Security of small island states
Reports
|
OEA/Ser.G
CP/doc.2990/97 corr.1
17 November 1997
Original: English |
SPECIAL SECURITY CONCERNS OF SMALL ISLAND STATES
[Document prepared by the General Secretariat in compliance with
resolution AG/RES. 1497 (XXVII-O/97), operative paragraph 5]
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
17th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W. Washington,
D.C. 20006
October 30, 1997
Mr. Chairman:
I have the honor to address Your Excellency, in
compliance with the mandate given by the XXVII Regular Session of the
General Assembly, through which it requested "the General Secretariat
and the appropriate organs, agencies, and entities of the Inter
American System to study ways in which they can address the special
security concerns raised at the Special Meeting of the Committee on
Hemispheric Security and to present the results of this study to the
Permanent Council by October 1997" (AG/RES.1497).
After reviewing the conclusions of the Special Meeting
of the Committee on Hemispheric Security on the Special Security
Concerns of Small Island States, the appropriate inter American
organs, agencies, and entities identified ways in which they could
assist the small island states to address the range of concerns raised
during the Special Meeting and developed programs and projects to this
end. The following report, prepared by the General Secretariat,
describes the action undertaken by the various organs, agencies, and
entities of the inter American system to address the special security
concerns of the small island states.
I. SECURITY CONCERNS OF SMALL ISLAND STATES: ECONOMIC
ISSUES
The Special Meeting of the Committee on Hemispheric
Security on the Special Security Concerns of Small Island States
(hereinafter "Special Meeting") recognized that, for the small island
states of the Caribbean. security is multi dimensional in scope and
includes economic elements, in addition to military, political,
social, and natural components. Point 3 (ii) of the "Rapporteur's
Report on the Special Meeting of the Committee on Hemispheric Security
on the Special Security Concerns of Small Island States", CP/CSH 58/97
corn 1 (hereinafter "Rapporteur's Report"), highlighted some of the
economic issues that pose a threat to the security of small island
states.
His Excellency Ambassador Osbert W. Liburd Permanent
Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the Organization of
American States President of the Permanent Council Washington, D.C.
Specifically, the report noted that "small island
states are characterized by limited domestic markets, open economies
with high dependence on trade, and dependence on one or two exports of
primary products and raw material destined for one or two major
markets". Therefore, "trade policies of more developed economies and
of the international community are critical variables in the economic
viability of small island states". The trade integration and
liberalization process, while it presents new opportunities for small
island states, also brings new challenges.
The concerns noted in the Rapporteur's Report were
among those that prompted the Trade Ministers of the Hemisphere,
meeting in Denver in June 1995, to create the Working Group on Smaller
Economies, chaired by Jamaica, in order to address the specific
challenges to the participation of the smaller economies in the Free
Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The objective of the Working Group
is to operationalize the opportunities and mitigate the imbalances
inherent in a process that includes the largest and several of the
smaller economies in the Hemisphere. Since its establishment, the
Working Group has set about addressing these issues through its
mandate to: (1) identify and assess the factors affecting the
participation of the smaller economies in the FTAA and the expansion
of trade and investment stimulated therefrom; (2) identify and examine
ways to facilitate the adjustment of the smaller economies to the FTAA
process, including the promotion and expansion of their trade; and (3)
provide recommendations on measures to be taken, including technical
assistance, to facilitate the integration and effective participation
of the smaller economies in the FTAA, and issues to be taken into
account in the negotiations of the FTAA.
The OAS Trade Unit is the primary supporting
institution to the Working Group on Smaller Economies. In responding
to its mandate from the Hemisphere's Trade Ministers to support the
Working Group on Smaller Economies, the Trade Unit simultaneously has
acted in fulfillment of the General Assembly mandate embodied in
AG/RES. 1497 "to study ways in which they can address the special
security concerns raised at the Special Meeting of the Committee on
Hemispheric Security...". Indeed, significant initiatives were
undertaken by the Trade Unit in advance of the Special Meeting that
address the issues raised therein. In particular, as part of its
contribution to the work of the FTAA Working Group on Smaller
Economies, the Trade Unit has prepared a number of technical documents
that address the opportunities and challenges to the smaller
economies, including small island states, that will come with the
hemispheric integration process. These include:
a. Special and Differential Treatment in International
Trade b. Trato Especial y Diferenciado en el Comercio Internacional SG/TU/WG.SME/Doc.1/Rev.
1. 5 February 1996. Original. English The paper examines the methods
by which international trading agreements and arrangements have sought
to assist the participation of less developed countries in their
activities. The paper covers the GATT, the WTO, and a number of
Western Hemisphere regional and sub regional arrangements such as
ALADI, MERCOSUR, NAFTA, CARICOM, the Central American Common Market
and the Andean Pact.
a. Observations on Small Economies and Western
Hemisphere Economic Integration b. Observaciones sobre las Economias
Pequeñas y la Integración Económica del Hemisferio Occidental SG/TU/WG.SME/Doc.2/95.
27 November 1995. Original: English The paper sets out indicators of
size in terms of population, land area, and/or national income. and
examines these indicators for the countries of the Hemisphere.
a. Mechanisms and Measures to Facilitate the
Participation of Smaller Economies in the Free Trade Area of the
Americas
b. Mecanismos y Medidas para Facilitar la
Participación de las Economías más Pequeñas en el Área de Libre
Comercio de las Américas SG/TU/WG.SME/Doc.4/96/Rev 1 September 1996.
Original. English The paper presents a thorough analysis of trade
policy options available to facilitate the participation of smaller
economies in the FTAA process. The paper analyzes the challenges
facing the smaller economies in their efforts to integrate into the
FTAA and provides a survey of the trade policy areas under
consideration in the FTAA process (i.e. tariff elimination, standards
and technical barriers to trade, intellectual property, etc).
In the twelve months since the Special Meeting, the
Trade Unit has produced the following additional document:
a. Mechanisms and Measures to Facilitate the
Participation of Smaller Economies in the Free Trade Area of the
Americas. An Update b. Mecanismos y Medidas para Facilitar la
Participación de las Economías más Pequeñas en el Área de Libre
Comercio de las Américas: Actualización SG/TU/WG.SME/Doc. 4/96/Rev. 2
October 1997. Original. English The paper builds upon the previous
analysis of trade policy options available to facilitate the
participation of smaller economies in the FTAA process. The paper
examines, in detail, a wide range of trade policy areas, such as
tariff elimination, standards and technical barriers to trade,
intellectual property, etc.
Trade Unit staff also have participated as invited
guests in a number of events organized in the small island states of
the Caribbean by providing briefings on the FTAA process.
Finally, the Trade Unit is also supporting five
projects presently under consideration for funding by the OAS Member
States under the auspices of the Inter American Council for Integral
Development (CIDI). These projects, which specifically respond to the
concerns of the small island states, received a favorable review from
the Non Permanent Specialized Committees (CENPES) of the CIDI, and
final funding decisions on these projects are expected to take place
in late October, 1997. The five projects currently under final review
are:
A. Multilateral and Regional Trade Issues for the
Americas: Advanced Training Course for Government Officials
The training program will be a joint effort of the
OAS, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Georgetown University.
The program envisioned will have two stages. The first stage will
involve a planning workshop during which trade policy specialists and
experts in training government officials will be brought together to
design the curriculum and structure of the training program. This
workshop will take place in the second semester of 1997 in Washington,
DC. It will be complemented by a second workshop in the first semester
of 1998 to prepare curricular materials for the training program in
light of the results of the April 1998 Summit of the Americas.
The second stage will be the centerpiece of the
program: two three week training courses on the FTAA process at
Georgetown University. These courses will address the key issues of
regional and multilateral trade talks. Class sessions will be offered
on the following topics:
Recent Trends in Economic Integration and Trade The
World Trade Organization Regional Trading Arrangements Smaller
Economies: Multilateral Issues Smaller Economies: Regional Issues
Market Access Rules of Origin Trade in Agricultural Goods Sanitary and
Phytosanitary Provisions Textiles Standards and Technical Barriers to
Trade Government Procurement Competition Policy Investment Rules
Intellectual Property Rights Services Dispute Settlement Mechanisms
Status of Multilateral and Regional Trade Talks
Course sessions, which will be offered in both English
and Spanish, will be taught by a mix of trade analysts and
practitioners drawn from the Georgetown University faculty, the WTO,
the OAS Trade Unit, sub regional organizations such as CARICOM, SIECA,
and MERCOSUR, as well as law firms and think tanks. The participants
will be key trade policy officials, primarily from the smaller
economies of the Americas. Approximately 25 officials will attend each
course. The tentative course dates for 1998 are June 1 20 for the
course taught in English and June 29 July 17 for course taught in
Spanish.
B. Three (3) Regional Seminars on Issues Related to
the Free Trade Area of the Americas Process
The complex issues of the Free Trade Area of the
Americas and their relationship to multilateral and sub regional
trading arrangements require consideration in fore dedicated
separately to these issues. These regional seminars will be carried
out by the appropriate technical agency in Latin America and the
Caribbean in areas such as investment, services, and trade remedies.
The seminars will be targeted to small economies and will focus on
elements related to trade negotiations. They will include speakers
from organizations such as the OECD, UNCTAD, and the WTO.
C. Trade and Integration in the Americas: Public and
Private Sectors Workshop on the Free Trade Area of the Americas
The Free Trade Area of the Americas deliberations to
date have highlighted the need for technical assistance for full
participation in the FTAA process and the fact that dialogue with, and
support of, the private sector is essential. This workshop will
contribute to the two larger goals of supporting smaller economies and
involving the private sector in trade debates. The proposed three day
workshop on the FTAA issues, organized jointly with the Guatemalan
Development Foundation, is a pilot project that, first, will be
conducted in Guatemala for a select group of Guatemalan trade
officials and representatives of the business community. This project
not only will provide the Guatemalan government and business
representatives with intensive exposure to the relevant issues of the
FTAA, but also will facilitate exchange on these issues between the
public and private sectors. If this project is a success, it will be
replicated in Central America and in the small island states of the
Caribbean.
D. Free Trade Area of the Americas Seminar on
Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade
Standards for products traded among nations have
become a key component of trade agreements. The international debate
on standards setting and implementation of standards policy is one of
the most technical areas of trade policy. Many national policy makers
are now in the process of upgrading their government offices to be
able to better manage the design and implementation of standards
policies. This proposed four day seminar aimed at participants from
the Caribbean region will take place in Trinidad and Tobago in
November 1997. The seminar is designed to provide government officials
from the Caribbean countries with a detailed understanding of
standards issues. Similar seminars will be offered in Guatemala for
the Central American countries and the Dominican Republic, and in
Uruguay for participants from South American countries. NB: Funding
for the Caribbean project already has been approved. The Central
American project is awaiting final approval by CIDI.
E. Competition Policy in Latin America: A Regional
Seminar
Competition policy is a new area of trade
negotiations. Information on policy design options, the experience of
other countries, and treatment of the subject in other regional and
multilateral fore is in demand among the nations participating in the
FTAA process. Peru, as the nation chairing the FTAA Working Group on
Competition Policy, responded to this demand by organizing a regional
seminar on the subject in August 1996. This seminar, which was open to
participation from Caribbean countries, was very well received. A
second, follow up seminar is now proposed to examine issues in more
depth. INDECOPI, the Peruvian organization sponsoring the seminar,
will select the speakers and invite participants from Latin America
and the Caribbean.
The Trade Unit, through its support of the FTAA
process, will continue to assist the small island states to address
the concerns raised at the Special Meeting of the Committee on
Hemispheric Security.
II. TOURISM AND THE SECURITY OF SMALL ISLAND STATES
As the Rapporteur's Report notes in section 3(b), "the
livelihood of [the] small island states [in the Caribbean] is founded
largely on ... tourism". As such, tourism is a significant driver in
the economic development process of these countries. With the erosion
of preferential trading arrangements enjoyed by the small island
states, pointed out in section 3(a)(ii) of the Rapporteur's Report,
tourism has become even more fundamental to the economies of these
countries.
The growth of the tourism industry in the small island
states of the Caribbean, however, is threatened as a legitimate engine
of economic growth by the pervasive increase in the trafficking of
illicit drugs. For small island states, this increase in the
trafficking in, and abuse of, drugs, together with the criminality
associated with these activities, threaten not only the sustained
development of tourism, but also the security of the state itself.
Over the past twelve months CICAD has undertaken programming that
responds specifically to the concerns of the small island states in
this area. Detailed information on activities of CICAD to combat the
scourge of drugs, which fully apply in this context, can be found in
section V of this report.
Additionally, during the Seventeenth Inter American
Travel Congress, which met in April 1997, the issue of tourism
sustainability from the standpoint of security management at tourist
destination points was examined in detail. While tourist safety and
security is an internal security matter, its effect on the tourism
industry can be so far reaching that in depth consideration by the
Congress of the security of tourists and their property was warranted.
As a result of its discussion and analysis of this matter, the
Congress adopted resolution TURISMO/RES. (XVII 3/97), entitled
"Tourist Security", through which it urged the governments of OAS
member states "to implement joint public and private sector programmes
aimed at providing security for tourists and their property", and
itself resolved "to intensify cooperation in promoting integral
training programmes for the different public and private agents
involved in the tourism sector", and "to compile the existing
information on tourist security and disseminate it among the member
states". The Inter Sectoral Unit for Tourism, as the Permanent
Secretariat of the Congresses, will work to implement this resolution
during the intervening period leading up to the next Congress.
Finally, following the April meeting of the Inter
American Travel Congress, the Inter Sectoral Unit for Tourism has
developed programming aimed at the general strengthening the tourism
industry to ensure that this critical driver of the economic
development process of the small island states remains viable and
sustainable for the future. In this regard, planned programming of the
Inter Sectoral Unit for Tourism for 1998, which will positively impact
on the efforts of the small island states to address the issue of
security as a critical element in the area of tourism sustainability,
includes projects and programmes that will:
1. Create a database to facilitate effective
assessment policy determination and transfer of knowledge. 2. Assess
the effects of trade liberalization and economic integration on
tourism. 3. Provide training in tourism public attitudes awareness
that will communicate to the general public the value and benefits of
tourism to the economy. 4. Assist countries in diversifying their
tourism product. 5. Encourage investment in the tourism sector. 6.
Assist in the development of national policies and development plans.
7. Support tourism marketing activities.
Successful completion of these programs and projects
will help to maintain the viability and ensure the sustainability of
this very important sector. These projects were favorably reviewed by
the CENPES and are awaiting final approval for funding by the Member
States.
III. THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAE HAZARD DIMENSIONS
OF THE SECURITY OF SMALL ISLAND STATES
As noted above, for the small island states of the
Caribbean, security is multi dimensional in scope and includes
environmental, as well as other elements. CP/CSH 58/97 corn 1 at page
2. The Rapporteur's Report, in section 3(b) specifically dedicated to
environmental issues, stressed the fact that the economic activities
of small island states highly depend on "their fragile ecosystems",
and recognized that "the adverse impact of natural disasters
(hurricanes, volcanos, floods, and drought) on their economies and on
the fabric of their societies is significantly heightened as any of
these can cause immediate devastation, loss of life, extensive damage
to property, leading to the disruption to key sectors of the total
economy for protracted periods of time".
The Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment,
in order to respond to the special concerns of small island states is
implementing the following programs and projects:
A. Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project (CDMP)
The Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project seeks to
address some of the adverse effects of natural disasters on the
economies and societies of the small island states. The CDMP includes
the following components. which are currently in execution:
1. Disaster preparedness programs at community level
in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 2. Reducing vulnerability of low
income housing through formal construction programs and the
introduction of building codes in Eastern Caribbean. 3. Disaster loss
reduction in Caribbean infrastructure in conjunction with the
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Caribbean Electrical Utility
Association (CARILEC). 4. Promoting partnerships with the insurance
industry for the promotion of risk reduction among policy owners. 5.
Increasing safety of emergency shelters and schools in conjunction
with CDB and the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO). The
program has been executed in conjunction with a Hemispheric Program
for Disaster Reduction in the Education Sector, funded by ECHO. The
resulting plan is being presented to regional political and technical
fora for review and adoption. 6. Strengthening the hazard mapping and
mitigation planning capacity at national levels with planning offices
and, at the regional level, with the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency
Response Agency (CDERA), the University of the West Indies (UWI), and
the Caribbean Meteorological Institute (CMI).
Additional planned activities under the CDMP, include:
1. Transfer of CDMP activities to regional
institutions. 2. Development of a variety of training programs in the
specialized institutions and the UWI to extend and institutionalize
capacity building.
B. Integrated Coastal Area Management in the Caribbean
To preserve the fragile ecosystems of the Caribbean,
on which many of the economic activities of the small island states
depend, the Unit is implementing the Integrated Coastal Management
Project in the Caribbean, which aims to support national and regional
initiatives with a program that targets institutional strengthening,
training, and development of integrated legislation; and develop and
maintain an INTERNET based resource and information exchange network.
C. Caribbean: Planning for Adaptation to Global
Climate Change (CPACC)
The CPACC project involves the installation of a
Caribbean wide network of multi sensor climate and sea level gauges;
providing data analysis and improving dissemination capacity; and
capacity building and institutional strengthening in the areas of
coastal vulnerability assessment, integrated coastal zone management,
coral reef monitoring, and development of regulatory and economic
measures for sustainable management of coastal resources.
Additional planned activities under this project
include the development, within the regional institutions involved in
the CPACC project (University of the West Indies, Caribbean
Meteorological Institute, etc.), of the capacity to prepare follow up
project proposals and attract funding for implementation.
D. Bolivia Summit on Sustainable Development Follow up
The Heads of State and Government of the Americas
entrusted to the OAS the role of coordinating follow up on the various
decisions of the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development. In
fulfillment of this mandate, the Unit of Sustainable Development and
the Environment has undertaken a number of activities that also
address some of the environmental concerns raised by the small island
states during the Special Meeting. Specifically, the Unit has
facilitated the establishment of an Inter American Dialogue on
Disaster Reduction and an inter agency consultative meeting on
incorporating disaster reduction into economic development plans. It
is also promoting a consultative process on civil participation in
disaster reduction.
IV. MAINTAINING SECURITY THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF
DEMOCRACY
It is generally accepted that the political
environment in and among most of the small island states benefits from
a traditional culture of democracy. Yet, recognizing the nexus between
the quality of governance and the effectiveness with which the
countries deal with factors that impact, either positively or
negatively, on national/hemispheric security, the governments of the
small island states of the English speaking Caribbean have identified
a need to strengthen the traditional cultural fabric of their
societies. This is evidenced by their adoption of a CARICOM Charter of
Civil Society and, more so, by decisions taken at the Eighteenth
Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
in July of this year. The Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD),
working within this context, has provided support to these governments
for the strengthening of their domestic institutions, and by doing so,
has contributed to the effort to maintain security. In particular, the
UPD co sponsored two activities this year in which the English
speaking small island states participated. They were the following:
A. A Workshop on Legislative Drafting
This workshop, which was held during July and August
1997 at the University of the West Indies (UWI), was co sponsored by
the UPD and the Faculty of Law of the UWI. It was a sub regional
program for participants from the English speaking Caribbean member
states in response to indications by those states of a need for
Caribbean personnel trained in that specialized branch of the law. The
member states had indicated that the shortage of persons suitably
qualified in this discipline was resulting in serious delays in the
drafting of new legislation and other legal instruments which, in
turn, impeded the proper functioning of their public administrators. A
total of nineteen participants, all mid level law professionals, from
eleven Caribbean member states, participated in the workshop.
B. A Conference on Governance, Democracy, and Civil
Society in the Caribbean Community
This conference took place in Barbados on September 9
and 10, 1997, under the joint sponsorship of the Inter American
Development Bank (IDB), the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),
the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the University of the
West Indies (UWI), and the General Secretariat of the OAS, through the
UPD. The objective of the conference was to provide a forum for
dialogue between government and civil society representatives on their
respective roles in governance and democracy, in light of changing
regional and international environments. Attending were approximately
ninety participants, including senior government officials and wide
representation from civil society in the region, including trade
unions, the private sector, community leaders, NGO's opposition party
members, the academic sector, the Church, and youth and women's
organizations.
Deliberations during the conference centered on four
agenda items: democracy and institutional development; governance and
community participation; governance, ethic and transparency; and the
role of international cooperation. A number of conclusions and
recommendations were presented, among them, the desirability of
seeking a mechanism for institutionalizing such dialogue in the
future. It was agreed that these recommendations should be brought to
the attention of the Conference of the Heads of Governments of CARICOM.
In addition to these projects, the UPD has planned the
following three new initiatives for execution during 1998:
A. A Conference for Young Leaders From the Caribbean
This activity is to be sponsored jointly by the UPD,
the Washington Working Group and Conference of the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the UWI. It is part of
a program of leadership training for eighteen persons who are
participants in the CSIS Caribbean Leadership Group and who are drawn
from eleven countries in the Caribbean. The broader CSIS/UWI program
in this regard, provides training for young emerging leaders to better
equip them to meet the challenges that Caribbean countries will face
as they move towards the 21st century. Those challenges include
strains on democratic governance, deriving from disaffected
electorates and low voter turnout rates, illegal narcotic trafficking,
pressures on the environment (which, as noted above, is a critical
asset in tourism based economies), and the susceptibility of the
countries to natural disasters due to their small size. As part of
their training, the participants are required to undertake joint
preparation of research papers on a range of topics, which include
"The Role of Local Leaders in Shaping Development Policies",
"Caribbean Leadership Challenges", and "Conservation of Biological
Diversity as a Niche for Caribbean Integration". They will be expected
to present their research papers at the conference before a broad
audience of Washington based policy makers.
B. Training in Legislative Drafting
This legislative drafting course will offer more
advanced training in this discipline and will build upon the workshop
that was held in July and August of this year. Sponsors again will be
the UPD and the UWI and, hopefully, other contributors, including the
CARICOM Secretariat. Participants again will be drawn from the
Caribbean member states.
C. A Program of Civic Education in the Caribbean
This program proposes the development of a
comprehensive curriculum on civic education for use in the primary and
secondary schools of members countries of the Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States, some of the smallest of the island nations in the
Hemisphere. This initiative is being taken in light of decisions
reached at the July 1997 Conference of Heads of Government of the
Caribbean Community. The UPD will be seeking co sponsors and external
funding for this project.
These three projects have been favourably reviewed by
the CENPES and are awaiting a final funding decision by the member
states. During 1998, work also will be done to explore the
possibilities of creating a Special Program to Support the
Strengthening of Democracy in the Parliamentary System.
V. MAINTAINING PEACE AND SECURITY THROUGH THE
ERADICATION OF THE ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING IN, AND ABUSE OF, DRUGS
Broadly speaking, illegal trafficking in drugs and
their abuse is a social threat to all societies and states and, once
again, broadly speaking, is universally recognized as such. In
addition, many states recognize the threat from the illegal
trafficking in, and abuse of, drugs, together with all the criminal
behaviors associated with these activities, as a major non military
threat to the security of the state itself. As the Rapporteur's Report
recognizes in section 3(a) (i), "the limited capacity by small island
states to deal fully with this problem demands greater support for
these measures and further collaboration in this area, while
respecting the sovereignty of states". CICAD, over the past year, has
continued to lend support to the OAS member states, including the
small island states in the Caribbean, to address the problem of the
illegal trafficking in, and abuse of, drugs. Programming by CICAD that
specifically responds to these concerns includes the following:
1. An effort to improve communications among national
drug councils or their equivalents through a computer network. This
has been established throughout the Caribbean (and the Americas) and
is now operational. It enables any national drug commissioner (or
equivalent) to communicate instantly and economically with any
counterpart on any matter, by secure means if necessary.
2. An organizing effort to improve Witness Protection
in the Caribbean. A first organizing session at the regional level was
held with the assistance of the government of Trinidad and Tobago in
January of this year. CICAD plans to continue this important activity
and anticipate progress in 1998.
3. CICAD has organized two organizational development
seminars in the Caribbean in 1997 aimed at strengthening national drug
commissions. These seminars, developed to answer a need identified by
CICAD, employ a highly interactive and computer assisted technique.
Seminars this year included the Dominican Republic (April) and Jamaica
(September). This is an ongoing program, dependent on external funds.
4. CICAD has participated very actively with the
United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the European
Commission, since May 1996, in developing an overall, integrated
initiative against drugs in the Caribbean. The proposed plan was
reviewed at the technical level at a meeting of a task force of the
Caribbean Drug Control Coordination Mechanism (CCM) in Bridgetown,
Barbados from 22 24 October 1997. A full policy review will be held in
December, with the expectation that the result will then be
implemented. Parts of it involving CICAD already have been deployed,
as described above.
5. The Commission has approved a project to provide
simple, efficient, and fast means of making national assessments of
use. The project is now well advanced, with all instrumentation,
software, and teaching materials produced. This included much
participation and design work by Caribbean participants. Funding for
the project is expected from the European Union, and will be discussed
in detail at the Barbados meeting referred to in paragraph 4. All data
are comparable, and each state has the ability to add custom elements
at its discretion.
6. The CICAD Group of Experts has completed its work
on the design of a hemispheric system to control commercial shipments
of firearms through common import export documentation. The Model
Regulation will be considered by CICAD at the Commission level in
November 1997. This basic step forward, taking into consideration
together with the Draft Inter American Convention Against the Illicit
Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives
and Other Related Materials, which soon will become effective,
provides a very significant response to regional concerns on illegal
arms trafficking.
7. With respect to training of drug control personnel,
CICAD's ongoing programs in money laundering control, precursors
chemical control, and other areas, provide state of the art, hands on
skills in drug control measures throughout the region.
8. Regarding prevention and treatment of drug abuse,
CICAD recognizes that the high social and economic cost of drug abuse
in small states strains the existing capacities of the health care,
youth, and judicial systems. CICAD provides training courses for drug
prevention and treatment personnel to help alleviate a long term need.
VI. THE CARIBBEAN AS A ZONE OF PEACE
The Rapporteur's Report recognizes the benefits to the
security of the Hemisphere of declaring the Caribbean a zone of peace
within the context of the United Nations proposal to create specific
geographic areas as zones of peace. To this end, some member states
have noted that the Caribbean region has not yet been declared a zone
of peace within the framework of the OAS. These delegations have urged
that the Organization turn its attention to this matter as a
declaration to this effect, within the inter American context, would
have a clear political significance and would act as a catalyst in
focussing the attention of the international community on this issue.
As one step towards being declared a zone of peace,
the Special Meeting also urged small island Caribbean states which had
not yet done so, to ratify the amendments to the Treaty for the
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (the
"Treaty of Tlatelolco"). Since the Special Meeting in October 1996, no
member state has joined the six countries that have already done so
(Argentina, Belize, Chile, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St.
Lucia), in ratifying the Treaty.
Mr. Chairman, as evidenced by this report, the General
Secretariat, in fulfillment of AG/RES. 1497, already has undertaken,
and plans to undertake in the future, various activities, which, in a
direct or an indirect manner. address the special security concerns of
the small island states.
Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my
highest consideration.
César Gaviria
Secretary General
Organization of American States
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