espeng

COSIPLAN

UNASUR

Institutional Structure

The institutional structure of IIRSA was created ad hoc for the implementation of the Action Plan 2000-2010. Was based on the coordination among existing institutions in its Member Countries and the technical support provided by three regional development agencies. The institutional structure counted with the following stages:

Executive Steering Committee

The Executive Steering Committee (CDE, in Spanish) is the managing body of IIRSA, responsible for defining its strategic guidelines and approving its action plans, based on the proposals reached by consensus at the meetings of the National Coordinators, the Executive Technical Groups (GTEs) and the Technical Coordination Committee (CCT), as well as put forth by member countries.

The CDE is made up of high-ranking representatives appointed by the South American governments from the institutions that they deem relevant. In most cases, this body is composed of national ministers concerned with the infrastructure and planning areas.

The CDE is organized into a Presidency Pro Tempore and two Vice-Presidencies Pro Tempore (these latter positions being held, respectively, by the country in charge of the immediate past Presidency and the country that will assume the immediate future Presidency). The Secretariat is held by the Technical Coordination Committee (CCT, in Spanish), composed of the IDB, CAF and FONPLATA, pursuant to the Meeting of Presidents held in Brasilia.

In terms of its operation, the CDE meets once a year for the main purposes of evaluating the actions taken within the framework of the Initiative and defining the action plan to be adopted for the following year.

National Coordinations

The National Coordinations (CNs, in Spanish) are the focal points of IIRSA in each country. They have the twofold task of coordinating both the exchanges with the other CNs that take place in all the bodies of IIRSA and the participation of the different governmental agencies from their own countries.

This inter-ministerial coordination task is relevant given IIRSA’s multinational, multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary characteristics, so that not only are the sectoral ministries (Transport, Energy and Communications) involved but also the Foreign Relations, Planning and Economy Ministries. Furthermore, the National Coordinators facilitate the participation of other sectors of society (such as the private sector, the sub-national governments and the civil society) in the activities organized by IIRSA.

Within the framework of IIRSA, the CNs report directly to the national representative at the Executive Steering Committee (CDE, in Spanish) and, at the domestic level, adopt the organization that best suits their institutional characteristics. In all the cases, however, regardless of the organization adopted, a National Coordinator is appointed.

The CNs lead the implementation of IIRSA’s action plan. In order to improve the performance of their tasks, the CNs meet on a regular basis, generally twice a year, to analyze the progress made regarding the annual action plans approved by the CDE. Additionally, they work jointly with the regional development institutions that make up the Technical Coordination Committee (CCT, in Spanish) on all aspects of the activities conducted by IIRSA. In this context, they prepare, together with the CCT, the agenda and the documents necessary for the annual meeting of the CDE.

On occasion of the Seventh Meeting of the Executive Steering Committee, held in Asunción, Paraguay, in 2005, the institutionalization of the National Coordinations was approved with the aim of strengthening their role as coordinators of the countries’ participation in the different technical activity areas of IIRSA. Their objectives, roles and composition are detailed in Annex 10 to the Minutes of the Asunción Meeting.

Executive Technical Groups

The Executive Technical Groups (GTEs, in Spanish) are IIRSA's technical working groups. They analyze specific issues related to each Integration and Development Hub (EID, in Spanish) and each Integration Sectoral Process (PSI, in Spanish).

The Executive Technical Groups (GTEs) are IIRSA's technical working groups. Originally, a GTE was organized for each EID and PSI, but as the work of IIRSA evolved, new GTEs were created for other areas, such as concrete projects (the Exports through Postal Services for MSMEs and the South American Roaming Agreement projects).

 The GTEs are made up of officials and experts appointed by the countries from governmental agencies deemed relevant for the area of work concerned. The appointment of delegates to represent each country at the GTE meetings falls under the responsibility of the National Coordinators (CNs, in Spanish), who preside over their own delegations. The National Coordinations are also concerned with communicating information about the agenda, outcomes and actions to be adopted to their respective governments. The CCT and its Secretariat facilitate the organization of GTE meetings by providing technical, logistic and financial support to contribute to attaining the expected goals.

Technical Coordination Committee

The Technical Coordination Committee (CCT, its Spanish acronym) is made up of the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), the Corporación Andina de Fomento and the Financial Fund for the Development of the River Plate Basin (FONPLATA). The CCT provides technical and financial support to countries in all IIRSA-related topics, and acts as a process facilitator, a coordinator of joint activities and the guardian of IIRSA’s institutional reports. Its work is primarily concerned with the priority areas defined by the Executive Steering Committee (CDE) and the Executive Technical Groups (GTEs).

The  CCT’s Secretariat is permanently based at the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (IDB-INTAL), located in Buenos Aires.

Secretariat of the Technical Coordination Committee

The CCT has a Secretariat, based in the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (IDB-INTAL) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The CCT Secretariat is in charge of coordinating activities with the institutions that form part of the CCT and serves as a liaison among the CCT, the Presidencies Pro Tempore of the Executive Steering Committee (CDE) and the National Coordinations (CNs ). In addition, the Secretariat performs organization and logistics tasks associated with the annual work program scheduled for IIRSA.

CCT Secretariat:

Esmeralda 130, 16th Floor
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel: (5411) 4323-2360
secretaria@iirsa.org