The Inter-American Democratic Charter was adopted by the member states of the OAS at a special session of the General Assembly held on September 11, 2001, in Lima, Peru. The Democratic Charter, as it is most commonly known, is the affirmation that democracy is and should be the common form of government for all countries of the Americas, and it represents a collective commitment to maintaining and strengthening the democratic system in the region. Article 1 of the Charter clearly states: "The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy, and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it." The main purpose of this inter-American instrument is the strengthening and upholding of democratic institutions throughout the nations of the Americas. The Charter defines democracy and its relationship to integral development and the fight against poverty, it specifies how it should be defended when under threat and it promotes democratic values and culture. The Charter has been invoked on several occasions in situations that affected or threatened the democratic political institutional process or a government’s legitimate exercise of power. This map illustrates the times, places and circumstances when the Democratic Charter was invoked.

Below you will find a compact version of these Missions.

Inter-American Democratic Charter English | Español

Tenth anniversary of Inter-American Democratic Charter English | Español