CONTENTS

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AG/DEC. 23 (XXX-O/00)........ Declaration on the Question of the Malvinas Islands...................... 1

AG/DEC. 24 (XXX-O/00)........ Declaration of Windsor: Strengthening the Organization of American States.................................................................................................. 3

AG/RES. 1698 (XXX-O/00)...... Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers
or Attorneys General of the Americas.......................................... 5

AG/RES. 1699 (XXX-O/00)...... Sixth Inter-American Specialized Conference on Private International Law (CIDIP-VI)................................................................................ 7

AG/RES. 1700 (XXX-O/00)...... Free Trade and Investment in the Hemisphere.............................. 9

AG/RES. 1701 (XXX-O/00)...... Evaluation of the Workings of the Inter-American System for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights with a View to Its Improvement and Strengthening................................................................................................ 11

AG/RES. 1702 (XXX-O/00)...... Support for the Work of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIHR)................................................................................................ 17

AG/RES. 1703 (XXX-O/00)...... Special Program of Support for Guatemala.................................. 19

AG/RES. 1704 (XXX-O/00)...... Annual Report of the Inter-American Juridical Committee............ 21

AG/RES. 1705 (XXX-O/00)...... Inter-American Program for the Development of International Law 25

AG/RES. 1706 (XXX-O/00)...... Promotion of and Respect for International Humanitarian Law..... 29

AG/RES. 1707 (XXX-O/00)...... The Organization of American States and Civil Society................ 33

AG/RES. 1708 (XXX-O/00)...... Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Populations 35

AG/RES. 1709 (XXX-O/00)...... Children and Armed Conflicts..................................................... 37

AG/RES. 1710 (XXX-O/00)...... Cooperation between the Organization of American States and the United Nations System...................................................................................... 39

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AG/RES. 1711 (XXX-O/00)...... Human Rights Defenders in the Americas: Support for the Individuals, Groups, and Organizations of Civil Society Working to Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Americas......................................................................... 41

AG/RES. 1712 (XXX-O/00)...... Preparation of a Draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance................................................ 43

AG/RES. 1713 (XXX-O/00)...... Cooperation Between the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States and the General Secretariat of the Central American Integration System................................................................................................ 45

AG/RES. 1714 (XXX-O/00)...... Cooperation between the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States and the General Secretariat of the Caribbean Community... 47

AG/RES. 1715 (XXX-O/00)...... Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.................................................... 49

AG/RES. 1716 (XXX-O/00)...... Observations and Recommendations of the Member States on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights............................. 51

AG/RES. 1717 (XXX-O/00)...... The Human Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families..... 53

AG/RES. 1718 (XXX-O/00)...... Reform of the Inter-American Indian Institute............................. 57

AG/RES. 1719 (XXX-O/00)...... The Situation of the Permanent Observers and Their Participation in the Cooperation Activities and Programs of the Organization............. 59

AG/RES. 1720 (XXX-O/00)...... Trade and Integration in the Americas........................................ 61

AG/RES. 1721 (XXX-O/00)...... Promotion of Democracy........................................................... 65

AG/RES. 1722 (XXX-O/00)...... Parliamentary Network of the Americas..................................... 69

AG/RES. 1723 (XXX-O/00)...... Enhancement of Probity in the Hemisphere and Follow-up on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption............... 71

AG/RES. 1724 (XXX-O/00)...... Strengthening Democracy: Special Fund..................................... 75

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AG/RES. 1725 (XXX-O/00)...... Personnel Policy Reform............................................................ 77

AG/RES. 1726 (XXX-O/00)...... Continuing Participation in the Inter-American Council for Integral Development by Member States That Have Not Ratified the Protocol of Managua 89

AG/RES. 1727 (XXX-O/00)...... Transfer of Responsibilities Associated with AG/RES. 1628 (XXIX-O/99) and AG/RES. 1653 (XXIX-O/99) to the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development............................................................................. 91

AG/RES. 1728 (XXX-O/00)...... Strengthening and Revitalizing Ties between the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and Other OAS Organs to Address Agricultural Issues of Hemispheric Concern.................................................. 93

AG/RES. 1729 (XXX-O/00)...... Seventh Biennial Report of the Secretary General on Compliance with Resolution AG/RES. 829 (XVI-O/86) “Full and Equal Participation of Women by the Year 2000”........................................................................................ 95

AG/RES. 1730 (XXX-O/00)...... Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission................................................ 97

AG/RES. 1731 (XXX-O/00)...... Support for the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime............................................................................................... 101

AG/RES. 1732 (XXX-O/00)...... Adoption and Implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality........... 103

AG/RES. 1733 (XXX-O/00)...... Inter-American Year of the Child and the Adolescent................ 117

AG/RES. 1734 (XXX-O/00)...... Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism.................................................... 119

AG/RES. 1735 (XXX-O/00)...... Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Reports of the Organs, Agencies, and Entities of the Organization................................. 121

AG/RES. 1736 (XXX-O/00)...... The Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Climate Change of the Countries of the Hemisphere.................................................... 123

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AG/RES. 1737 (XXX-O/00)...... Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly 125

AG/RES. 1738 (XXX-O/00)...... Modernization of the OAS and the Renewal of the Inter-American System............................................................................................... 147

AG/RES. 1739 (XXX-O/00)...... Response of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission to the Mandate Received from the Second Summit of the Americas................... 151

AG/RES. 1740 (XXX-O/00)...... Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, “Convention of Belém do Pará”......... 153

AG/RES. 1741 (XXX-O/00)...... Integrating a Gender Perspective in the Summits of the Americas 155

AG/RES. 1742 (XXX-O/00)...... International Abduction of Minors by One of Their Parents........ 157

AG/RES. 1743 (XXX-O/00)...... OAS Declaration on Small Arms and Light Weapons................. 159

AG/RES. 1744 (XXX-O/00)...... Cooperation for Security in the Hemisphere............................... 161

AG/RES. 1745 (XXX-O/00)...... Support for Action against Mines in Peru and Ecuador............... 167

AG/RES. 1746 (XXX-O/00)...... Scale of Quota Assessments for the Regular Fund..................... 169

AG/RES. 1747 (XXX-O/00)...... Inter-American Support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty............................................................................................... 171

AG/RES. 1748 (XXX-O/00)...... Consolidation of the Regime Established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)............................................................................................... 173

AG/RES. 1749 (XXX-O/00)...... Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions............................................................................. 175

AG/RES. 1750 (XXX-O/00)...... Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials. 177

AG/RES. 1751 (XXX-O/00)...... Support for the Program of Integral Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Central America.................................................................................. 179

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AG/RES. 1752 (XXX-O/00)...... Support for and Follow-up to the Summits of the Americas Process 183

AG/RES. 1753 (XXX-O/00)...... Mission of the President of the General Assembly and the OAS Secretary General to Peru.................................................................................... 187

AG/RES. 1754 (XXX-O/00)...... Program-Budget of the Organization for 2001............................ 189

AG/RES. 1755 (XXX-O/00)...... OAS Natural Disaster Reduction and Response Mechanism....... 191

AG/RES. 1756 (XXX-O/00)...... Fund for Peace: Peaceful Settlement of Territorial Disputes...... 193

AG/RES. 1757 (XXX-O/00)...... Measures to Encourage the Timely Payment of Quotas.............. 195

AG/RES. 1758 (XXX-O/00)...... Special Program of Support to Countries Affected by “El Niño”. 203

AG/RES. 1759 (XXX-O/00)...... Appointment of the Executive Director of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas................................................................................ 205

AG/RES. 1760 (XXX-O/00)...... Support for the Mandates of the Summit of the Americas on Strengthening Municipal and Regional Administrations and on Civil Society....... 207

AG/RES. 1761 (XXX-O/00)...... The Model OAS General Assembly Program............................ 209

AG/RES. 1762 (XXX-O/00)...... The Situation of Refugees, Returnees, and Internally Displaced Persons in the Americas................................................................................ 211

AG/RES. 1763 (XXX-O/00)...... Follow-up to the Recommendations and Conclusions of the Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas. 213

AG/RES. 1764 (XXX-O/00)...... Tribute to the Assistant Secretary General, His Excellency Ambassador Christopher R. Thomas............................................................ 215

AG/RES. 1701 (XXX-O/00)

EVALUATION OF THE WORKINGS OF THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM FOR THE

PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WITH A VIEW

TO ITS IMPROVEMENT and strengthening

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN:

The report of the Permanent Council on the evaluation and improvement of the inter-American system for the protection and promotion of human rights, submitted pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 1633 (XXIX-O/99) (CP/doc.3302/00); and

The report of the Chair of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs concerning the dialogue on the inter-American system for the protection and promotion of human rights (CP/CAJP-1610/00 rev. 2), held under the aegis of the Committee, which identifies the various items addressed, as well as the points of agreement and disagreement on those items;

BEARING IN MIND that the member states of the Organization of American States have proclaimed, in Article 3 of the OAS Charter, as one of the principles of the Organization, the fundamental rights of the individual, without distinction as to race, nationality, creed, or sex;[MOL8]

AWARE that the international promotion and protection of human rights enhances and complements the protection afforded under the domestic law of the member states and is based on the freedom and dignity of the individual; and

CONSIDERING:

That, in the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas (Santiago, 1998), the Heads of State and Government affirmed the need to strengthen and improve the inter-American human rights system through concrete initiatives;

That, in that connection, the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs began a dialogue on the inter-American system for the protection and promotion of human rights, the participants in which comprised, in addition to the member states of the Organization, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights,[MOL9] as well as representatives of nongovernmental organizations engaged in the protection of human rights;

That, in November 1998, in a letter addressed to the ministers of foreign affairs of the OAS member states, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights requested ideas and suggestions on the reform process from all parties involved in the inter-American human rights system, and that, at a seminar held in San José, Costa Rica, in November 1999, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights also invited suggestions as to the reform of its procedures;

That the significant progress in that dialogue was made possible, in part, by the openness, transparency, and constructive participation of the states, and the decision to include in the dialogue the organs of the system, the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations, whose participation was also distinguished by its objectivity, balance, and spirit of cooperation;

That, on February 10 and 11, 2000, in San José, Costa Rica, a meeting was held of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Human Rights, created by the ministers of foreign affairs taking part in the celebrations marking the anniversary of the American Convention on Human Rights and the establishment of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; and bearing in mind the conclusions reached at that meeting;

That the consolidation of a sound and effective human rights system capable of addressing future challenges requires, among other things, implementation of the decisions of the inter-American bodies for the protection of human rights, in accordance with the American Convention, as well as the building of a political environment of mutual trust among the various players that will facilitate ongoing, continuous, and open dialogue aimed at the identification and implementation of measures and actions needed to improve and strengthen the inter-American system for the protection and promotion of human rights;

That it is vital, therefore, that the dialogue on the inter-American human rights system continue among member states of the Organization, with the participation of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the nongovernmental organizations involved, so that they may continue to gradually build consensus on the improvement and strengthening of the inter-American human rights system;

That government efforts in the Hemisphere to improve and strengthen the inter-American human rights system, including the possibility of evaluating the pertinent legal instruments and the methods and working procedures of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, should be designed to strengthen the effective exercise and protection of human rights in the Hemisphere; and

That, to that end, it is essential that all member states sign, ratify, or accede to, as appropriate, the American Convention on Human Rights; the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights; the Additional Protocol to the American Convention to Abolish the Death Penalty; and the following inter-American human rights instruments: the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture; the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and the Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities,

RESOLVES:

1. To continue to improve and strengthen the inter-American system, through systematic and ongoing dialogue among the states, the organs of the system, and other parties involved, aimed at gradually building consensus on the current status of the system and on the obstacles and deficiencies to be overcome, with a view to guaranteeing the effective exercise and protection of human rights in the Hemisphere.

2. To instruct the Permanent Council to continue to engage in a dialogue on the inter-American human rights system with a view to improving and strengthening that system by ensuring the participation of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and by also inviting other bodies, such as the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, and representatives of interested nongovernmental organizations to continue their contributions to that process.

3. To instruct the Permanent Council to promote, in the context of the dialogue on the inter-American system, participation by national institutions involved in the promotion of human rights, such as defenders of the people, defenders of the population, human rights ombudsmen, or others with an equivalent role.

4. To instruct the Permanent Council to promote a substantial increase in the allocation of resources to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in the coming fiscal years, in recognition of the fact that the protection and promotion of human rights is a central priority of the Organization.

5. To urge the OAS member states to:

a. Attach the highest political priority to the universal adoption of the inter-American system through the signature and ratification of, or accession to, by all member states of the Organization, the American Convention on Human Rights and the other inter-American human rights instruments, giving consideration to the recognition of the binding jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court, and encourage the states that have not yet done so to adopt the domestic measures required for the signature and ratification of, or accession to, those instruments;

b. Adopt the necessary legislative or other measures, as applicable, to ensure the application of inter-American human rights provisions within the states;

c. Adopt the necessary measures to implement the decisions or judgments of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, pursuant to the provisions of Article 68 of the American Convention, in the case of those states that recognize the binding jurisdiction of the Court;

d. Do their utmost, in good faith, to implement the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and

e. Take appropriate action in connection with the annual reports of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in the context of the Permanent Council and the General Assembly of the Organization, in order to fulfill their duty as states to guarantee compliance with the obligations set forth in the instruments of the system.

6. To recommend to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in connection with its request for ideas and suggestions on the reform process, in accordance with the provisions governing its areas of competence, and in the context of the regulatory autonomy conferred upon it by the American Convention on Human Rights in terms of the procedures followed in processing individual cases, that it consider the possibility of:

a. Defining the criteria it follows for the opening of cases;

b. Resolving questions pertaining to the admissibility of individual petitions by opening a separate, mandatory procedure and issuing its findings by way of concise resolutions, the publication of which shall not prejudge the responsibility of the state;

c. Making all necessary efforts to ensure that individual cases are processed as expeditiously as possible and that each procedural stage, in particular the admissibility phase, is governed by reasonable deadlines; and considering the definition of the criteria to be followed in determining when a case should be closed because of inaction on the part of the petitioner;

d. Continuing to promote the friendly settlement procedure as a suitable mechanism for the successful resolution of individual cases;

e. Establishing minimum criteria that petitioners must meet for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to request a state to adopt precautionary measures, bearing in mind the circumstances and nature of a case;

f. Defining the criteria the Commission follows for referral of cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; and

g. Establishing a frame of reference enabling the Commission to establish a new rapporteur function, define clearly the mandates of such a rapporteur, and appoint an individual to the position.

7. To recommend to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in connection with its request for ideas and suggestions on the reform process, in accordance with the provisions governing its areas of competence, and in the context of the regulatory autonomy conferred upon it by the American Convention on Human Rights in terms of the procedures followed in processing individual cases, that it consider the possibility of:

a. Allowing direct participation by the victim as a party to proceedings, from the time that the case is first submitted to its jurisdiction, bearing in mind the need to maintain procedural equity and to redefine the role of the Commission in such proceedings (locus standi); and

b. Developing procedural rules to prevent the duplication of procedures in cases submitted to its jurisdiction, in particular the production of evidence, bearing in mind the differences in nature between the Court and the Commission.

8. To transmit this resolution to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

9. To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

AG/RES. 1706 (XXX-O/00)

PromoTION OF AND RESPECT FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW [KFC15]

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

recalling its resolutions ag/res. 1270 (XXIV-O/94), ag/res. 1335 (XXV-O/95), ag/res. 1408 (XXVI-O/96), ag/res. 1503 (XXVII-O/97), ag/res. 1565 (XXVIII-O/98), and AG/RES. 1619 (XXIX-O/99);[KFC16]

HAVING CONSIDERED the report of the Secretary General on the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 1619 (XXIX-O/99) (CP/CAJP-1649/00) and the report of the Permanent Council on the promotion of and respect for international humanitarian law (CP/doc.3314/00);

DEEPLY CONCERNED over the persistent violations of international humanitarian law occurring throughout the world and, in particular, over the fate of the civilian population, which is increasingly subject to attacks that contravene the applicable fundamental rules[KRL17] ;

RECALLING that it is the obligation of all states to observe and enforce in all circumstances the standards established in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and, where applicable, for the states that are parties thereto, those contained in the 1977 Additional Protocols to those conventions[KFC18] ;

UNDERSCORING the need to strengthen the principles of international humanitarian law by achieving its universal acceptance, its widest possible dissemination [KFC19] , and its application;

AWARE of the need to punish those responsible for war crimes[KFC20] , crimes against humanity, and other grave breaches [KRL21] of international humanitarian law[KFC22] ;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT IN THIS CONTEXT the historic significance of the adoption in Rome [KRL23] of the Statute of the International Criminal Court[KFC24] ;

RECOGNIZING ONCE MORE the ongoing efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to promote and disseminate knowledge of international humanitarian law and the activities it carries out as an organization that is impartial, neutral, and independent under any and all circumstances;[KFC25]

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION the recommendations made in 1995 by the Group of Experts to study practical means of promoting full respect for and compliance with international humanitarian law[KRL26] , in particular, regarding the establishment of national committees or commissions [KRL27] to advise and assist governments regarding the dissemination and application of international humanitarian law;

RECOGNIZING the important part that these national committees or commissions play in ensuring that the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols thereto, as well as the other instruments of international humanitarian law, are incorporated into the domestic law of the member states, so that compliance with those instruments and the dissemination thereof are ensured; and

ExpresSING its satisfaction with the increasing cooperation between the General Secretariat of the Organization and the ICRC, resulting from the agreement signed on May 10, 1996, which has furthered efforts to disseminate international humanitarian law in the Americas,

RESOLVES:

1. To welcome the increase in the number of member states that, in the past year, have ratified or acceded to various instruments of international humanitarian law, particularly the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction[KFC28] .

2. To urge the member states that have not yet done so to consider ratification of, or, if applicable, accession to the [KFC30]1977 Additional Protocols I and II to the 1949 Geneva Conventions[KFC29] .

3. Also to urge the members states that have not yet done so to consider signing or ratifying[KRL31] , as appropriate, the Statute of the International Criminal Court[KRL32] .

4. Further, to urge the member states that have not yet done so to consider ratification of, or, if applicable, accession to, the following instruments relating to weapons which may be excessively injurious or have indiscriminate effects:

a. The 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (and the Protocols thereto);

b. The 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction; and

c. The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict[KFC33] .

5. To underscore that it is important for states, in implementing the body of international humanitarian law, to pay special attention to the following provisions:[KRL34]

a. The widest possible dissemination of international humanitarian law [KRL35] among the armed forces and security forces, by including it in official instruction programs and in the training of permanent armed forces staff in this area (Article 83 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions);

b. The enactment of criminal legislation required to punish those responsible for war crimes and other grave breaches [KRL36] of international humanitarian law (Article 86 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions);

c. The enactment of legislation to regulate the use of emblems[KRL37] protected[KRL38] under international humanitarian law and to punish the improper use [KRL39] thereof (Article 38 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and its Annex containing the regulations thereto); and

d. The obligation, in the study, development, acquisition, or adoption of a new weapon, to determine whether its employment would violate [KRL40] international humanitarian law, and, if it would, not to adopt it for use within the armed forces or security forces or manufacture it for other purposes (Article 36 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions).

6. To urge the member states that have not yet done so to study, with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the advisability of establishing national committees or commissions to implement and disseminate international humanitarian law.

7. To urge the member states and all parties to an armed conflict to respect the impartiality, neutrality, and independence of humanitarian action in accordance with the guiding principles adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 46/182, dated December 19, 1991[KFC41] , and to ensure that the staff of humanitarian organizations are protected.

8. To invite the member states to continue to cooperate with the ICRC in its various spheres of responsibility and to facilitate its work[KFC42] , in particular, by using its advisory services to support states’ efforts to apply international humanitarian law.

9. To request the Secretary General to report to the Permanent Council prior to the thirty-first regular session[KFC43] of the General Assembly on the implementation of this resolution.

AG/RES. 1720 (XXX-O/00)

TRADE AND INTEGRATION IN THE AMERICAS

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the Report of the Permanent Council and the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) on the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 1689 (XXIX-O/99);

RECALLING resolutions AG/RES. 1689 (XXIX-O/99), AG/RES. 1581 (XXVIII-O/98), AG/RES. 1516 (XXVII-O/97), AG/RES. 1430 (XXVI-O/96), CIDI/RES. 99 (V-O/00), CIDI/RES. 63 (IV-O/99), and CIDI/RES. 46 (III-O/98), entitled “Trade and Integration in the Americas”; AG/RES. 1534 (XXVIII-O/98), “Support for and Follow-up to the Summits of the Americas Initiatives”; AG/RES. 1438 (XXVI-O/96), “Relationship between the Special Committee on Trade and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development”; AG/RES. 1349 (XXV-O/95), “Inter-American Summits Management”; and resolution AG/RES. 1220 (XXIII-O/93), “Establishment of the Special Committee on Trade (SCT),” in which the member states noted that the Organization of American States is an appropriate hemispheric forum for dialogue on trade matters;

BEARING IN MIND the Declaration of Santiago of the Second Summit of the Americas (Santiago, 1998), in which the Heads of State and Government of the Hemisphere directed their ministers responsible for international trade to begin negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and reaffirmed their determination to conclude the negotiation of the FTAA no later than 2005, and in which they also reaffirmed their determination to make concrete progress by the end of the 20th century, and expressed their appreciation for the significant contribution of the Tripartite Committee;

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION the Ministerial Declaration of San José adopted by the Ministers of Trade at their Fourth Ministerial Meeting in San José, Costa Rica (March 1998), in which they recommended to their Heads of State and Government that they initiate negotiation of the FTAA in accordance with the objectives, principles, structure, venue, and other decisions set forth in the Declaration; acknowledged and again expressed their appreciation to the Tripartite Committee for the technical and logistical support given during the preparatory phase of the FTAA negotiations; and requested that the respective institutions of the Tripartite Committee continue to provide the appropriate existing resources necessary to respond positively to requests for technical support from FTAA entities, including reallocation for this purpose if necessary;

NOTING the Ministerial Declaration of Toronto adopted by the Ministers of Trade at their Fifth Ministerial Meeting, held in Toronto, Canada, in November 1999, in which they “recognize and appreciate the analytical, technical, and financial support that continues to be provided by the institutions comprising the Tripartite Committee…. This support has been essential to the conduct of the negotiations to date, and we ask the institutions of the Tripartite Committee to continue to provide such assistance for FTAA-related matters”;

CONSIDERING that economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization, and market access constitute one of the priorities established in the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development 1997-2001 and that the process of creating the FTAA is a fundamental element in this context; and

REAFFIRMING the commitment of the Organization of American States to support the process of free trade and economic integration in the Hemisphere and to reiterate the importance of the contribution of the General Secretariat and, in particular, the Trade Unit to this process,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of the Report of the Permanent Council and the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) on the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 1689 (XXIX-O/99), “Trade and Integration in the Americas.”

2. To accept the recommendation of the Chair of the Special Committee on Trade (SCT), based on his consultations with member states of the SCT, to maintain the status quo, that is, to maintain the existence of the SCT without convening it.

3. To instruct the General Secretariat to continue providing analytical support and technical assistance through the Trade Unit, and conducting related studies as part of the Tripartite Committee or as requested by the respective bodies established in the Ministerial Declaration of San José, under the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process.

4. To instruct the General Secretariat to continue providing technical assistance related to FTAA issues to member countries that request it, particularly the smaller economies, as requested by the Trade Ministers in the Ministerial Declaration of San José.

5. To reiterate its support for the collaborative activities on trade and integration of the Tripartite Committee, and to recognize the contribution to those activities of other specialized regional, subregional, and multilateral organizations and of regional and subregional institutions.

6. To instruct the Permanent Council to continue to provide the appropriate existing resources necessary to respond positively to requests for technical support from FTAA entities, including reallocation for this purpose if necessary.

7. To instruct the General Secretariat to submit, by November 15, 2000, the 2001 annual Work Plan of the Trade Unit to CEPCIDI for its consideration and approval.

8. To instruct the General Secretariat to continue providing semiannual written progress reports on the activities of the Trade Unit, including information on its level of budget execution, to the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI for their review.

9. To instruct the Foreign Trade Information System (SICE) to continue its work in providing trade and trade-related information to the Hemisphere through its Internet Web site; to continue its work in support of the FTAA process by maintaining, as a member of the Tripartite Committee, the official FTAA Web site; to maintain, as a member of the Tripartite Committee, on an ongoing basis a calendar of the deadlines established by the negotiating groups for inputs from delegations; and to manage, as a member of the Tripartite Committee, the Document Distribution System (DDS), a secure, confidential, real-time, and reliable distribution system and historical archive of the FTAA negotiation process documents.

10. To recognize the important achievements of SICE, in particular the measures taken to broaden its trade and trade-related information and its client base and to support its continued operations.

11. To direct that the mandates in the preceding paragraphs be executed within the resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources.

12. To request the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

AG/RES. 1723 (XXX-O/00)

ENHANCEMENT OF PROBITY IN THE HEMISPHERE AND FOLLOW-UP
ON THE INTER-AMERICAN PROGRAM FOR COOPERATION
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Permanent Council on enhancement of probity in the Hemisphere and follow-up on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption (CP/doc.3333/00);

UNDERSCORING that, in its preamble, the Charter of the Organization of American States affirms that “representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and development of the region” and that “juridical organization is a necessary condition for security and peace founded on moral order and on justice”;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the purposes of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption are to promote and strengthen the development, by each of the States Parties, of the mechanisms needed to prevent, detect, punish, and eradicate corruption, and to promote, facilitate, and regulate cooperation among the States Parties to ensure the effectiveness of measures and actions to combat acts of corruption in the performance of public functions and those specifically related to such performance;

RECALLING that, through resolution AG/RES. 1649 (XXIX-O/99), "Enhancement of Probity in the Hemisphere and Follow-up on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption,"[EB88] the Permanent Council was instructed to promote the exchange of experiences and information among public institutions and international organizations and, in following up on the Inter-American Program on the Fight against Corruption, adopted by the General Assembly through resolution AG/RES. 1477 (XXVII-O/97), to consider "specific measures to encourage ratification and implementation of the Convention, strengthen cooperation, and provide technical assistance to member states which request it, and exchange information and experiences regarding implementation of the Convention, taking into account the conclusions and recommendations of the Symposium on Enhancement of Probity in the Hemisphere[JC89] ";[EB90]

CONSIDERING that the Inter-American Convention against Corruption has been signed by 26 member states and ratified by 19;

ACKNOWLEDGING WITH SATISFACTION the work of the Working Group on Probity and Public Ethics, particularly the Special Meeting on the Enhancement of Probity and the Fight against Corruption in the Americas, held on March 31, 2000–a meeting attended by representatives of international and regional organizations, the private sector, and civil society;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the important efforts being made in the prevention of and fight against corruption by, inter alia, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations agencies, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Council of Europe, as well as bilateral cooperation agencies and other entities of the private sector and civil society;

RECOGNIZING the increasing worldwide attention to the concept of "corporate social responsibility" and that issues connected with that subject, including, inter alia, the role of companies in the prevention of and fight against corruption, are being addressed in various forums at the multilateral level, such as the United Nations, the International Labour Organization, and the OECD, in the framework of their respective mandates;

BEARING IN MIND that the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas expressed resolute support for the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption and its implementation, as well as for carrying out, in the framework of the OAS, appropriate follow-up of the progress achieved under the Inter-American Convention against Corruption;[SW91] and

FURTHER BEARING IN MIND that the Third Western Hemisphere Finance Ministers Meeting called “upon all member governments to ratify and implement the OAS Anti-Corruption Convention and to support establishment of a follow-up OAS mechanism for multilateral and mutual review and evaluation of progress towards effective prevention and punishment of corruption,”

RESOLVES:

1. To urge the member states of the OAS that have not yet done so to sign or ratify the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.

2. To urge the States Parties to the Convention to take any measures they deem appropriate to adapt their domestic law to the commitments they undertook upon ratification of the Convention.

3. To invite states that are not members of the Organization, in particular the OAS permanent observers, to accede [SW92] to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, in accordance with Article XXIII [EB93] thereof.

4. To request the countries that have not done so to reply to the "Questionnaire on Ratification and Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption” (CP/GT/PEC-68/99 rev. 3), so that the Permanent Council may continue to examine replies from the member states in order to consider specific measures for implementing the Convention, strengthening cooperation, and providing technical assistance to those that request it.

5. To instruct the Permanent Council to continue to foster the exchange of experiences and information among the OAS and international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations, among other pertinent entities, in order to coordinate, strengthen, and identify cooperation activities in the area among the member states.

6. To request the Permanent Council to promote the establishment of a specific voluntary fund to finance activities aimed at providing the necessary institutional support to the States Parties for implementing the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.

7. To instruct the Permanent Council, in following up on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption, to study corporate social responsibility with a view to defining precisely its scope and content in the inter-American context, to examining and disseminating national and international experiences undertaken to address the issue, and to promoting the exchange of information and experiences among the member states with international financial institutions, other international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations.

8. To instruct the Permanent Council, in following up on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption, to address, inter alia, the following subjects: training, experience acquired by national institutions, public sector procurement, incompatibilities between public office and private sector interests, and analysis of criminal laws on corruption and related offenses.

9. To request the Permanent Council to analyze existing regional and international follow-up mechanisms with a view to recommending, by the end of the year, the most appropriate model that States Parties could use, if they think fit, to monitor implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. That recommendation will be transmitted to the States Parties to the Convention for them to choose the course of action they deem most appropriate.

10. To invite the Inter-American Juridical Committee to continue to support the Permanent Council in its efforts to fulfill the mandates conferred in this resolution.

11. To request the General Secretariat to continue carrying out, though the Secretariat for Legal Affairs, the technical cooperation activities designed to contribute to the signing or ratification of, or accession to, the Inter-American Convention against Corruption; to strengthen exchanges of information and experiences, including those of the inter-American network against corruption; and to support implementation of the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption, the conclusions and recommendations of the Symposium on Enhancement of Probity in the Hemisphere, adopted in Santiago, Chile, in November 1998, and the measures set forth in this resolution, within the resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources.

12. To instruct the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

APPENDIX II

PERSONNEL POLICY REFORM

I. LENGTH OF CONTRACTS

A. Article 40 of the General Standards is amended as follows:

Article 40. Selection to fill vacant posts. The following provisions shall govern selection of staff members to fill vacant posts, in accordance with Articles 113 and 120 of the Charter:

a. Except as provided in Section b. below, the Secretary General shall fill all vacant posts in the General Secretariat by competition, with the advice of the Advisory Committee on Selection and Promotions referred to in Article 18.

b. The Secretary General may fill the following posts without competition:

i. Positions of trust;

ii. Posts to be filled by staff members under contract for a limited time for up to three years; and

iii. Posts financed by funds other than the Regular Fund and which are to be filled by staff members under contract for a limited time for a period of more than three years, when a competition is not convenient.

Any person who has served under contracts for a limited time financed by the Regular Fund for a total of three years is ineligible to continue serving the General Secretariat under such contracts, unless that person is selected through competition.

II. INDEMNITIES

A. Articles 56 and 57 of the General Standards are amended as follows:

Article 56. Separation indemnity. Except as provided in Article 57, the General Secretariat shall provide a separation indemnity to all members of the career service and to all other staff members who are separated from service after having been employed continuously for more than three years under contracts for a limited time. Such indemnity shall be calculated and paid in accordance with the pertinent Staff Rules.

Article 57. Inapplicability of indemnity provisions. A separation indemnity shall not be paid when:

a. A staff member’s services are terminated during the probationary period of Article 42 of these Standards;

b. A staff member resigns;

c. A staff member under contract for a limited time is separated from service by way of termination or expiration of contract before completing more than three years of service under contracts for a limited time;

d. A staff member’s appointment to a position of trust is terminated or otherwise expires in accordance with Article 20;

e. The staff member’s services are terminated or the staff member is dismissed for serious misconduct, including, but not limited to:

i. Abandonment of post;

ii. Having made serious false statements related to the staff member’s employment; and

f. The staff member is retired in accordance with the provisions for compulsory retirement of the Retirement and Pension Plan.

B. Staff Rule 110.7 is amended as follows:

a. Except as provided in paragraph (d) below, members of the career service and all other staff members with more than three years of continuous service under contracts for a limited time are entitled to a separation indemnity upon separation from service, in accordance with the following provisions:

i. Career staff members shall receive an indemnity of one month of basic salary per year of service up to a maximum of nine months.

ii. The maximum separation indemnity payable to a staff member who is contracted under a contract for a limited time shall be six months of basic salary, and shall be computed as follows:

(a) When the contract expires without renewal, one week of basic salary for each year served; and

(b) When the contract is terminated prior to its expiration date, one month of basic salary for each year remaining until the expiration date, and one week of basic salary for each year of service.

iii. A staff member whose long term contract began before January 1, 2000, and has since been renewed without interruption may, upon separation from service, choose between the separation indemnity provided under Staff Rule 110.7 and Article 53 (d) of the General Standards effective as of December 31, 1999, and the separation indemnity provided for under this Rule.

...

d. No indemnity shall be paid to a staff member when this is prohibited by the General Standards and, specifically, in the following cases: ...

i. When a staff member’s appointment to a position of trust is terminated by the Secretary General or expires, in accordance with Staff Rule 104.1 (a) (iii).

ii. When a staff member under a contract for a limited time is separated from service by way of termination or expiration of contract before completing more than three years of continuous service under contracts for a limited time.[3]^/

III. SUPPORT STAFF AWAY FROM THE HEADQUARTERS

A. Insert a new paragraph “e” to Article 17 of the General Standards, which shall state:

e. Temporary Support Personnel who are contracted locally and, to the extent feasible, in accordance with the conditions of the duty station in which they serve, for the sole purpose of providing support services to temporary projects, observer missions, and other temporary activities carried out by the General Secretariat in the member states.

B. Insert a new Article 22 of the General Standards, which shall state:

Article 22. Temporary Support Personnel. Appointments of individuals as Temporary Support Personnel (“TSP”) shall be governed by the following provisions:

a. TSPs are not funded by Regular Fund resources; however, under exceptional circumstances as determined by the Secretary General, they may be funded under a specific temporary project supported in part by the Regular Fund. The General Secretariat shall include in the amount budgeted for each TSP the necessary reserves for all benefits required under the local laws of the duty station, including, but not limited to, termination benefits, accumulated vacation, and termination notice.

b. Periods of employment under a TSP shall not be counted for determining eligibility for career service or for any other purpose.

c. TSPs shall not be participants in the OAS Retirement and Pension Fund; however, they shall participate in the social security system provided under the laws of the duty station. In the event such participation is unfeasible, TSPs shall be provided a monthly lump-sum payment equal to the value of the required contributions to the national social security system, or, alternatively, and as determined by the Secretary General, TSPs shall participate in the Provident Plan or other retirement-savings plans established by the General Secretariat for temporary employees and in insurance programs provided by the General Secretariat for temporary employees.

d. Salaries for TSPs shall be established in accordance with market conditions at a level no lower than the amount paid for work of a similar nature under the corresponding national legislation of the duty station, and no greater than the salaries paid by the United Nations Development Programme for work of a similar nature.

e. The following articles of the General Standards shall not apply to TSPs, unless otherwise stated in their individual employment contracts: Article 18 (Career Service); Article 35 (Classification of Posts); Article 37 (Salaries); Article 40 (Medical Examination); Article 41 (Selection to Fill Vacant Posts); Article 43 (Probationary Period); Article 45 (Vacations); Article 46 (Leave); Article 47 (Social Security); Article 48 (Travel, Installation, and Repatriation Expenses); Article 54, last paragraph (Separation from Service - Notice), and Article 57 (Separation Indemnity).[4]^/

f. Unless otherwise provided by Executive Order or the express terms of the Contract Document under which a TSP is contracted, the Staff Rules shall not apply to TSPs.

IV. TERMINATION NOTICE

A. Article 53 of the General Standards is amended as follows:

All staff members whose services are terminated under this article shall be entitled to a termination notice given prior to the effective termination date. Notice period shall be sixty days for career staff members. For all other staff members, the notice period shall be no less than seven days and no more than sixty days prior to the effective termination date, as determined by the General Secretariat and stated in the staff member’s Document of Appointment.

B. Staff Rule 110.4 is amended as follows:

Every staff member whose services are terminated under this article shall be entitled to prior notice of the effective termination date as follows:

i. For career staff members, the notice period shall be sixty days prior to the effective termination date.

ii. For all other staff members, the notice period shall be no less than seven days and no more than sixty days prior to the effective termination date, as determined by the General Secretariat and stated in the staff member’s Document of Appointment.

iii. The notice period shall not be considered interrupted for any reason.

iv. In lieu of actual days of notice, the General Secretariat may instead pay the staff member the salary and benefits that correspond to the days of notice not given.

v. For all staff members under long-term contracts as of December 31, 1999, the termination period will be the same as that provided to members of the career service.

AG/RES. 1730 (XXX-O/00)

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE ANNUAL REPORT OF
THE INTER-AMERICAN DRUG ABUSE CONTROL COMMISSION

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) (AG/doc.3848/00 add. 2) (CP/ACTA 1228/00), presented pursuant to Article 91.f of the Charter of the Organization of American States;

RECOGNIZING the importance of the Anti-Drug Strategy in the Hemisphere, approved by CICAD in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at its twentieth regular session, and signed in Montevideo, Uruguay, in December 1996, as a frame of reference to guide inter-American cooperation in addressing the problems of illicit drug production, trafficking, use, and distribution, and related offenses;

BEARING IN MIND that the activities and programs of the Commission are governed by the Inter-American Program of Action of Rio de Janeiro against the Illicit Use and Production of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Traffic Therein; the Declaration and Program of Action of Ixtapa; the Inter-American Program of Quito: Comprehensive Education to Prevent Drug Abuse; and the Anti-Drug Strategy in the Hemisphere;

BEARING IN MIND ALSO the mandates issued in the plans of action adopted at the First and Second Summits of the Americas, in particular the development of a single, objective process of multilateral governmental evaluation to monitor the progress of individual and collective anti-drug efforts in the Hemisphere;

RECOGNIZING WITH SATISFACTION that CICAD, at its twenty-sixth regular session, fulfilled that mandate with the establishment of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), based on the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction of states, reciprocity, shared responsibility, and a comprehensive and balanced approach to the subject;

CONVINCED that the MEM will strengthen mutual confidence, dialogue, and hemispheric cooperation for purposes of greater efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with the various aspects of the worldwide drug problem;

CONSIDERING that multilateral cooperation is the only way to ensure objective evaluation of efforts by the states to address the drug problem; and

RECOGNIZING ALSO the role played by CICAD in strengthening hemispheric cooperation in the fight against illicit drug production, trafficking, use, and distribution, and related offenses,

RESOLVES:

1. To express its approval of the establishment of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) through resolution CICAD/RES. 1/99 (XXVI-O/99), adopted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) at its twenty-sixth regular session, held in Montevideo, Uruguay, from October 5 to 7, 1999.

2. To express its full support for the first evaluation round of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism, whose Governmental Experts Group (GEG) held its first meeting from April 10 to 14, 2000.

3. To urge member states to support the funding of the MEM through voluntary contributions and provide their firm political support to the process.

4. To take note of the cooperation projects and programs, fellowships, training, information exchange, and research carried out in 1999 by the CICAD Executive Secretariat in accordance with its work plan, funded through voluntary contributions from OAS member states and permanent observers, the Inter-American Development Bank, international organizations, and public and private institutions.

5. To urge the Executive Secretariat to redouble its efforts to increase the amount of contributions and diversify sources of funding.

6. Also to urge the OAS member states and permanent observers, the Inter-American Development Bank, international organizations, and public and private institutions to continue to support the CICAD work program.

7. To endorse the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the CICAD Group of Experts on Money Laundering (CICAD/doc.1024/99) on the advisability of an inter-American convention in this area, and to transmit those conclusions and recommendations to the Permanent Council.

8. To welcome the establishment of the CICAD Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, whose objective, inter alia, will be to assist member states with the collection of statistics and to promote interdisciplinary research in this area.

9. To urge the member states to take account, when drafting their respective national legislation, of the Commission’s Model Regulations Concerning Laundering Offences Connected to Illicit Drug Trafficking and Related Offences [KRL103] ; its Model Regulations to Control Chemical Substances Used in the Illicit Production of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances [KRL104] ; and its Model Regulations for the Control of the International Movement of Firearms, Their Parts and Components, and Ammunition [KRL105] .

10. To urge the international community, and the financial institutions in particular, to contribute financial resources to implement comprehensive demand reduction and alternative development programs in member states requesting such resources from CICAD, because of their crucial importance for a comprehensive and balanced approach to drug abuse control.

11. To recognize the contribution made by specialized trade preference systems, such as the Andean Trade Preference Act, the Caribbean Basin Initiative, the special provisions of the Generalized System of Preferences of the European Union (EU) for the Andean and Central American countries, and the agreement between the European Union and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries (Lomé Convention), and to urge the member states and permanent observers to seek to maintain trade opportunities that support regional alternative development programs.

12. To invite CICAD to continue its collaboration with the Consultative Committee of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials so as to promote its full application.

13. To underscore the importance of collaboration and coordination between the CICAD Executive Secretariat and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and other international organizations having competence in this area.

14. To endorse the observations and recommendations made by the Permanent Council on the CICAD Annual Report (AG/doc.3848/00 add. 2) (CP/ACTA 1228/00) and to transmit them to CICAD for its due consideration.

APPENDIX

INTER-AMERICAN PROGRAM ON THE PROMOTION OF WOMEN'S
HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUITY AND EQUALITY

I. BACKGROUND

The Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), established in 1928 through a resolution of the Sixth International Conference of American States, was the first intergovernmental agency in the world created specifically to fight for the civil and political rights of women in the Americas. From its inception, one of its basic purposes has been to protect women's rights in the Hemisphere so that women and men may participate in all spheres of society on an equal footing, in order to fully and equitably enjoy the benefits of development.

It is important to emphasize the work done by the CIM to establish systematic standards on behalf of women's rights, such as the Convention on the Nationality of Women (Uruguay, 1933), the Inter-American Convention on Granting of Political Rights to Women (Colombia, 1948), the Inter-American Convention on the Granting of Civil Rights to Women (Colombia, 1948), and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, "Convention of Belém do Pará" (Brazil, 1994).

In 1994, the Assembly of Delegates of the CIM adopted its Strategic Plan of Action for 1995-2000, which established strategies for securing and strengthening the role of women through the year 2000. That same year, the First Summit of the Americas was held in Miami. The Plan of Action adopted at the Summit referred explicitly to the need to strengthen policies and programs to improve and expand the participation of women in all spheres of society (Item 18, “Strengthening the Role of Women in Society”) and to strengthen the CIM.

Following up on efforts to implement the Plan of Action of the First Summit of the Americas (Miami, 1994), the Second Summit of the Americas (Santiago, 1998) entrusted the Organization of American States (OAS) with specific mandates regarding its lines of action. Pursuant to those initiatives, the OAS General Assembly, at its twenty-eighth regular session, adopted resolution AG/RES. 1592 (XXVIII-O/98), inviting the CIM to conduct various activities, including the preparation of an inter-American program on the promotion of women's rights and gender equity.

In November 1998, the Twenty-ninth Assembly of Delegates of the CIM adopted the Declaration of Santo Domingo [CIM/RES. 195 (XXIX-O/98)], which recognizes the rights of women throughout their entire life cycle as an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of universal human rights. It also reaffirms the importance of protecting women's human rights and eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, drawing on strategies aimed at strengthening the CIM and its relations with other institutions in the inter-American system.

The Twenty-ninth Assembly of Delegates of the CIM later adopted resolution CIM/Res. 209 (XXIX-O/98), “Strengthening and Modernization of the Inter-American Commission of Women.” On the basis of that resolution, the OAS General Assembly, at its twenty-ninth regular session, adopted resolution AG/RES. 1625 (XXIX-O/99), “Status of Women in the Americas and Strengthening and Modernization of the Inter-American Commission of Women,” in which it calls a meeting of ministers or of the highest-ranking authorities responsible for the advancement of women in the member states. It further requests that the CIM, acting as coordinator for the aforementioned meeting, prepare a draft agenda that will include, among other topics, the approval of a draft inter-American program on the promotion of women's rights and gender equity and consideration of the commitments adopted at the Summits of the Americas.

II. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

In the mid-1970s, the gender perspective began to emerge in response to theoretical and methodological issues arising from an awareness of clear gender-based imbalances and inequalities between men and women.

Gender can be defined as a cultural, social, and historical construct which, on the biological basis of sex, determines the values that society attaches to being masculine and feminine as well as the nature of collective subjective identities. Gender also shapes the difference in social value assigned to men and to women and the balance of power between them.

Gender relations also cut across other social relationships: production, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and generational relationships. Gender relations, rather than existing in isolation, are linked to other systems of social relations.

Gender equality means that women and men enjoy the same status and have equal opportunities to realize their full human rights and their potential to contribute to political, economic, social, and cultural development and benefit from the results. Gender equality is therefore the impartial valuing by society of both the similarities and the differences between women and men and the varying roles that they play.

This means that, if gender equality is to be achieved, a series of gender equity measures must be taken to offset the historical and social disadvantages that prevent women's equal enjoyment of the benefits of development and equal participation in public and private decision-making and in power structures. Gender equity is, thus, a path that leads to gender equality. The Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women's Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality is intended to further this process.

Incorporation of the gender perspective is “a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal sphere, so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.”*

III. OBJECTIVES

The Inter-American Program has the following objectives:

GENERAL

1. To systematically integrate a gender perspective in all organs, organizations, and entities of the inter-American system.

2. To encourage OAS member states to formulate public policies, strategies, and proposals aimed at promoting women's human rights and gender equality in all spheres of public and private life, considering their diversity and their life cycles.

3. To make international cooperation and horizontal cooperation among the member states one of the instruments for implementing this program.

4. To strengthen relations and foster joint cooperation and coordination activities with other regional and international bodies and civil society organizations active in the Americas, with a view to guaranteeing policy effectiveness and optimal use of resources.

5. To promote the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of economic, social, political, and cultural development.

SPECIFIC

To promote gender equity and equality and women's human rights by strengthening and fostering:

1. Women's real and formal legal equality.

2. Women’s full and equal access to the benefits of economic, social, political, and cultural development.

3. Full and equal access for women to employment and productive resources.

4. Women's full and equal participation in political life in their countries and in decision-making at all levels.

5. Women's full and equal access to education at all levels and to the various fields of study.

6. Women's full access to health services during their entire life cycle, which, as required, shall include physical, emotional, and mental health.

7. Women's right to a life free of any form of abuse or violence, in both the public and private spheres.

8. The elimination of cultural patterns or stereotypes that denigrate the image of women, particularly in educational materials and those disseminated in the media.

IV. LINES OF ACTION

Responsibility for implementing this program will fall to the governments of member states and to the OAS. Furthermore, implementation shall be coordinated with national units in charge of women’s policies and draw on the contributions of civil society, depending on the different activities to be undertaken. The following lines of action assist in fulfilling those arising from the mandates of the Summits of the Americas, the Strategic Plan of Action of the CIM, the Biennial Work Program of the CIM, the CIM Plan of Action on Women’s Participation in Power and Decision-making Structures, the mandates of the OAS General Assembly, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the 1995-2001 Regional Program of Action for the Women of Latin America and the Caribbean, of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

1. TO RECOMMEND THAT THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS

1.1. Formulate public policies and strategies, and take steps to promote women's human rights and gender equality in all spheres of public and private life, bearing in mind their diversity and their life cycles, by incorporating a gender perspective.

1.2. Promote the study and, if appropriate, the revision of national laws, to ensure that they meet the obligations set out in the international conventions and treaties on women’s human rights adopted and ratified by the member states, together with the adoption of measures to guarantee their effective enforcement.

The goal will be to achieve, through redoubled effort and by all possible means, legal equality between men and women. To that end, efforts will be made to eliminate laws still in force that discriminate against women and to achieve real and effective application of laws already in force that establish equal rights for women. Progress made in this area will be evaluated in 2002.

1.3. Promote also the study and, if applicable, the revision of national law in order to encourage full compliance with other international commitments adopted by regional and global conferences in which the member states have participated, or which have been approved by their legislatures, with the objective of ensuring equality and gender equity.

1.4. Create or, where appropriate, strengthen national institutions responsible for women's development, provide them with sufficient human, financial, and material resources, and invest them with authority at the highest levels of administration, so as to ensure that a gender perspective and equality of opportunity between men and women are integrated into public policies relating to all spheres of society and government.

1.5. Incorporate a gender perspective as an integral part of the programs, actions, instruments, and agendas of national and international events, especially at the ministerial-level meetings.

1.6. Step up public awareness campaigns on the human rights of women, including those enshrined in international conventions, so that women will have the awareness they need to demand respect for those rights. The information will be disseminated in appropriate language and formats, also adapted to the needs of women with disabilities and tailored to the situation of women in each country of the region: inter alia, women in urban and rural areas, indigenous women, women of different ethnic groups and ages, and migrant women.

1.7. Strengthen the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) as the principal forum for generating hemispheric policy to advance women’s rights and gender equality, and provide it with technical, human, and financial resources, including through voluntary contributions, with which to promote the initiatives required to attain program objectives and follow up on this program.

1.8. Implement the Plan of Action of the CIM on Women's Participation in Power and Decision-making Structures.

1.9. Encourage the adoption of affirmative action measures of a legislative, administrative, or legal nature, as appropriate, to achieve equal opportunities for women in all structures of society.

1.10. Develop mechanisms to give women ready and timely access to justice, in particular women with little or no income, by adopting measures to render judicial proceedings more transparent, efficient, and effective.

1.11. Systematize and support the exchange of information on issues relating to women's human rights and gender equality and facilitate the direct exchange of experience among countries, institutions, and organizations working in these areas.

1.12. Launch awareness campaigns and implement programs to promote gender equality and equal opportunities at all levels in national education systems, both formal and nonformal.

1.13. Support the provision of continuing gender education and training for judiciary and legislative staff and for law enforcement officers of both sexes, within the objectives of this program.

1.14. Develop strategic linkages with civil society organizations for the exchange of information and sharing of best practices related to gender mainstreaming.

1.15. Include, where necessary, the objectives and lines of action of this inter-American program in the national programs or plans of the member states on women.

1.16. Ensure women’s equal access to employment and productive resources, such as credit and land.

1.17. Promote policies designed to ensure equal pay for equal work by women and men, as well as equal pay for work of equal value.

1.18 Encourage recognition of the economic value of unremunerated labor, including work done in the home by women.

1.19 Promote a cultural change whereby all sectors of society will become involved in the empowerment of women and in the pursuit of gender equality, in particular, by engaging men as an active and integral part of this change.

2. INTER-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS

2.1 ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY THE OAS GENERAL SECRETARIAT

2.1.1. Disseminate this program among the member states so as to contribute to the fulfillment of the mandates issued in resolution AG/RES. 1625 (XXIX-O/99), “Status of Women in the Americas and Strengthening and Modernization of the Inter-American Commission of Women,” adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth regular session.

2.1.2. Ensure that a gender perspective is consistently mainstreamed into the preparation and application of international instruments, mechanisms, and procedures within the framework of the OAS, and particularly on the agendas of ministerial-level meetings.

2.1.3. Adopt, in coordination with the CIM, the measures needed to integrate the gender perspective into the execution of programs and activities by all organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS, and promote the incorporation of this perspective into the work of the agencies of the inter-American system.

2.1.4. Provide all organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS system with the necessary training to incorporate the gender perspective into their work and to prepare suitable tools for attaining this program’s main objectives, tapping, where applicable, the experience of other international organizations, cooperation agencies, and member states.

2.1.5. Strengthen the Executive Secretariat of the CIM by providing it with adequate human and financial resources and supporting it in its efforts to raise funds from private sources.

2.1.6. Implement measures to ensure full and equal access by men and women to all categories of posts in the OAS system, particularly in decision-making positions [AG/RES. 1627 (XXIX/O-99)].

2.1.7. Support the integration of the gender perspective into the overall programs of the Organization and the inter-American system, including their budget allocations.

2.2 ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN

2.2.1. Play a pivotal role, as the principal forum for generating hemispheric policy to advance women's human rights and gender equality in carrying out the Inter-American Program, and to forge closer ties with other international forums and civil society.

2.2.2. Report to the OAS General Assembly and the CIM Assembly of Delegates on progress made in executing the Inter-American Program.

2.2.3. Invite all organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system that have not yet done so to share with the CIM information on the progress made by each of them in activities designed to incorporate a gender perspective, implement this program, and promote gender equality.

2.2.4 Invite all international bodies, organizations, and institutions to share information, including lessons learned and best practices on promotion and protection of women’s human rights and the incorporation of the gender perspective to achieve gender equality.

2.2.5. Undertake actions with civil society organizations to:

a. Promote joint efforts with government agencies and civil society organizations to establish effective means of implementing, monitoring, and evaluating policies, programs, and projects designed to promote women’s human rights and gender equality.

b. Study and analyze the status of observance of women's human rights in the various countries.

V. HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Request the General Secretariat of the OAS to:

a. Take short-term measures to comply with item 2.1.5 of this program.

b. Encourage its specialized organizations to examine their budgets to determine if any existing allocations could be channeled toward the implementation of this inter-American program.

VI. PROGRAM MONITORING ACTIVITIES

It will be incumbent upon the CIM to monitor this inter-American program and to coordinate and evaluate, in coordination with governmental mechanisms pertaining to women, the actions taken to implement it, including support for the formulation of policies to promote women’s human rights and gender equality.

The Secretary General of the OAS shall report annually to the General Assembly of the OAS on implementation of this program by the organs and agencies of the inter-American system.

APPENDIX

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

I. NATURE AND COMPOSITION

Article 1. The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization of American States and is composed of the delegations accredited by the governments of the member states.

II. PARTICIPANTS

Delegations

Article 2. The delegations of the member states shall be composed of the representatives, advisers, and other persons whom the governments accredit. Each delegation shall have a head of delegation, who may delegate his duties to any other member of his delegation.

Credentials

Article 3. The members of each delegation and the permanent observers to the Organization of American States shall be accredited to the General Assembly by their respective governments through written communication to the Secretary General of the Organization.

Precedence

Article 4. The order of precedence of the delegations for each session shall be established by lot by the Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly. The order of precedence of the permanent observers shall be established in the same manner.

General Secretariat

Article 5. The Secretary General of the Organization, or his representative, may participate with voice but without vote in the deliberations of the General Assembly.

Organs of the OAS

Article 6. The chairs or representatives of the following organs or agencies of the inter-American system may attend the General Assembly with the right to speak:

Inter-American Juridical Committee;

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights;

Inter-American Court of Human Rights;

Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development; and

Inter-American specialized organizations.

United Nations

Article 7. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, or his representative, may attend the sessions of the General Assembly and may speak if he so desires.

Permanent observers

Article 8. Permanent observers or their respective alternates, as the case may be, may attend the public meetings of the plenary General Assembly and the General Committee. They may likewise attend any closed meetings when invited by the corresponding presiding officer. Permanent observers may also request the floor and the corresponding presiding officer will decide on the request.

Other observers

Article 9. The following may also send observers to the General Assembly:

a. Governments of American states that are not members of the Organization, with the authorization of the Permanent Council;

b. Governments of non-American states that are members of the United Nations or of its specialized agencies, when they express an interest in attending, with the authorization of the Permanent Council;

c. Inter-American regional or subregional governmental entities or agencies that are not included among the organs or agencies of the Organization, with the authorization of the Permanent Council;

d. The specialized agencies of the United Nations and other international agencies, when agreements concluded with the Organization and in force so establish.

The observers referred to in this article may request to speak at meetings, and the corresponding presiding officer shall decide whether to recognize the observer.

For the purposes of this article, the Secretary General of the Organization shall transmit the appropriate communications.

Special guests

Article 10. With the authorization of the Permanent Council and the consent of the government of the country in which the Assembly session is to be held, representatives of the specialized agencies of the United Nations and other governmental or nongovernmental international agencies and organizations not included in the previous article may attend the General Assembly as special guests, as long as they have expressed interest in doing so.

For the purposes of this article, the Secretary General of the Organization shall extend the appropriate invitations.

Requests to attend General Assembly sessions as special guests shall be presented to the General Secretariat of the Organization at least 30 days in advance of the opening of the Assembly session.

III. PRESIDENT

Article 11. The head of the delegation indicated by the order of precedence established under these Rules of Procedure shall serve as provisional president until the General Assembly elects its president.

Article 12. At the first plenary session, the General Assembly shall elect a president, who shall hold office until the close of the Assembly session. The election shall be by the vote of a majority of the member states.

Article 13. The heads of delegation shall be vice presidents ex officio of the Assembly and shall replace the president in the event of his disability, in accordance with the order of precedence.

Article 14. When the officer presiding over a session wishes to take part in the discussion or in the voting on a matter, he shall request the appropriate representative, in accordance with Article 13, to preside.

Powers of the president

Article 15. The president shall call the plenary sessions; decide on the order of business thereof; open and close the plenary sessions; direct the discussions; recognize speakers in the order in which they request the floor; submit points under discussion to a vote and announce the results thereof; decide on points of order in accordance with the provisions of Article 57; install the General Committee of the Assembly; and, in general, comply with and enforce the provisions of these Rules of Procedure.

IV. SECRETARIAT

Article 16. The General Secretariat, as the central and permanent organ of the Organization, is the Secretariat of the General Assembly. To this end, the Secretary General shall, on a permanent basis, provide it with adequate Secretariat services and shall carry out the duties and assignments given him by the Assembly.

Article 17. The General Secretariat shall provide the delegations with the official documents of the General Assembly. It shall also provide these documents, except those for which it has been decided to limit distribution, to the permanent observers, other observers, and special guests.

Article 18. The president of the General Assembly shall establish the maximum duration of the statements of the heads of delegation.

V. COMMITTEES

Preparatory Committee

Article 19. The Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly shall be governed by Articles 60 and 91.c of the Charter and by the applicable provisions of these Rules of Procedure.

Article 20. No later than 15 days before the opening of the General Assembly session, the Preparatory Committee shall adopt recommendations on the following topics:

a. Agreement on the draft agenda;

b. Agreement on the proposed program-budget;

c. Agreement on the time limit for the presentation of proposals;

d. Agreement on the duration of the Assembly session;

e. Agreement on the minutes of the meetings.

Article 21. The chair of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, or his representatives, may participate in the deliberations of the Preparatory Committee, with the right to speak.

The Committee may invite representatives of other entities of the inter-American system to participate in its deliberations when it considers matters directly related to the activities of those entities.

General Committee

Article 22. The General Assembly may establish a General Committee, which may establish such subcommittees and working groups as it deems necessary. Each subcommittee and working group shall elect a chair, who shall present a report to the General Committee containing its conclusions.

Article 23. At each special session, the General Assembly may establish a General Committee, which may establish such subcommittees and working groups as it deems necessary.

Article 24. The General Committee shall be composed of representatives of all the member states participating in the General Assembly. The General Committee shall elect a chair, a vice chair, and a rapporteur. The chair shall have, as appropriate, the same powers as those indicated for the president of the Assembly in Article 15. In the event of the absence of the chair, the vice chair shall assume that position. In the event of the absence or incapacity of the latter, a representative of a delegation selected according to the order of precedence shall preside.

Article 25. The rapporteur of the General Committee shall present to the plenary General Assembly a report on the topics assigned to that committee, which shall include the conclusions reached by the committee and the results of the votes taken. The duration of the report may not exceed five minutes, unless the president gives express authorization to that effect. The plenary Assembly shall take cognizance of the report and consider the proposals recommended therein.

Work of the General Assembly

Article 26. The president of the General Assembly shall see that the work of the General Assembly proceeds satisfactorily and, to this end, shall present such recommendations as he considers appropriate. The president, if necessary, shall coordinate the draft declarations, recommendations, and resolutions adopted by the General Committee before they are submitted to a plenary session. The president shall also perform the other duties assigned by these Rules of Procedure and any others assigned by the General Assembly itself.

Credentials

Article 27. The Secretary General shall receive the credentials presented to him under the provisions of Article 3 and shall submit a report on the matter to the General Assembly.

Style Committee

Article 28. The Permanent Council of the Organization shall constitute a Style Committee composed of delegations appointed at the last regular meeting it holds before each regular or special session of the General Assembly, and each such delegation shall represent one of the four official languages of the Organization.

The Style Committee shall receive the resolutions, declarations, and recommendations issued by the General Assembly, shall correct their defects of form, and shall ensure equivalency among the versions in the official languages. If it notes defects of form that it cannot correct, the Style Committee shall submit the matter to the Permanent Council for resolution.

VI. AGENDA

A. Regular sessions

Article 29. For each regular session of the General Assembly, the Preparatory Committee shall prepare a preliminary draft agenda that will be sent with a report by that committee to the governments of the member states, so that they may have an opportunity to make the observations they deem pertinent or to propose the inclusion of additional topics within whatever time period the Committee may set. In preparing this preliminary draft agenda, the Committee shall take into account the provisions of the Charter, the topics proposed by the governments of the member states, those agreed to by the Assembly at previous sessions, and, if such is the case, by the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, those recommended by other organs of the Organization, and matters that, in the opinion of the Secretary General, might threaten the peace and security of the Hemisphere or the development of the member states.

Article 30. The agenda for each regular session of the General Assembly shall include the following matters, in addition to those mentioned in the previous article:

a. Adoption of the agenda;

b. The observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council on the reports of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the General Secretariat, the specialized organizations and conferences, and the other organs, agencies, and entities;

c. Determination of the place and date of the next regular session;

d. Election of officers of organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization;

e. Approval of the annual program-budget of the Organization;

f. Determination of the quotas of the member states.

Article 31. Taking into account the observations and proposals referred to in Article 29, the Preparatory Committee shall prepare the draft agenda, which shall be transmitted to the governments at least 45 days before the opening date of each regular session of the General Assembly. The Preparatory Committee may recommend that, in view of their importance, certain topics be considered on a priority basis at the opening of the regular session of the Assembly. The draft agenda shall be accompanied by a report of the Committee, which shall contain such factual and legal background information and, when appropriate, other criteria as may facilitate consideration of the topics.

Article 32. Once the Preparatory Committee has approved the draft agenda, new topics may be included only by the vote of two thirds of the members of that committee, at least 30 days prior to the opening date of the session of the General Assembly.

Article 33. Once the regular session of the General Assembly has begun, only urgent and important matters may be added to the agenda. The admission of such topics shall require the vote of two thirds of the member states.

Article 34. The General Assembly shall adopt the agenda by the vote of two thirds of the member states, following a report by the Preparatory Committee.

B. Special sessions

Article 35. The agenda of each special session of the General Assembly shall be confined to the subject or subjects for which the session was convoked.

The procedures and time periods for the preparation of the agenda of a special session shall be established in each case by the Preparatory Committee.

VII. DRAFTS AND WORKING DOCUMENTS

A. Regular sessions

Draft treaties or conventions

Article 36. A government of a member state or an organ of the Organization that wishes to submit to the General Assembly for consideration a draft treaty or convention relating to any topic on the agenda shall transmit the text thereof to the Secretary General of the Organization at least 45 days prior to the opening of the Assembly session, so that the governments may give it advance consideration. If such a draft is not submitted within the time specified, it may be considered by the Assembly only if the latter so agrees by the vote of two thirds of the member states.

Draft declarations, resolutions, or recommendations

Article 37. Whenever possible, draft declarations, resolutions, or recommendations relating to the agenda shall be presented to the Secretary General of the Organization prior to the beginning of the Assembly session. The deadline for the presentation of drafts after the session has begun shall be established by the General Assembly at its first plenary session.

Reports and studies

Article 38. The observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council concerning the reports of the specialized organizations and bodies of the Organization may be combined into a single document and shall be sent directly to the plenary General Assembly together with those reports as information documents. Any delegation may request separate consideration of such observations and recommendations, in which case they shall be sent to the General Committee for that purpose.

Article 39. Reports from the Meeting of Consultation, those requested by the General Assembly itself, and any observations and recommendations that the Permanent Council may present on the reports of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the General Secretariat, the specialized organizations and conferences, and the other organs, agencies, and entities must be transmitted to the governments of the member states no later than 30 days prior to the opening date of the regular session of the General Assembly.

Article 40. Any draft, study, or report that, in the opinion of a delegation or of the Secretary General, is not clearly related to the agenda shall be presented to the General Committee so that it may decide on the matter.

Article 41. In adopting any resolution providing for a project or activity that entails expenditure by the Organization, the General Assembly shall take into account financial estimates, which the General Secretariat shall prepare in advance, on the impact of such projects or activities on the budgetary calculations of the Organization, as well as prior statements by the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs of the Permanent Council or, as the case may be, by the General Committee of the General Assembly on such financial implications.

B. Special sessions

Article 42. For special sessions of the Assembly, the Preparatory Committee may, if necessary, change the procedures and time periods established in this chapter with respect to drafts and working documents.

VIII. SESSIONS

A........ Regular sessions

Schedule of sessions and opening dates

Article 43. The General Assembly shall hold a regular session each year, preferably during the second quarter.

At each of these sessions, the General Assembly shall determine the opening date of its next session, taking special account of the work of preparing and adjusting the program-budget of the Organization.

Article 44. At each regular session, the General Assembly shall determine the place of its next regular session, taking into account the offers made by the member states and in accordance with the principle of rotation.

Article 45. If for any reason the General Assembly session cannot be held at the place chosen, it shall be held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat, unless a member state should offer to host the session in its territory at least three months in advance of the date determined in accordance with Article 43 of these Rules of Procedure, in which case the Permanent Council may decide that the General Assembly shall meet at that place.

Transmittal of the notice of convocation

Article 46. The Secretary General shall transmit to the member states the notice of convocation of each regular session of the General Assembly at least 60 days prior to the opening date thereof.

B. Special sessions

Article 47. The General Assembly shall hold a special session when the Permanent Council convokes it in accordance with Article 58 of the Charter.

The Secretary General shall immediately transmit the corresponding notice of convocation to the governments.

IX. SESSIONS AND MEETINGS

Types of sessions

Article 48. The General Assembly shall hold an inaugural session, the necessary plenary sessions, and a closing session. Nevertheless, in the case of a special session, the inaugural session may be eliminated.

Public and closed sessions

Article 49. The plenary sessions of the General Assembly and the meetings of the General Committee, the subcommittees, and the working groups shall be public, unless the respective body decides that they shall be closed.

Article 50. Only the delegations of the member states, necessary Secretariat personnel, and the permanent observers, in accordance with Article 8, may attend closed sessions or meetings.

X. DEBATES AND PROCEDURE

Official Languages

Article 51. English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish shall be the official languages of the General Assembly.

Quorum

Article 52. A majority of the member states shall constitute a quorum at the plenary sessions. In the General Committee, its subcommittees, and its working groups, a quorum shall consist of one third of the delegations comprising those bodies. Nevertheless, in order for a vote to be taken, the presence of at least two thirds of such delegations at the session or meeting concerned shall be required.

Article 53. Proposals shall be presented in writing to the Secretariat and may not be discussed until 12 hours after they have been distributed to the delegations in all four official languages. Nevertheless, the General Assembly, by the vote of two thirds of the member states, may authorize discussion in the plenary sessions of a proposal that has not been distributed on time.

Amendments

Article 54. During the consideration of a proposal a motion may be made to amend it.

A motion shall be considered to be an amendment to a proposal only when it adds to or eliminates something from that proposal or changes part of it. A motion that would totally replace the original proposal or that is not directly related to it shall not be considered to be an amendment.

Withdrawal of proposals and amendments

Article 55. A proposal or an amendment may be withdrawn by its proponent before it has been put to a vote. Any delegation may present again a proposal or amendment that has been withdrawn.

Article 56. For the reconsideration of a decision taken by the plenary General Assembly, the General Committee, a subcommittee, or a working group, the approval of the corresponding motion by the vote of two thirds of the delegations that are members of the body in question shall be required.

Points of order

Article 57. During the discussion of a topic, any delegation may raise a point of order, which shall be decided upon immediately by the president or chair. Any delegation may appeal this decision, in which case the appeal shall be put to a vote.

While raising a point of order, a delegation may not go into the substance of the matter under discussion.

Suspension of debate

Article 58. The president or chair or any delegation may propose that debate be suspended. Only two delegations may speak in favor of, and two against, such a motion, which shall then be put to a vote immediately.

Closing of debate

Article 59. The president or chair or any delegation, when he or it considers that a topic has been discussed sufficiently, may propose that debate be closed. This motion may be opposed briefly by two delegations, after which it shall be declared approved if so voted by two thirds of the delegations present at the session or meeting.

Suspension or adjournment of the session or meeting

Article 60. During the discussion of any topic, the president or chair or any representative may propose that the session or meeting be suspended or adjourned. Such a motion shall be put to a vote immediately and without discussion.

Article 61. Decisions on the matters dealt with in Articles 57, 58, and 60 shall be taken by the vote of a majority of the delegations present.

Order of procedural motions

Article 62. Except as provided in Article 57, the following motions shall have precedence, in the order set forth below, over all other proposals or motions:

a. Suspension of the session or meeting;

b. Adjournment of the session or meeting;

c. Suspension of debate on the topic under consideration;

d. Close of debate on the topic under consideration.

Provisions common to all deliberative bodies of the General Assembly

Article 63. The provisions regarding debate and procedure contained in this chapter shall govern the plenary sessions and the meetings of the committees, subcommittees, and working groups.

XI. VOTING

Right to vote

Article 64. Each delegation shall have the right to one vote.

Majority required

Article 65. In both the plenary sessions and the General Committee meetings, decisions shall be taken by the vote of a majority of the member states, except in those cases in which the Charter of the Organization or these Rules of Procedure may provide otherwise.

Article 66. In the subcommittees and working groups of the General Committee, decisions shall be taken by the vote of a majority of the delegations present, except in those cases in which these Rules of Procedure may provide otherwise.

Article 67. Votes shall be taken by a show of hands, but any representative may request a roll-call vote, which shall be taken beginning with the delegation whose name is drawn by lot by the president or chair and continuing in the order of precedence of the delegations.

Votes shall be taken by secret ballot only in the cases and in the manner provided for in these Rules of Procedure.

No representative may interrupt the voting, except for a point of order relating to the manner in which it is being conducted. This rule applies to the votes provided for in this article and in the following articles of this chapter.

Voting on proposals

Article 68. After discussion is closed, the proposals presented, together with any amendments thereto, shall be put to a vote immediately.

Proposals shall be voted upon in the order in which they are presented.

Voting on amendments

Article 69. An amendment shall be submitted for discussion and shall be put to a vote before the proposal that it is intended to modify is voted upon.

Article 70. When several amendments to a proposal are presented, the vote shall be taken first on the one that departs furthest from the original text. The other amendments shall be voted upon in like order. In case of doubt in this regard, they shall be considered in the order of their presentation.

Article 71. When the adoption of one amendment necessarily entails the exclusion of another, the latter shall not be put to a vote. If one or more of the amendments is adopted, the proposal as amended shall be put to a vote.

Article 72. When any delegation so requests, a proposal or amendment shall be voted upon by parts. If any delegation opposes such a request, the opposing motion shall be put to a vote, in which case the majority called for in Article 65 or Article 66, as applicable, shall be required for approval. If voting by parts is accepted, the proposal or amendment thus approved shall be put to a final vote in its entirety. When all the operative parts of a proposal or amendment have been rejected, such proposal or amendment shall be considered to have been rejected as a whole.

Elections

Article 73. Elections shall be by secret ballot except when they are by acclamation.

Article 74. In cases where only one member state or one person is to be elected, if no candidate obtains the vote of a majority of the member states on the first ballot, a second and, if necessary, a third ballot shall be taken, limited to the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes. If after the third ballot no candidate has obtained the required majority, the election shall be suspended for the period of time determined by the Assembly or, if applicable, the committee concerned. When the election is resumed, two additional ballots shall be taken. If neither of the two candidates is elected the balloting procedure established in this article shall be started again at the time indicated by the Assembly, with respect to the candidates who are presented.

Article 75. When two or more elective posts are to be filled at the same time and under the same conditions, the candidates obtaining the vote of a majority of the member states shall be declared elected. If the number of candidates obtaining such a majority is smaller than the number of persons or members to be elected, there shall be additional ballots to fill the remaining posts, the voting being limited to the candidates who have received the most votes on the previous ballot, in such a way that the number of candidates will not be more than twice the number of posts remaining to be filled.

Explanation of vote

Article 76. After voting has ended, and except when it has been by secret ballot, any representative may request the floor to give a brief explanation of his vote.

XII. MINUTES AND OTHER DOCUMENTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Verbatim and summary minutes

Article 77. The minutes of the plenary sessions shall be verbatim. The minutes of committee meetings shall be summary, unless the Preparatory Committee decides otherwise.

Article 78. The Secretariat shall distribute the provisional minutes to the delegations and, when applicable, to the permanent observers as promptly as possible. It shall do the same for the other observers in the case of public meetings at which these observers have spoken. The delegations, permanent observers, and other observers may present to the Secretariat any corrections in style that they deem necessary.

The corrected minutes shall be published as part of the official proceedings of the session.

Summary

Article 79. The Secretariat shall publish a brief summary of the sessions and meetings held on the preceding day. This publication shall also include:

a. The list of documents distributed during the preceding 24 hours;

b. The orders of business for the next sessions and meetings; and

c. Brief announcements of interest to the delegations.

Resolutions, declarations, and recommendations

Article 80. The resolutions, declarations, and recommendations issued by the General Assembly shall be published in the official languages of the Organization and shall be distributed to the delegations, permanent observers, other observers, and special guests immediately after they are approved. The General Assembly may entrust the Permanent Council with coordinating the texts of the resolutions after each session. The General Secretariat shall distribute the official versions of these resolutions to the governments.

Reservations and statements

Article 81. Any delegation that wishes to make a reservation or statement with respect to a treaty or convention, or a statement regarding a resolution of the General Assembly, shall communicate the text thereof to the Secretariat, so that the latter may distribute it to the delegations no later than at the plenary session at which the instrument in question is to be voted upon. Such reservations and statements shall appear along with the treaty or convention or, in the case of a resolution, in the corresponding minutes.

Official version of the proceedings

Article 82. The General Secretariat shall publish as soon as possible the official version of the proceedings of each Assembly session.

The General Secretariat shall adopt an appropriate system for numbering the resolutions of the General Assembly.

Article 83. The General Secretariat shall send certified copies of the treaties, conventions, and resolutions adopted by the Assembly to the governments of the member states. It shall also register the said treaties and conventions with the United Nations.

XIII. ADMISSION OF NEW MEMBERS

Article 84. The General Assembly shall consider the recommendations made by the Permanent Council concerning the requests for admission presented by independent American states, in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of the Charter.

By a vote of two thirds of the member states and following a report by the competent committee, the General Assembly shall determine whether it is appropriate to authorize the Secretary General to permit the applicant state to sign the Charter and for him to accept the deposit of the corresponding instrument of ratification.

XIV. AMENDMENT OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

Article 85. These Rules of Procedure may be amended by the General Assembly, acting either on its own initiative or on a proposal by the Preparatory Committee or the Permanent Council. For the adoption of a proposed amendment, the vote of a majority of the member states shall be required, except in the case of articles in which a two thirds majority has been established, for the amendment of which that same majority shall be required.

AG/RES. 1738 (XXX-O/00)

MODERNIZATION OF THE OAS AND RENEWAL

OF THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Permanent Council on the modernization of the OAS and the renewal of the inter-American system (CP/doc.3331/00);

RECALLING that the Heads of State and Government of the member states, in the Declaration of Santiago adopted at the Second Summit of the Americas, issued a mandate to study ways to strengthen and modernize the institutions of the Hemisphere, particularly the Organization of American States;

CONSIDERING that, as a result of the dialogue on the renewal of the inter-American system that took place during the twenty-eighth regular session of the General Assembly, held in Caracas, Venezuela, the heads of delegation adopted resolution AG/RES. 1603 (XXVIII-O/98), in which they established the Special Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development on the Strengthening and Modernization of the OAS and instructed it to:

a. “Identify[ing] the aspects with regard to which it is necessary to foster and intensify the process of strengthening and modernizing the OAS by defining strategies, procedures, and concrete actions with a view to promoting a comprehensive renewal of the inter-American system”; [EJY115]

b. Study "the organization and working methods of the councils and their subsidiary bodies, as well as the General Secretariat, with a view to streamlining their work so they may carry out more efficiently and effectively the mandates entrusted to them"[EJY116] ; and

c. Adopt "such organizational and structural measures as they consider suitable in pursuit of the aims set forth" in the preceding paragraph.[EJY117]

BEARING IN MIND that, at its twenty-ninth regular session, the General Assembly adopted resolution AG/RES. 1685 (XXIX-O/99), "Modernization of the OAS and Renewal of the Inter-American System[KRL118] ," in operative paragraph 2 of which it resolved "to renew the mandates contained in resolution AG/RES. 1603 (XXVIII-O/98) and to instruct the Permanent Council to report on the implementation of this resolution to the General Assembly at its thirtieth regular session, especially regarding the completion of consideration of already initiated items; rationalization of the work of the General Secretariat in order to fulfill the mandates entrusted to it more efficiently and effectively; and the definition of strategies, procedures, and concrete actions–including funding and coordination with other inter-American organizations–with a view to promoting integral renewal of the inter-American system[KRL119] ";

RECALLING that the Permanent Council, at its meeting of July 23, 1999, assigned to the Special Joint Working Group the topics "Personnel Policy Reform[KRL120] " [AG/RES. 1647 (XXIX-O/99)] and "The Financial and Budgetary Situation of the Organization[KRL121] " [AG/RES. 1692 (XXIX-O/99)];

BEARING IN MIND ALSO that the Special Joint Working Group considered the document "Coordination between the Organization of American States and Other Inter-American Agencies" (GETC-FORMOEA-153/00),[EJY122] prepared by the General Secretariat pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 1685 (XXIX-O/99), on the basis of which it was deemed necessary to continue to strengthen existing mechanisms for coordination between the Organization and other inter-American agencies;

CONSIDERING that the Special Joint Working Group has studied the document "Draft Public Affairs Strategy for the Organization of American States[KRL123] " (GETC/FORMOEA-122/99), the recommendations of which were forwarded to the General Secretariat;

EMPHASIZING that the Special Joint Working Group has considered the question of possible changes to the career service and related aspects of personnel policy and recommended to the Permanent Council that the General Assembly adopt the draft resolution which instructs the Permanent Council to complete that study and take the necessary decisions;

BEARING IN MIND FURTHER that the Special Joint Working Group, having before it document GETC/FORMOEA-154/00, has been examining the financial situation of the Organization and considering the points of view expressed by member states both in the Working Group and in the debate on the Organization's priorities during the special meeting of the Permanent Council held on May 22, 2000, which are contained in the General Secretariat document and have been presented to the General Assembly at its thirtieth regular session for consideration by the heads of delegation;

RECOGNIZING that the Special Joint Working Group has examined the matters assigned to it and that its findings have contributed to important decisions made within the Organization on the following topics:

a. Adoption of practices designed to improve the organization and working methods of the Permanent Council;

b. Establishment of the Committee to Coordinate Cooperation Programs of the Inter-American System[KRL124] , in keeping with resolution AG/RES. 1666 (XXIX-O/99);

c. Creation of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development as a subsidiary organ[KRL125] of CIDI, through resolution AG/RES. 3 (XXVI-E/99), adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-sixth [KRL126] special session, in November 1999;

d. The adoption of guidelines for civil society participation in OAS activities, through resolution CP/RES. 759 (1217/99), in keeping with resolution AG/RES. 1661 (XXIX-O/99), and the mandates to the General Secretariat to collaborate in strengthening cooperation between governments and civil society, in accordance with resolution AG/RES. 1668 (XXIX-O/99);

e. Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly, adopted by the Permanent Council ad referendum of the General Assembly, through resolution CP/RES. 760 (1217/99);

f. Adoption by the Permanent Council of resolution CP/RES. 761 (1217/99), "Personnel Policy Reform," in which it approved, ad referendum of the General Assembly, amendments to the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat and to the Staff Rules;

BEARING IN MIND that the mandate contained in resolution AG/RES. 1603 (XXVIII-O/98) instructed the Permanent Council to study the organization and working methods of the General Secretariat with a view to streamlining its work so that it may carry out more efficiently and effectively the mandates entrusted to it; and that, among other matters, the Special Joint Working Group has considered the General Secretariat's "Proposal to Create a Secretariat for Political Affairs," contained in document GETC/FORMOEA-151/00 add. 1[EJY127] ;

BEARING IN MIND ALSO that, in view of the proposal mentioned above, several delegations requested further discussions on the overall structure of the General Secretariat, pointing to the need to standardize the naming of its various sections and to place them in a logical manner within the organizational structure of the OAS, as well as further details on the budgetary implications of the proposal; and

AWARE of the need to continue the process of modernizing the OAS and of renewing the inter-American system, especially regarding the funding and rationalization of the work performed by the General Secretariat,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of the report of the Special Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) on the Strengthening and Modernization of the General Secretariat and to express appreciation for its presentation.

2. To thank the Special Joint Working Group for its work and to underscore the contribution of that work to the process of strengthening and modernizing the OAS.

3. To instruct the Permanent Council to attach priority to continuing the studies on the organization, working methods, and operations of the General Secretariat, and to consider in that context, inter alia, the documents of the General Secretariat titled “Proposal to Create a Secretariat for Political Affairs,” (GETC/FORMOEA-151/00 corr. 1 and GETC/FORMOEA-151/00 add. 1), authorizing it to take the pertinent decisions in accordance with budgetary provisions and the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat.

4. To instruct the Permanent Council to continue its consideration of measures to strengthen and modernize the OAS, especially in matters relating to the funding of the Organization; and to present a report on the implementation of this resolution to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session.

AG/RES. 1744 (XXX-O/00)

COOPERATION FOR SECURITY IN THE HEMISPHERE

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the Annual Report of the Permanent Council (AG/doc.3848/00) and, in particular, the section referring to the Report of the Chair of the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CP/CSH-307/00);

RECALLING its resolutions “Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions” [AG/RES. 1607 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Program of Education for Peace in the Hemisphere” [AG/RES. 1620 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials” [AG/RES. 1621 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Consolidation of the Regime Established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)” [AG/RES. 1622 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Confidence- and Security-Building in the Americas” [AG/RES. 1623 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Inter-American Support for the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction” [AG/RES. 1624 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Special Security Concerns of Small Island States” [AG/RES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Support for the Mine-Clearing Program in Central America” [AG/RES. 1641 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Proliferation of and Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons” [AG/RES. 1642 (XXIX-O/99)]; “Work Program of the Committee on Hemispheric Security in Preparation for the Special Conference on Security” [AG/RES. 1643 (XXIX-O/99)]; “The Western Hemisphere as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone” [AG/RES. 1644 (XXIX-O/99)]; and “Support for the Committee on Hemispheric Security” [AG/RES. 1645 (XXIX-O/99)];

REAFFIRMING that the programs, activities, and tasks set out in the above-mentioned resolutions are necessary for the furtherance of the essential purpose of the Organization enshrined in the Charter to strengthen peace and security in the Hemisphere, and that cooperation among member states is fundamental for the attainment of that goal;

RECALLING ALSO:

That the Heads of State and Government, meeting at the Second Summit of the Americas, instructed the Committee on Hemispheric Security to “follow up on and expand topics relating to confidence and security building measures”[KRL135] ; “analyze the meaning, scope, and implications of international security concepts in the Hemisphere, with a view to developing the most appropriate common approaches by which to manage their various aspects, including disarmament and arms control” and to “pinpoint ways to revitalize and strengthen the institutions of the Inter-American System related to the various aspects of Hemispheric Security,” with a view to holding, once these tasks had been completed, a “Special Conference on Security, within the framework of the OAS, to be held, at the latest, at the beginning of the next decade”;

The importance of the Declaration of Santiago and Declaration of San Salvador on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures, which recommend that confidence- and security-building measures be applied in the manner deemed most appropriate; and

The relevance of the conclusions and recommendations of the High-Level Meeting on the Special Security Concerns of Small Island States, held in San Salvador in 1998; and

RECOGNIZING:

That member states have implemented the confidence- and security-building measures contained in the aforementioned Declaration of Santiago and Declaration of San Salvador; and

That the Permanent Council adopted, through its resolution CP/RES. 769 (1234/00), the Program of Education for Peace in the Hemisphere, in fulfillment of the above-mentioned resolution AG/RES. 1620 (XXIX-O/99),

RESOLVES:

1. To urge member states to continue contributing to the attainment of the objectives established in the aforementioned resolutions through the signature and/or ratification of, or accession[KRL136] to, as appropriate, inter-American and international conventions, the development and execution of activities, the submission of reports, the exchange and sharing of information, the adoption of measures and policies, and mutual cooperation, support, and assistance, as mentioned in those resolutions, specifically:

a. Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials [AG/RES. 1621 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraph 1;

b. Confidence- and Security-Building in the Americas [AG/RES. 1623 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8;

c. Inter-American Support for the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction [AG/RES. 1624 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraph 3;

d. Special Security Concerns of Small Island States [AG/RES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8;

e. Support for the Mine-Clearing Program in Central America [AG/RES. 1641 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraph 3;

f. Proliferation of and Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons, [AG/RES. 1642 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 1 and 2;

g. Work Program of the Committee on Hemispheric Security in Preparation for the Special Conference on Security [AG/RES. 1643 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 3, 4, and 5; and

h. The Western Hemisphere as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone [AG/RES. 1644 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, and 13.

2. To reiterate its mandates to the Permanent Council and to the General Secretariat contained in the following resolutions:

a. Confidence- and Security-Building in the Americas [AG/RES. 1623 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 15;

b. Special Security Concerns of Small Island States [AG/RES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 2, 5, 12, 13, and 15;

c. Proliferation of and Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons [AG/RES. 1642 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraph 4.a;

d. Work Program of the Committee on Hemispheric Security in Preparation for the Special Conference on Security [AG/RES. 1643 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 6 and 7;

e. The Western Hemisphere as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone [AG/RES. 1644 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraphs 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18; and

f. Support for the Committee on Hemispheric Security [AG/RES. 1645 (XXIX-O/99)], operative paragraph 4.

3. To request the Permanent Council to hold, through the Committee on Hemispheric Security (the Committee), a special meeting with the participation of experts from member states to continue discussing the most appropriate common approaches by which to manage the various aspects of international security in the Hemisphere.

4. To reiterate the importance of collaboration among member states for the enhancement of the security of small island states and, to that end, to instruct the Permanent Council to convene in 2001, and to prepare through the Committee, the second high-level meeting on the special security concerns of small island states, taking into consideration the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee meeting of February 29, 2000.

5. To consider all aspects related to the proliferation of and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and, to that end:

a. To instruct the Permanent Council to discuss, through the Committee, with the assistance of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, the advisability of undertaking a study concerning small arms and light weapons brokering and transit; and

b. To instruct the Permanent Council to hold, through the Committee, an information meeting on the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons [KRL137] in All Its Aspects [KRL138] .

6. To encourage member states to develop programs of education for peace consistent with their needs, on the basis of the Program approved by the Permanent Council, and to urge them to support[KRL139] the United Nations Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World.[KRL140]

7. To encourage member states that are Parties to the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction to provide to the Secretary General as part of their annual submissions to the OAS Register of Antipersonnel Land Mines, a copy of their Article 7 reports.

8. To instruct the General Secretariat to:

a. Continue to provide the Committee with the administrative and technical support necessary for it to fulfill the various mandates assigned to it;

b. Coordinate with the Inter-American Defense Board in the preparation of a complete and updated inventory of confidence- and security-building measures based on reports presented by member states pursuant to the aforementioned resolution AG/RES. 1623 (XXIX-O/99); and

c. Continue its work via a cooperative communication network to exchange information on confidence- and security-building measures.

9. To instruct the Permanent Council to see to it that the Committee continues to participate in, conduct consultations, and exchange experiences and information with the Conferences of Ministers of Defense of the Americas, as well as with other regional and international forums as mentioned in resolution AG/RES. 1623 (XXIX-O/99), including the United Nations and its pertinent agencies, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Association of South East-Asian Nations Regional Forum, and the Organization for African Unity.

10. To request the Permanent Council to hold, through the Committee, the next round of OAS-OSCE exchange of experiences at OSCE headquarters.

11. To instruct the General Secretariat to carry out the activities mentioned in this resolution within the resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources.

12. To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

13. To instruct the General Secretariat to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

AG/RES. 1751 (XXX-O/00)

SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM OF INTEGRAL ACTION

AGAINST ANTIPERSONNEL MINES IN CENTRAL AMERICA

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session,

held on June 5, 2000)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the Annual Report of the Permanent Council (AG/doc.3848/00) and, in particular, the section referring to the Report of the Chair of the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CP/CSH-307/00) and to the report of the General Secretariat on the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 1641 (XXIX-O/99), “Support for the Mine-Clearing Program in Central America[KRL146] ”;

bearing in mind the aforementioned resolution, AG/RES. 1641 (XXIX-O/99), as well as resolution AG/RES. 1240 (XXIII-O/93), “Inter-American Defense Board”;

ReafFIRMING its profound concern over the presence in Central America of thousands of antipersonnel land mines and other undetonated explosive devices that continue to constitute a threat to the population and that have horrendous effects, primarily on the civilian population–especially children–causing tragedy to individuals and families, standing in the way of socioeconomic development in vast and rich rural areas, and affecting border integration in those areas; and

CONSIDERING:

The efforts being made by the Governments of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua to complete mine-clearing activities and the destruction of stockpiles of mines, as well as programs aimed at the physical and psychological rehabilitation of victims and their families and the socioeconomic reclamation of demined areas;

The valuable contribution made to the Mine-Clearing Program in Central America (PADCA) by OAS member states–Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela; permanent observers–France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; and other donor countries, including Denmark and Norway; and

The important coordination, promotion, and fundraising activities carried out by the General Secretariat, through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, for PADCA and for programs aimed at the physical and psychological rehabilitation of victims and their families and the socioeconomic reclamation of demined areas; as well as the technical advisory services being provided to PADCA by the Inter-American Defense Board; and

The valuable support of the Committee on Hemispheric Security,

RESOLVES:

1. To reiterate its gratitude to member states, permanent observers, and the international community in general for their contributions to the Mine-Clearing Program in Central America (PADCA) and the other programs for Integral Action against Antipersonnel Mines (AICMA) in Central America.

2. To reiterate its call to member states, donors, and cooperation agencies to respond favorably to the OAS Secretary General’s appeal for additional support in order to redouble efforts, in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch, to complete the mine-clearing programs in Central America as soon as possible.

3. To note with satisfaction the progress made by the Governments of Honduras and Nicaragua in destroying the antipersonnel mines stockpiled in their respective countries.

4. To recognize the support given by PADCA in the clearing and certification of important road and communications infrastructure in Honduras and Nicaragua respectively following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch.

5. To recognize the progress made by the General Secretariat, through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD), in raising external resources to purchase and repair air and ground transport equipment for PADCA, which are indispensable for the proper functioning of the mine-clearing programs and the evacuation of victims in cases of accidents, and to urge it to continue its efforts to purchase the equipment still needed.

6. To foster cooperation and coordination activities carried out by the General Secretariat, through the UPD, with:

a. The Central American Bank for Economic Integration, through the cooperation agreement concluded by the two institutions, designed to initiate and/or strengthen programs aimed at mine awareness education of the civilian population regarding the danger of antipersonnel mines and the socioeconomic reclamation of demined areas of Central America;

b. The Trust for the Americas [KRL147] , so as to join forces with the business, academic, and charitable sectors and nonprofit organizations of the Hemisphere to promote programs to train and reintegrate into society victims and communities affected by antipersonnel mines in Central America;

c. The United Nations, to implement an information system on integral action against antipersonnel mines in Central America;

d. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to combine efforts in providing care to antipersonnel mine victims and reintegrating them into society in the framework of the activities of the joint Mexico-Canada-PAHO cooperation programs;

e. The Center for International Rehabilitation[KRL148] , in the framework of the cooperation agreement concluded by the two institutions to devise and implement a plan of action to develop and disseminate technology and educational materials for victims of mines and other explosive devices.

7. To request the Inter-American Defense Board to continue to provide technical assistance to PADCA.

8. To promote measures aimed at strengthening existing technical capacity in affected Central American countries in order to complete, without delay, the marking of areas where it is known or suspected that antipersonnel land mines are located.

9. To underscore the valuable contributions of the intersessional meetings of the Standing Committee of Experts established by member states of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, during the First Meeting of States Parties, in Maputo in May 1999.

10. To urge the General Secretariat to continue to provide to the Central American countries, within the resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources, the support necessary to continue the mine-clearing programs, as well as those aimed at mine awareness education, rehabilitation of victims and their families, and the socioeconomic reclamation of demined areas.

11. To reiterate its request to the Inter-American Council for Integral Development to facilitate, as part of its cooperation program and in keeping with the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development 1997-2001, the development of programs of socioeconomic and educational support to communities in Central America where antipersonnel mine-clearing has been completed.

12. To reiterate its request to the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system that they collaborate with these programs.

13. To request the Secretary General to transmit this resolution to the United Nations Secretary-General, and to other international organizations as he deems appropriate.

14. To request the General Secretariat to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

ANNEX A

MEASURES TO ENCOURAGE THE TIMELY PAYMENT OF QUOTAS

A. Definitions

1. “Current”: A member state is “current” when it is up to date with all payments to the Regular Fund in accordance with its obligations to pay quota assessments under Articles 102 and 103 of the General Standards. For the purposes of this provision, quotas are due and payable on the first day of the corresponding fiscal period. Similarly, as an exception to Article 102 of the General Standards, member states that pay their quotas in full by April 30 are “current.” After that date, quotas are past due until paid in full.

2. “Considered current”: A member state is “considered current” when:

a. It is no more than two years in arrears, has entered into a payment plan with the General Secretariat by April 30 of the current fiscal year for the payment of those arrears, and is in compliance with those terms. Any payment plan which extends the payment period for more than two years must be approved by the Permanent Council, upon the recommendation of its Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP). For purposes of this provision, a member state will be considered two years in arrears during the current fiscal period if, by May 1 of that period, it owes two years of quota assessments (that is, the assessment for the current fiscal period and an amount equal to or greater than the assessment for the immediately prior fiscal period).

b. It has not satisfied the requirements of the preceding provisions, but the Permanent Council has determined, after hearing the member state, that the state is not able to make payments in accordance with a satisfactory payment plan or as otherwise owed due to circumstances beyond its control. Examples of those circumstances include, but are not limited to: natural disasters within the last 36 months having a substantial and unforeseen impact on the state's capacity to generate revenue to satisfy public obligations; a state of armed conflict within the last 36 months requiring the debtor state to divert an unforeseen and substantial amount of its revenues to self-defense; circumstances of a similar nature which in the judgment of the member states prevent a member state from satisfying its debt to the Organization without creating severe and undue hardship for that state. The Permanent Council shall examine each case on its own merits. Past precedents established by the Permanent Council, while not binding, shall be taken into account.

3. “Not current”: A member state is “not current” when it does not fall within the definition of "current" or "considered current" above.

4. “Years in arrears”: This is the number of years for which quotas are still owed by a member state as of May 1 of the current fiscal period, regardless of whether the member state has entered into a payment schedule and is in compliance with that schedule.

B. Measures

1. Member states that pay all their quota assessment for the current fiscal period by April 30 of that period are entitled to the following discounts: 3% of the amount paid by January 31 and 2% of the amount paid between February 1 and April 30. The discount shall be applied to the quota assessment for the next fiscal period.

2. Only member states that are “current” or “considered current” shall be eligible to host meetings (including, but not limited to, conferences, meetings of ministers and experts, workshops, and seminars) of the Organization directly funded, in whole or in part, by the Regular Fund.

3. The following procedures shall apply to elections conducted by the General Assembly or by the councils of the Organization:

a. When circulating to the member states documents presented by a member state nominating a candidate the General Secretariat shall indicate in the transmittal notice whether the nominating member state is “current,” “considered current,” or “not current”;

b. Within one week prior to holding the election and, again, immediately prior to taking the corresponding vote, the General Secretariat shall circulate a statement among all delegations indicating the countries which are “current,” “considered current,” and “not current.” The statement shall also show the number of years each such country is in arrears. No vote shall be held until this information has been circulated and the delegations so notified; and

c. The respective electing organ can specifically take into account the condition of those states which are “not current.”

4. At the beginning of each quarter of the fiscal year, the General Secretariat shall send to each foreign minister of each member state, through its Permanent Representative to the Organization, a letter and statement of accounts setting out the amount of any quotas owed, requesting prompt payment of quotas past due under a payment plan or otherwise not timely paid, and describing the benefits they receive from making those payments.

5. In meetings of the Secretary General with Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Ministers of Finance of member states which are “not current,” he shall remind them, as appropriate, to pay their past due quota assessments, and shall make quarterly reports to the Permanent Council on those discussions and other initiatives taken towards the timely collection of quotas.

C. Exceptional Forms of Payment

The General Secretariat may negotiate arrangements with member states that are “not current” for the payment in national currency, real estate, or other valuable assets, of quotas more than five years in arrears. Those arrangements shall enter into force only upon approval by the Permanent Council, upon the advice of its Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs, and only upon a determination that:

a. In the case of national currency or other valuable assets, the General Secretariat will not be financially prejudiced by the acceptance of that currency or assets; and

b. In the case of real estate, the General Secretariat will, over a reasonable time, earn income or generate savings from the property in occupancy, use, sale, or rental of the property in an amount equal to or greater than the corresponding arrears.

D. Transitory Provision for Member States More than Five Years in Arrears

1. Member states in arrears for more than five years as of December 31, 1999, shall be “considered current” until December 31, 2002, provided they do all of the following:

a. Pay the quotas for the 2000 fiscal period by August 31, 2000, or otherwise enter into a payment plan with the General Secretariat by that same date for the payment of those quotas by December 31, 2000.

b. Enter into a payment plan with the Secretariat by August 31, 2000, to pay by December 31, 2002, the quotas owed for the 1998 and 1999 fiscal periods.

c. Enter into a payment plan with the General Secretariat by December 31, 2000, for the payment of the amounts owed for fiscal years prior to 1998, and if that plan involves payments in local currency or real estate, obtain the necessary approval of the Permanent Council by that date. This payment plan must provide for a final payment of those amounts owed no later than December 31, 2005.

d. Pay the quotas for the 2001 fiscal period by April 30, 2001, or otherwise enter into a payment plan with the General Secretariat by that same date for the payment of those quotas by December 31, 2001.

e. Pay the quotas for the 2002 fiscal period by April 30, 2002, or otherwise enter into a payment plan with the General Secretariat by that same date for the payment of those quotas by December 31, 2002.

f. Remain in compliance with the foregoing payment plans.

2. For purposes of facilitating compliance with the requirements of the foregoing section, member states wishing to qualify as "considered current" under that provision may designate the percentage of each payment made which they wish to have credited to the current fiscal period and, as a special exception to Article 103 of the General Standards permitted hereunder, the General Secretariat will credit that payment in accordance with the member state's designation.

3. The Permanent Council shall, at the request of any member state which is “considered current” under this Transitory Provision, extend the "considered current" status of that state beyond the year 2002, provided the state continues to pay or otherwise enter into a payment plan for the payment of quota assessments in each subsequent fiscal period for that period and remains in compliance with that Plan and the payment plans for the pre-1998 quotas past due.

4. Member states that have agreed to payment plans with the General Secretariat for the payment of past due quotas prior to the adoption of this resolution and which are in compliance with these plans on the date of this resolution shall be “considered current” for as long as they remain in compliance.

ANNEX B

MEASURES PENDING FURTHER EVALUATION AND CONSENSUS

1. Only those member states that are “current” or “considered current” shall be eligible to use for hosting or sponsoring social and cultural events the Hall of the Americas and other General Secretariat facilities without being required to reimburse the Regular Fund, through the General Secretariat, the full operating costs associated with that use; however, this provision shall not apply to the use of those facilities for the celebration of a member state's national day or national week.

2. Fellowships financed by the Regular Fund shall be available only to nationals and residents of member states that are “current” or “considered current.”

3. Except as expressly provided in Article 81 of the Charter, only those member states that are “current” or “considered current” shall be eligible to serve as chairs and vice chairs of committees of the councils or to have members of their delegations serve in those posts.

4. Only those member states that are “current” or “considered current” shall be eligible to nominate candidates for Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General, and only nationals of member states that are “current” or “considered current” shall be eligible for election to those posts.

5. Only those member states that are “current” or “considered current” shall be eligible to nominate candidates for the Administrative Tribunal and the Board of External Auditors, and only nationals of member states that are “current” or “considered current” shall be eligible for election to serve on those entities.

[1]. The delegation of Trinidad and Tobago has stated that it does not support this resolution. The reservation of Trinidad and Tobago has been recorded in the minutes of the corresponding meeting (CP/ACTA 1234/00).

[2]. The delegation of Trinidad and Tobago has stated that it does not support operative paragraph 2 of this resolution. Trinidad and Tobago’s reservation has been recorded in the minutes of the corresponding meeting (CP/ACTA 1234/00).

1. The former sections (iv) and (v) become sections (v) and (vi) respectively.

2. The numbers of the articles are the numbers that would correspond if this new Article 22 is adopted.

* United Nations Economic and Social Council, Agreed Conclusions, 1997/2, July 18, 1997.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

VOLUME I

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

THIRTIETH REGULAR SESSION

PROCEEDINGS

AG/RES. 1702 (XXX-O/00)...... Support for the Work of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIHR)................................................................................................ 17

Page

STRENGTHENING THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

AG/RES. 1698 (XXX-O/00)

AG/RES. 1699 (XXX-O/00)

AG/RES. 1700 (XXX-O/00)

AG/RES. 1701 (XXX-O/00)

EVALUATION OF THE WORKINGS OF THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM FOR THE

PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WITH A VIEW

TO ITS IMPROVEMENT and strengthening

SUPPORT FOR THE WORK OF THE INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE

OF HUMAN RIGHTS

AG/RES. 1703 (XXX-O/00)

AG/RES. 1704 (XXX-O/00)

UNDERSCORING the need to strengthen the principles of international humanitarian law by achieving its universal acceptance, its widest possible dissemination[KFC19] , and its application;

AWARE of the need to punish those responsible for war crimes[KFC20] , crimes against humanity, and other grave breaches [KRL21] of international humanitarian law[KFC22] ;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT IN THIS CONTEXT the historic significance of the adoption in Rome [KRL23] of the Statute of the International Criminal Court[KFC24] ;

2. To urge the member states that have not yet done so to consider ratification of, or, if applicable, accession to the [KFC30]1977 Additional Protocols I and II to the 1949 Geneva Conventions[KFC29] .

3. Also to urge the members states that have not yet done so to consider signing or ratifying[KRL31] , as appropriate, the Statute of the International Criminal Court[KRL32] .

4. Further, to urge the member states that have not yet done so to consider ratification of, or, if applicable, accession to, the following instruments relating to weapons which may be excessively injurious or have indiscriminate effects:

5. To underscore that it is important for states, in implementing the body of international humanitarian law, to pay special attention to the following provisions:[KRL34]

8. To invite the member states to continue to cooperate with the ICRC in its various spheres of responsibility and to facilitate its work[KFC42] , in particular, by using its advisory services to support states’ efforts to apply international humanitarian law.

9. To request the Secretary General to report to the Permanent Council prior to the thirty-first regular session[KFC43] of the General Assembly on the implementation of this resolution.

CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICTS

OBSERVAtions and RECOMmENDAtions on the annual report

of the inter-american commission oN human rights

3. To request the General Secretariat to take the additional administrative measures necessary to facilitate still further the participation of the permanent observers in the cooperation activities and programs of the Organization.

RESOLVES:

I. BACKGROUND

II. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

VI. PROGRAM MONITORING ACTIVITIES

THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Delegations

Credentials

Precedence

General Secretariat

Organs of the OAS

United Nations

Permanent observers

Other observers

Powers of the president

V. COMMITTEES

Preparatory Committee

General Committee

Work of the General Assembly

Credentials

A. Regular sessions

B. Special sessions

A. Regular sessions

Draft treaties or conventions

Draft declarations, resolutions, or recommendations

Reports and studies

B. Special sessions

A........ Regular sessions

Schedule of sessions and opening dates

Transmittal of the notice of convocation

B. Special sessions

Types of sessions

Public and closed sessions

Official Languages

Quorum

Amendments

Withdrawal of proposals and amendments

Points of order

Suspension of debate

Closing of debate

Suspension or adjournment of the session or meeting

Order of procedural motions

Provisions common to all deliberative bodies of the General Assembly

XI. VOTING

Right to vote

Majority required

Voting on proposals

Voting on amendments

Elections

UNDERSCORING the need to strengthen the principles of international humanitarian law by achieving its universal acceptance, its widest possible dissemination [KFC19] , and its application;

SUPPORT FOR THE MANDATES OF THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS ON
STRENGTHENING MUNICIPAL AND REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIONS
AND ON CIVIL SOCIETY