CP/RES. 955 (1706/09)

FIRST MEETING OF FORENSIC SPECIALISTS OF THE AMERICAS

(Adopted at the meeting of July 24, 2009)

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

BEARING IN MIND that the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Sixth Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA-VI/doc.21/06) contained a decision to convene “a meeting of forensic specialists to assess the state of forensic science advances in the Hemisphere with the aim of promoting, among other issues, information sharing and practical cooperation in this field”;

CONSIDERING that, in resolutions AG/RES. 2266 (XXXVII-O/07), “Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas: Support for the REMJA Process,” and AG/RES. 2369 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Meeting of Ministers of Justice or Other Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas,” the OAS General Assembly instructed the Permanent Council to convene, pursuant to the Conclusions and Recommendations of REMJA-VI and resolution AG/RES. 2228 (XXXVI-O/06) as well as the “Conclusions and Recommendations of REMJA-VII,” a meeting of forensic specialists in accordance with resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources, taking into account the progress being made in preparing for that meeting;

CONSIDERING that, during REMJA-VII, held in Washington, D.C., from April 28-30, 2008, the Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General of the Americas took note of the report presented by the delegation of the Dominican Republic on preparations for the meeting of forensic specialists to consider the matters referred to in Recommendation VIII.d of REMJA-VI, and requested that REMJA-VIII be informed of the results of the meeting of forensic specialists and any other action taken at that meeting;

RESOLVES:

1. To convene the First Meeting of Forensic Specialists of the Americas, to be held at OAS headquarters, from September 24-25, 2009.

2. To ask the General Secretariat to provide the necessary technical and administrative support to prepare for that meeting and to make provisions for it to be held in accordance with resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources for 2009.