CP/RES. 980 (1782/10)

SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT POLICY AT THE HEADQUARTERS
OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

(Adopted at the meeting held on November 23, 2010)

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

MINDFUL of the existence of irrefutable scientific evidence that shows that smoking is a grave health risk for both smokers and passive smokers;

RECALLING that the Permanent Council, at its regular meeting of December 20, 1990, recommended, by consensus, that “during meetings of the Council, its committees, and working groups, there be no smoking in the rooms where said meetings are held” and urged the other organs of the Organization to “consider the advisability of adopting a similar measure;” and

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the Government of the United States of America, the host country of the Organization, prohibits smoking in all public buildings and adjacent areas from where tobacco smoke may enter these buildings,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of Personnel Circular 18/09b of the General Secretariat on the “Smoke-Free Environment” policy and to suggest extending its application to delegates and other officials of member states while they are in the buildings of the Organization of American States (OAS).

2. To urge member states to adopt appropriate measures to ensure that their delegates and other employees abide by the “Smoke-Free Environment” policy in OAS buildings.

3. To ban smoking in rooms and facilities assigned to any meeting of the organs of the Organization.

4. To urge the General Secretariat and member states to cooperate in ensuring compliance with the “Smoke-Free Environment” policy.

5. To request the General Secretariat to adopt the necessary measures to see to it that the facilities of the Organization have the appropriate “NO SMOKING” signs suitably displayed.