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(E-096/01) April 26, 2001 BAHAMAS, BRAZIL AND COSTA RICA GOVERNMENTS REAFFIRM INTER-AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM   The governments of The Bahamas, Brazil and Costa Rica today reaffirmed their support for the inter-American system by acceding to important treaties adopted by the Organization of American States. Ambassador Joshua Sears, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the OAS, signed the Inter-American Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, which entered into force in April 1996. Afterwards, Brazil's Ambassador Valter Pecly Moreira deposited his government's instruments of accession to the Inter-American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad. That OAS treaty has been in force since 1996. In the final ceremony, Costa Rica's Ambassador to the OAS, Hernán Castro, deposited his government's ratification documents pertaining to three hemispheric conventions: The Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials, in force since July 1997; the Inter-American Convention on the International Return of Children, which entered into force in November 1994; and the Inter-American Convention on Support Obligations, which has been in force since March 1996. The ceremonies took place at the office of the OAS Secretary General, César Gaviria, with senior officials of the respective Permanent Missions and the OAS as well as special guests in attendance.   *******