ABSTRACT
In 2000, the 1st Summit Meeting of South American Presidents was jointly held in Brasilia, Brazil by 13 South American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela, etc. At this summit, the “Initiative for Integration of the Regional Infrastructure in South America” (IIRSA) was jointly proposed by heads of these countries to improve the modernisation level of regional transportation, energy and telecommunication facilities; improve the regional connectivity level under a premise that all countries concerned have equal sovereignty and rights with sustainable development; and improve the overall competitive power of South America. Then, this annual summit was gradually formalised and institutionalised. In December 2004, at the 3rd Summit Meeting of South American Presidents, the “Cuzco Statement” was released to announce an establishment of the South American Community of Nations (CSN). In 2008, the “Constitutive Treaty of UNASUR” was formulated in Brasilia, Brazil, by all attending countries under the proposal of Venezuela to establish the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Correspondingly, the IIRSA (Initiative for Integration of the Regional Infrastructure in South America) Initiative was also included into the governance framework of UNASUR. In January 2009, at the 3rd Council of UNASUR, the South American Infrastructure and Planning Council (COSIPLAN) was formally established as a ministerial commission. IIRSA was also included in the COSIPLAN to provide technological support for the regional connectivity plan of COSIPLAN. 1
