Yes / The rule of law, that is, the fair, competent, effective, and predictable application of laws that enhance, rather than undermine, social accountability and fundamental human rights, is a core function of the state, and forms part of its social contract with the citizenry. However, ensuring that a government upholds the rule of law requires a number of checks and balances. Some of this accountability and enforcement function lies with the other branches of government: oversight of the executive by the legislative branch through its committees and reports, and by the judiciary, which has its own proactive powers and can be petitioned by citizens and their representatives. But this republican structure can still be unresponsive or resistant to scrutiny, particularly when elites across the branches of government are indifferent to, or collude in, maintaining chronic problems in the justice system. Active non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are therefore recognised as a crucial component in the effective application of the rule of law due to their independence from government and their often-different perspective on the impact of unevenly applied and unjust laws and law enforcement through direct contact with the victims of arbitrary treatment. This chapter explores ways in which NGOs (both international and local) can contribute to strengthening rule of law through a case study of how the Open Society Institute and its Justice Initiative (OSJI) and a network of Brazilian NGOs developed a campaign to reduce the excessive use of pre-trial detention. It demonstrates how NGOs can fulfil important watchdog functions and are able to change laws, policies and practices that significantly improve the rule of law by working strategically with one another, with international partners and with sympathetic state actors.

Quando se considera a Segurança Internacional da América Latina, comprovasse a inexistência de um ator regional com excedente de poder necessário, tanto em Hard power, poderes econômico, militar, e de mobilização, como de Soft power, de liderança passiva pela persuasão da conveniência da emulação e pela convicção de resultados melhores pela cooperação com o líder ou primus inter pares. Portanto, o exercício de um Smart power, o hábil e eficaz equilíbrio dos dois poderes mencionados só poderá acontecer dentro de um condomínio de boa vontade entre os países da região. Uma Segurança Cooperativa Sustentável para América Latina, com participação seminal dos países do Cone Sul será o objeto de análise deste trabalho. O Brasil e seus vizinhos do Cone Sul, com um peso específico importante na região, devem demonstrar Vontade Nacional e capacidade operativa para facilitar a realização de consensos entre os países envolvidos para garantir uma gestão sustentável da agenda regional de segurança. Isto se torna de particular premência numa conjuntura internacional onde ameaças e desafios relativos a região carecem de qualquer prioridade global, enquanto graves crises atuais e futuras imediatas se ensejam em zonas mais críticas ao Sistema Internacional. Como conseqüência caberá aos países da sub-região exercer eficientemente a vigilância, a prevenção e a rápida solução das ameaças e desafios a segurança. / The inexistence of a regional actor with the required excess of power is observed when considering the International Security of Latin America. Both in Hard power, the economical, military and mobilization powers, and in Soft power, the passive leadership obtained by persuasion of the convenience of imitation, as well as by the conviction of better results granted from cooperation with the leader or primus inter pares. Therefore, the exercise of Smart power, the efficient balance of the afore mentioned powers, can only succeed within an ambient of good will among the nations of the region. For Latin America a Sustainable Cooperative Security, with a seminal role of the countries of the Southern Cone will be the object of analysis of this study. Brazil and its Southern Cone neighbors, with their important specific weight in the region, must make explicit their National Will and operative capacity to enable the consensuses needed among the countries involved to assure a sustainable management of the regional security agenda. These factors are of paramount importance in an international context when threats and challenges related to this region lack any global prominence, at a time when the gravest present, and immediate future, crisises happen in most critical regions of the international System. Consequently, the countries of this sub-region will be forced to efficiently manage by themselves the surveillance, the preventive measures, and the swift solution of threats and challenges to the regions security.

Quando se considera a Segurança Internacional da América Latina, comprovasse a inexistência de um ator regional com excedente de poder necessário, tanto em Hard power, poderes econômico, militar, e de mobilização, como de Soft power, de liderança passiva pela persuasão da conveniência da emulação e pela convicção de resultados melhores pela cooperação com o líder ou primus inter pares. Portanto, o exercício de um Smart power, o hábil e eficaz equilíbrio dos dois poderes mencionados só poderá acontecer dentro de um condomínio de boa vontade entre os países da região. Uma Segurança Cooperativa Sustentável para América Latina, com participação seminal dos países do Cone Sul será o objeto de análise deste trabalho. O Brasil e seus vizinhos do Cone Sul, com um peso específico importante na região, devem demonstrar Vontade Nacional e capacidade operativa para facilitar a realização de consensos entre os países envolvidos para garantir uma gestão sustentável da agenda regional de segurança. Isto se torna de particular premência numa conjuntura internacional onde ameaças e desafios relativos a região carecem de qualquer prioridade global, enquanto graves crises atuais e futuras imediatas se ensejam em zonas mais críticas ao Sistema Internacional. Como conseqüência caberá aos países da sub-região exercer eficientemente a vigilância, a prevenção e a rápida solução das ameaças e desafios a segurança. / The inexistence of a regional actor with the required excess of power is observed when considering the International Security of Latin America. Both in Hard power, the economical, military and mobilization powers, and in Soft power, the passive leadership obtained by persuasion of the convenience of imitation, as well as by the conviction of better results granted from cooperation with the leader or primus inter pares. Therefore, the exercise of Smart power, the efficient balance of the afore mentioned powers, can only succeed within an ambient of good will among the nations of the region. For Latin America a Sustainable Cooperative Security, with a seminal role of the countries of the Southern Cone will be the object of analysis of this study. Brazil and its Southern Cone neighbors, with their important specific weight in the region, must make explicit their National Will and operative capacity to enable the consensuses needed among the countries involved to assure a sustainable management of the regional security agenda. These factors are of paramount importance in an international context when threats and challenges related to this region lack any global prominence, at a time when the gravest present, and immediate future, crisises happen in most critical regions of the international System. Consequently, the countries of this sub-region will be forced to efficiently manage by themselves the surveillance, the preventive measures, and the swift solution of threats and challenges to the regions security.

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