Institutional Organization of COSIPLAN

The COSIPLAN Working Groups (WGs) focus on topics that, after having undergone robust technical development,

need to gain momentum at the political level. Four COSIPLAN Working Groups have been created.

+ RAIL INTEGRATION

The Working Group (WG) on Rail Integration was created by the COSIPLAN Ministers at their Second Ordinary Meeting (Brasilia, November 2011).

Its creation is the result of the countries’ commitment to fostering integration and complementarity of policies and projects in the rail sector that encourage economic and social development.

The activities conducted by the WG are built upon the work carried out by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay to design the Paranaguá-Antofagasta Bioceanic Railway Corridor API project.

At the Third Ordinary Meeting of COSIPLAN Ministers (Lima, November 2012), the Eastern Republic of Uruguay was commissioned with its coordination. This WG was divided into two Working Subgroups (WSGs), each of them focusing on one of the following two API projects:

• Subgroup on the Paranaguá-Antofagasta Bioceanic Railway Corridor (Argentina-Brazil-Chile-Paraguay), active since 2014.

• Subgroup on the Central Bioceanic Railway Corridor (Bolivia-Brazil-Peru), active since 2015.

With the purpose of focusing its actions on promoting integration through the rail transportation mode in South America, this WG has followed three courses of action since 2012, namely:


Draft an Action Plan that facilitates South American rail integration.	Make headway with the implementation of the works and operation of the API project infrastructure within the framework of the Working Subgroups.	Share information on rail programs and projects in place in each country included in the COSIPLAN Portfolio and API, identifying also other binational or multinational rail projects.

+ FINANCING MECHANISMS AND GUARANTEES

The Working Group on Financing Mechanisms and Guarantees was created by the COSIPLAN Ministers at their Second Ordinary Meeting (Brasilia, November 2011).

Its creation reveals that the question of financing mechanisms and guarantees is one of the greatest challenges to the implementation of projects. Therefore, its actions seek to identify financial solutions for the efficient execution of the Integration Priority Project Agenda (API) projects.

At the Third Ordinary Meeting of COSIPLAN Ministers (Lima, November 2012), the Federal Republic of Brazil was commissioned with the task of coordinating the WG.

To identify solutions for API project implementation purposes, the WG has been working since 2012 with a roadmap based on five axes:


Conduct a diagnosis of the situation related to the execution and financing of the API projects in each country.	Apply a follow-up and monitoring system to the API projects.	Assess and enhance the pre-investment funds for the API projects.


	Assess the feasibility of implementing mechanisms to facilitate the financing of infrastructure projects.	Establish coordination and articulation strategies between the COSIPLAN and the Economy and Finance Council (CEF).

+ TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Working Group on Telecommunications was created by the COSIPLAN Ministers at their Second Ordinary Meeting (Brasilia, November 2011) following an initiative adopted at the First Meeting of South American Communications Ministers (Brasilia, November 2011).

The work undertaken by this WG is intended to study and propose alternatives to boost interconnection among different structures and optic fiber networks and the construction of the South American Fiber Optic Ring, promoting the intensive use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) with the purpose of overcoming geographic and operational barriers.

The Working Group designed a “Roadmap for South American Connectivity toward Integration,” approved at the Second Meeting of the South American Communications Ministers (Asunción, March 2012). After that, the Working Group held several meetings to follow up on the actions detailed in such roadmap.

At the Fourth Ordinary Meeting of COSIPLAN Ministers (Santiago, November 2013), the Republic of Paraguay was commissioned with the task of coordinating the Working Group.

+ COSIPLAN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) AND WEBSITE

The Working Group on the COSIPLAN Geographic Information System (GIS) and Website was created by the

COSIPLAN Ministers at their Fourth Ordinary Meeting (Santiago de Chile, November 2013), the coordination of which was commissioned to the Republic of Argentina.

The actions of this Working Group have two purposes:

Provide COSIPLAN with a georeferencing tool to guide the territorial planning in South America by developing a Geographic Information System (COSIPLAN GIS)
Build a COSIPLAN website containing the objectives and contents agreed upon by the countries to become a tool ensuring the transparency of the activities undertaken within the framework of COSIPLAN.

It is committed to the intensive use of Information Technologies, the application of methodologies, and the development of tools that guide territorial planning and enable the design, implementation and operation of physical integration projects.