of their activities. In the same way it coordinates and manages the advice of the commissions and has to assist the extended board with the working out of the agenda for the meetings of the plenum when necessary.
The secretary office for administration and finance has to administer all branches, manager’s offices, departments and administrative units as well as the personnel of PARLACEN and has to control the proper administration of its resources.
The secretary office of the board offers technical help to the board in questions relating to the responsibilities of and the topics worked out by the board.
Presidents of PARLACEN
| President | Term in Office | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Roberto Carpio Nicolle | Oct. 1991 – Oct. 1992 | Guatemala |
| Ilsa Diaz Zelaya | Oct. 1992 – Oct. 1993 | Honduras |
| Jose Francisco Merino Lopez | Oct. 1993 – Jul. 1994 | El Salvador |
| Victor Augusto Vela Mena | Jul. 1994 – Oct. 1994 | Guatemala |
| Roland Valenzuela Oyuela | Oct. 1994 – Dec. 1995 | Honduras |
| Raul Zaldívar Guzmán | Dec. 1995 – Oct. 1996 | Honduras |
| Ernesto Lima Mena | Oct. 1996 – Oct. 1997 | El Salvador |
| Marco Antonio Solares Pérez | Oct. 1997 – Oct. 1998 | Guatemala |
| Carlos Roberto Reina Carlos Roberto Reina Carlos Roberto Reina Idiáquez was a politician of the Liberal Party of Honduras, and President of Honduras from January 27, 1994 to January 27, 1998.... |
Oct. 1998 – Oct. 1999 | Honduras |
| Jose Ernesto Somarriba Sosa | Oct. 1999 – Oct. 2000 | Nicaragua |
| Hugo Guiraud Gargano | Oct. 2000 – Oct. 2001 | Panama |
| Rodrigo Samayoa Rivas | Oct. 2001 – Oct. 2002 | El Salvador |
| Victor Augusto Vela Mena | Oct. 2002 – Oct. 2003 | Guatemala |
| Mario Facussé Handal | Oct. 2003 – Oct. 2004 | Honduras |
| Fabio Gadea Mantilla Fabio Gadea Mantilla Fabio Gadea Mantilla is a Nicaraguan radio journalist, writer, and politician. He is owner and co-founder of the news radio station Radio Corporación... |
Oct. 2004 – Oct. 2005 | Nicaragua |
| Julio Enrique Palacios Sambrano | Oct. 2005 – Oct. 2006 | Panama |
| Ciro Cruz Cepeda Pena | Oct. 2006 – Oct. 2007 | El Salvador |
| Julio Guillermo González Gamarra | Oct. 2007 – Oct. 2008 | Guatemala |
| Gloria Guadalupe Oquelí Solórzano de Macoto | Oct. 2008 – Oct. 2009 | Honduras |
| Jacinto José Suárez Espinoza | Oct. 2009 - Oct. 2010 | Nicaragua |
| Dorindo Jayan Cortez Marciaga | Oct. 2010 - Oct. 2011 | Panama |
| Manolo Pichardo | Oct. 2011 - Oct. 2012 | Dominican Republic |