Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) 

The Union of South American Nations is an intergovernmental body modeled after the European Union. Known as UNASUR, the group acts as a forum for interaction between member-country leaders and also serves as a platform for interregional trade promotion. UNASUR was conceived in an agreement dating back to 2004 that sought to promote regional integration by bringing together members of Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations. In May 2008, leaders from 12 South American countries inked the Constitutive Treaty to create UNASUR with the goal of enhancing regional economic and political integration. When Uruguay became the ninth member to ratify the charter in December 2010, the accord gained the necessary votes to give UNASUR legal status. The treaty subsequently went into effect in March 2011 during a meeting at the group’s headquarters in Quito, Ecuador.

Although UNASUR had looked to the European Union as a model for creating a common currency and central bank, its members shelved such proposals in the summer of 2011. During its tenure, the group has helped mediate conflicts between member countries, aided in disaster response, and fostered collaboration on collective defense and development projects. The group’s treaty explains that UNASUR was founded out of member countries’ “determination to build a South American identity and citizenship and to develop an integrated regional space.”

The current UNASUR members are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.