GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The chief ACJ objective is to promote the proper functioning and
strengthening of democratic institutions and the observance of
human rights in the Andean region countries.

It should be remembered that during the eighties, governments in
the region and throughout most of Latin America were, in general,
constitutional and democratically-elected.

The early nineties, however, have shown that this positive
progress is neither sufficient nor irreversible. The regions
institutional and political instability remains a matter of
concern. Democratic instituions -particulary the administration
of justice- are still inefficient and do not perform their
declared functions or correspond to the needs of society.

The symptoms of this state of affairs are the breakdown of
constitutional government in Peru, the repeated coup d'etat
attempts in Venezuela, the military "tutelage" which continues to
hamper the development of democracy in Chile, the persistent
armed conflicts and grave violence in Colombia and Peru and the
unchanging record of recurrent human rights violations in several
of the region's countries.

Hence, the ACJ's prime objective over the period, which, as
mentioned above, is to contribute to strengthening democratic
institutions and the observance of human rights in the Andean
region countries, and to give priority to the following:

-    Consolidating pluralist forums of dialogue and debate. The
ACJ has recognized status, and can influence representatives of
various sectors and social agents who are responsible for making
decisions and working on the issues in question so that they may
discuss their views and reach a minimum common policy-line.

-    Encouraging the formulation and publicity of proposals for
the issues in which the ACJ addresses, providing information and
guidance to the political community (government authorities,
members of parliament, advisors, political party leaders), the
judicial community (judges, magistrates, lawyers, and public
order authorities), community organizations and the media.

-    Influencing all those who make political decisions within
the administration of justice system and form public opinion.


SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE ACJ

The central objective of helping to strengthen democratic
institutions and enforce human rights in the Andean region
provides the framework for the individual objectives and target
issues addressed in the ACJ program of activities for this
period.
These involve developing the target issues covered in the
previous period, as they remain relevant and important in the
Andean region.

The following are the target issues:

a) To encourage institutional reform favourable to the continuity
of constitutional order and the reinforcement of democracy,
chiefly through strengthening civil society and citizen's
participation.

b) To reform the administration of justice, to establish an
independent and efficient system with a spirit of democracy,
increasing the legitimacy of the judiciary and public confidence
in it,and ensuring the integrity of the judges.

c) To promote the recognition and observance of the rights of
indigenous peoples in the Andean countries, so that "official
legislation" reflects the multi-ethnic and pluri-cultural nature
of our societes and the values and identity of the indigenous
population.

d) The adoption of control policies for illegal drug production,
supply, abuse and trafficking which do not exaggerate the
criminal dimension of penal law to the detriment of social peace
and the rights of the most vulnerable sectors (coca growers whose
crops are used to produce drugs, drug peddlers and consumers).

e) The protection of human rights, working towards their
observance in the region's countries, encouraging the greater use
and efficacy of the mechanisms designed for this purpose, in the
national law of each country and throughout the region.


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