Union of South American Nations facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Union of South American Nations

Spanish:	Unión de Naciones Sudamericanas
Portuguese:	União de Nações Sul-Americanas
Dutch:	Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties

Flag

Logo

Motto: "Soy del Sur" (I am from the South)

Member states Suspended member states Former member states

Administrative centers

Vacant (Secretariat)
Cochabamba, Bolivia
(Parliament)

Official languages

Spanish
Portuguese
English
Dutch

Demonym(s)

South American

Type

Continental union

Membership

7 members

Bolivia

Brazil

Guyana

Peru (suspended)

Suriname

Venezuela

2 observers

Mexico

Panama

Leaders

• President

Vacant

• Secretary General

Vacant

Legislature

South American Parliament

Establishment

Formation

• Cusco Declaration

8 December 2004

• Constitutive Treaty

23 May 2008

• Treaty in force

11 March 2011

Currency

5 currencies

Boliviano

Dollar

Sol

Dollar

Bolívar

Time zone

UTC −05 to −03

Calling code

see list

Internet TLD

5 TLDs

.bo

.gy

.pe

.sr

.ve

Notes
: Membership suspended

The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is an organization that brings together countries in South America. It was created to help these nations work together on different topics. These include politics, money, and defense.

UNASUR was officially formed on May 23, 2008. The main agreement, called the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty, became active on March 11, 2011. Its main office is in Quito, Ecuador.

At first, UNASUR had twelve member countries. However, over time, many countries decided to leave. Some have rejoined, like Brazil and Argentina. This has changed how the organization works.

Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

What is UNASUR?

UNASUR is an intergovernmental group. This means it's a group of governments working together. Its goal is to build a stronger community among South American nations. They want to share ideas and help each other grow.

The idea for UNASUR started with the Cusco Declaration in 2004. Twelve South American countries signed this statement. They wanted to create a "South American Community." Panama and Mexico joined as observers.

A key rule for UNASUR was to avoid creating many new offices. Instead, it planned to use existing groups. This helped prevent too much bureaucracy (rules and paperwork).

How UNASUR Started

Early Ideas for Unity

For a long time, people in South America have dreamed of working together. After countries gained independence from Spain and Portugal, leaders like Simón Bolívar wanted to unite them. In 1826, Bolívar even held a meeting in Panama. This meeting was called the "Amphictyonic" Congress of Panama. The goal was to form a group to protect the new republics. However, the plans did not fully succeed back then.

Later, in the 1990s, Brazil started pushing for a united South America. This idea became more active in the 2000s.

Forming the Union

The full plan for UNASUR came together on May 23, 2008. This happened at a meeting of leaders in Brasília, Brazil. They signed the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty.

The leaders wanted UNASUR to be like the European Union. They hoped for things like a shared passport and a parliament. They even thought about a single currency one day.

Uruguay was the ninth country to approve the treaty. This meant enough countries had agreed for UNASUR to become a legal group. This happened on March 11, 2011.

Changing the Name

At first, the group was called the "South American Community of Nations." Some people suggested changing it to "South American Union." But this name sounded too much like "United States of America."

So, on April 16, 2007, they chose a new name: the Union of South American Nations. All member countries agreed to this name.

Challenges and Changes

Leadership Issues

After 2017, UNASUR faced problems choosing new leaders. Countries couldn't agree on who should be the next Secretary General. This made it hard for the organization to work smoothly.

Some countries also started a new group called the Lima Group. This group focused on political issues in Venezuela.

Countries Leaving and Rejoining

In April 2018, six countries decided to pause their membership for a year. These were Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, and Peru. They felt the organization wasn't working well.

Later, some countries officially left UNASUR:

Colombia: Left in August 2018, but announced in 2023 that it would rejoin.
Brazil: Left in March 2019, but rejoined in May 2023.
Ecuador: Left in March 2019. It also asked UNASUR to return its headquarters building in Quito.
Argentina: Left in April 2019, but rejoined in April 2023.
Uruguay: Left in March 2020.

Because of these changes, a new group called PROSUR was formed in 2019. Many countries that left UNASUR joined PROSUR.

How UNASUR is Organized

Former headquarters of UNASUR

UNASUR has several important parts:

Council of Heads of State and Government: This is where the presidents of member countries meet once a year. They make the most important decisions.
President Pro Tempore: This is a temporary president. A different member country holds this role each year.
Council of Ministers of External Relationships: Foreign ministers from each country meet every six months. They suggest actions and make decisions.
Secretary General: This person is the main representative of UNASUR. The office is in Quito, Ecuador. Néstor Kirchner of Argentina was the first Secretary General. The position has been vacant since 2017.
South American Parliament: This body is planned to be in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Important Councils

UNASUR has many special councils. Each council focuses on a different area:

South American Defense Council: This council works on defense policies. It helps countries share military knowledge and do joint exercises.
South American Council of Health: This group brings together health ministers. They work on health programs for the region. They want to improve health for everyone in South America.
Council of Economy and Finance: This council looks at ways to strengthen trade and money matters. They discuss using national currencies for trade instead of the US dollar. They also work on developing banks like the Bank of the South.

The Bank of the South

The Bank of the South was launched in 2007. Its goal is to help fund projects for economic growth. It aims to improve local businesses and support science and technology. This bank is different from groups like the International Monetary Fund. It focuses on helping South American countries develop together.

One big idea for the Bank of the South is to create a single currency for the region.

Working Together on Defense

Soldier of the Brazilian Army patrols the surroundings of the Summit of Heads of State of Unasur in 2008, held in Brasilia.

The South American Defense Council (CDS) was created to improve military cooperation. It helps countries work together on security. The goal is not to form a military alliance like NATO. Instead, it promotes trust and security among nations. It also helps defense industries share ideas.

In 2010, UNASUR helped solve a disagreement between Colombia and Venezuela. It also created "UnasurHaití" to send aid to Haiti.

Supporting Democracy

UNASUR has a rule called the "Additional Protocol on Commitment to Democracy." This rule says that member states will not allow challenges to democratic governments. If a country's democratic order is threatened, UNASUR can take action.

These actions can include:

Stopping the country from taking part in UNASUR meetings.
Closing borders or limiting trade with the affected country.

Free Movement and Travel

One of UNASUR's goals is to make it easier for people to travel. Citizens of UNASUR countries can visit other member states for up to 90 days. They only need their identification document.

Many countries in the region have also agreed to let citizens live and work freely in other member countries. This means people can move more easily for jobs or to live.

Member Countries

UNASUR member states. (Territories in white not part of UNASUR.)

At its largest, UNASUR included twelve South American countries. As of 2023, some countries have rejoined after leaving.

Current members include:

Bolivia
Brazil
Guyana
Peru (currently suspended)
Suriname
Venezuela

Mexico and Panama are observers.

Territories Not Part of UNASUR

Some parts of South America are not part of UNASUR. This is because they are territories of countries outside South America. Examples include:

French Guiana, which is part of France.
The Falkland Islands, which are territories of the United Kingdom.

Images for kids

South American presidents gathered during an extraordinary meeting for the signing of the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty in May 2008 in Brasilia.
Néstor Kirchner, first Secretary General of UNASUR
Ernesto Samper, the most recent Secretary General.
Evo Morales was the most recent President of UNASUR.
Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the members of Unasur.
Members of UNASUR and main regional highways.
Selection of GDP PPP data (top 10 countries and blocks) in no particular order
Rafael Correa, Evo Morales, Néstor Kirchner, Cristina Fernández, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Nicanor Duarte, and Hugo Chávez at the signing of the founding charter of the Bank of the South
South American presidents in front of the Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires, during the bicentenary of the May Revolution.
South American leaders during the Unasur 4th Summit, in Georgetown, Guyana.
Heads of State at the 5th UNASUR Meeting in Lima, in Peru.
Member states of the Andean Community trade bloc.
Member states of the Mercosur trade bloc.
Member states of neither Andean Community nor Mercosur.
Exclusive Economic Zones of the member states of the USAN. Considering them, the total area reaches the 29,884,548 km² (11,538,488 sq mi)