Organization of American States
www.oas.org

GA32E-03-02

June 3, 2002

OAS COUNTRIES SIGN HEMISPHERIC ANTI-TERRORISM TREATY

 With the hemispheric war on terrorism at center stage at the Organization of American States’ General Assembly, now underway in Bridgetown, Barbados, the member states today signed the treaty to combat terrorism in the Americas. 

The Inter-American Convention against Terrorism was achieved by consensus among the Organization’s member states. Thirty of the member states’ heads of delegation signed the treaty, with the remaining four expected to sign on as soon as their governments finalize the relevant procedural arrangements to enable this. 

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, one of those that signed, praised the hemispheric Organization for coming up with the first international treaty since the September 11 terrorist attacks.    Powell said his government was pleased the current annual General Assembly session is to also launch a review of the Hemisphere’s security arrangements. 

Speaking on behalf of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the OAS, Lionel Hurst, noted that a number of the subregion’s parliaments had already enacted laws making terrorism itself  “an organic crime,” and have made a number of predicate offenses “crimes that fall within the ambit of terrorism.”  

Chile’s Foreign Affairs Minister, María Soledad Alvear, insisted on the need for the political will to support institutions in the fight against terrorism and such scourges that affect personal and global security as well as peace. 

Canada’s Foreign Minister Bill Graham said his country strongly endorses the consensus on the hemispheric anti-terrorism terrorism treaty but was finalizing internal procedures to formally sign. 

The Assembly of the Hemisphere’s Foreign Ministers opened Sunday evening and is considering a wide-ranging agenda of priority topics, including anti-poverty and anti-corruption measures, free trade and democracy.  A number of delegations also signed the Inter-American Democratic Charter that was approved last September 11, in Lima, Peru.  

The ministers are also meeting to discuss the Summit Implementation Review Group.

 

**********