Event Summary
After 20 years of successful civil society participation in the human rights spaces of MERCOSUR, Argentinian officials have, for the first time, prevented civil society from participating in the 5 and 6 May 2025 meetings of the regional trade bloc. Having assumed Pro Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR in 2025, Argentina has worked actively to hinder and ultimately boycott the space for civil society participation. According to the participating countries, the Argentine representative Úrsula Basset (in charge of the Human Rights Directorate of the Argentinian Foreign Ministry since March 2025) objected to all the topics proposed for the meeting, thus preventing – for the first time in 20 years of operation – the consensus necessary to work on a human rights agenda.
The meeting of High Authorities on Human Rights of MERCOSUR, moderated by the Institute of Public Policies on Human Rights (IPPDH), provides for the participation of representatives of civil society organizations as has been practiced for the past 20 years. In addition, civil society organizations and social movements in the region usually participate in biannual public consultations to share their analysis of the human rights situation, deepen relevant issues, and build regional advocacy proposals. The Public Consultations can be face-to-face and/or virtual and have been promoted jointly with the MERCOSUR Social Participation Unit. Thirteen public consultations on topics as diverse as human trafficking, LGBTIQ rights, and indigenous peoples’ participation have been held since 2015. Both the participation of civil society in the meeting of High Authorities on Human Rights and the Public Consultation with civil society have been discontinued for the first time during the Pro Tempore MERCOSUR Presidency of Argentina that began in the first half of 2025.
The discontinuation indicates a breaking point in the consultation and participation of these civil society groups, hindering the development of public policies for the exercise of rights of marginalized groups such as LGBTIQ persons, disabled persons, and those facing discrimination and racism. The actions of the Argentinian officials reflect a systematic stance of the Milei administration against the elaboration of human rights policies, the participation of civil society in the construction of public policy in general, and a marked lack of interest in the construction of regional agreements. The event risks generating a paradigm shift on social participation in the framework of the regional integration process and constitutes a negative precedent generating a democratic deficit in MERCOSUR.