MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur Parliament looking for more exposure meets in Paraguay

Legislators trying to sell the idea of Mercosur to voters

The Mercosur Parliament is scheduled to meet next week in Asunción, Paraguay, in an attempt to awaken public opinion interest in the legislative body. Members from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and eventually Venezuela (in the process of incorporation) will meet at the Paraguayan Congress building.

Parlasur, as the Mercosur Parliament in commonly identified normally holds its sessions in Montevideo, Uruguay, which has been chosen as head of the trade block’s administrative offices and legislative discussions.

The agenda includes an invitation to the Finance or Economy ministers of country members to deliver a conference on the current world situation and its impact on Mercosur and the region.

In related news Health ministers from the twelve members of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) meet Tuesday in Chile to set the foundations for the South American Council on Health with the purpose of promoting common sanitary policies.

Since Chile currently holds the chair of Unasur the new organization will have as president Chile’s Minister of Health Alvaro Erazo. The Health Council is the second council created in the framework of Unasur since last month. The first was the Defence Council strongly lobbied by Brazil.

According to the statutes of the council, decisions will be on consensus; ordinary meetings once a year; a coordinating committee will convene every six months, plus a technical secretariat and several technical groups.

The technical groups range from an epidemiologic shield; development of universal health schemes; universal access to medicines; promotion of good health practices and identifying social vulnerabilities plus development and management of human resources in the public health field.

Unasur embrees are Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guayana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.