Abstract
The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to investigate the increased interest in health as an important dimension of the foreign policy and diplomatic concerns together with the emergence of a new framework for regional health integration and regional health diplomacy. Second, it seeks to understand the role and practices of new regional blocs in the field of health and whether they are conducting to the emergence of new strategies for addressing health regional policies in South America. The regional policy process relates to health as a right. Thus, some practices and processes in social policy are setting new standards for political and social cohesion in the construction of new regionalism. Health crosses national, regional, and global agendas in a multi-directional fashion, rather than via one-way, top-down policy transfer. A special feature of Unasur is upholding regional health sovereignty despite the unique fact that member countries retain national autonomy. Unasur has projected foreign policy that promotes social values in ways that seem innovative. Experience as Unasur shows that regional organisms can become a game changer in global diplomacy and an influential actor in the international agenda. Resumen El objetivo de este artículo es doble. En primer lugar,investigar el creciente interés en la salud como una dimensión importante de la política exterior, en sintonía con el surgimiento de un nuevo marcopara la integración regional y la diplomacia en salud. En segundo lugar, comprender el papel y las prácticas de los nuevos bloques regionales en el campo de la salud y si estasconducena la emergencia de nuevas estrategias para abordar las políticas sanitarias regionales en América del Sur. Los nuevos procesos de integración regional se refieren a la salud como un derecho. Así, algunas prácticas y procesos de la política regional están estableciendo nuevos patrones de cohesión política y social en el avancede un nuevo regionalismo. La salud en este proceso de formulación e implementación de la política regional,atraviesa las agendas nacionales, regionales y globales de forma multidireccional. Un valor agregado de Unasur es su propuesta de avanzar es pos de una mayor soberanía regional en salud, a pesar del hecho de que los países miembros mantienen su autonomía nacional. En este sentido, Unasur ha proyectado una política exterior que promueve principios y valores a partir de un enfoque innovador. El caso de Unasur muestra que los organismos regionales tienen el potencial para cambiar las reglas (y el resultado) del juego en la diplomacia global y convertirse en actores influyentes en la agenda internacional.
Highlights
Social policy rose to a high priority of countries, after the results of neoliberal policies, in a context of increased social inequalities, lack of access to health systems and expansion of social exclusion
Health became an essential part of the equation of international relations, and it has generated an unprecedented hike in funding and growing the influence of policymakers, activists, and philanthropists who claim health as a foreign policy issue of first-order importance[1]
Given the influence of the European Union as a template, it has been difficult to consider the effectiveness of a regional integration organization without the delegation of sovereignty and the creation of a supranational instance
Summary
Social policy rose to a high priority of countries, after the results of neoliberal policies, in a context of increased social inequalities, lack of access to health systems and expansion of social exclusion. Social policies, and health policies, become essential strategies to combat poverty and reduce inequalities. Health emerged in the XXI century on the global political agenda as an issue that could only be effectively addressed through cooperative efforts. Health has acquired an important place in international relations and diplomatic concerns and has come to play a key role in the foreign policy agenda in the last decades. Fidler[1] calls this moment the global health ‘revolution’ to denote the increasing health role in foreign policy. Health became an essential part of the equation of international relations, and it has generated an unprecedented hike in funding and growing the influence of policymakers, activists, and philanthropists who claim health as a foreign policy issue of first-order importance[1]
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