Multilevel governance and peace in the western hemisphere: A paradigm for sustainable regional cooperation

The Western Hemisphere (WH) encompasses 42 countries in North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean, along with territories dependent on foreign powers such as France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, and Denmark. This broad composition gives the region a complex geopolitical, cultural, and social dynamic that is affected by multiple actors, in addition to the disparate levels of development of its constituent countries. Given this context, public governance (PG) and a culture of peace (COP) are essential for addressing challenges such as corruption, insecurity, poverty, and migration through dialogue, including clear rules for cross-border coordination. The Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" proposes a strategy to strengthen the US presence, highlighting key countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This study employs a qualitative methodology based on documentary and comparative analysis, along with triangulation of theoretical sources. Specifically, conceptual frameworks on PG and COP, are examined to contextualize challenges such as corruption, insecurity, poverty, and migration. Likewise, the policies of China, Russia, and Iran in the region are analyzed, and international indicators -Global Peace Index (GPI), 2024, Corruption Perceptions Index (CP) 2024, and Human Development Index (HDI), 2022-, are incorporated to contrast the regional situation. The results and conclusions of this qualitative analysis reveal a complex environment with structural problems—corruption, inequality, lack of peace, impunity, and institutional weakness—that hinder sustainable development processes. Based on this diagnosis, equitable and sustainable public policies are proposed, adapted to each national and subnational context, to strengthen multilevel governance and inter-American cooperation to promote a culture of peace throughout the hemisphere.