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Annual Meeting of CICTE of the OAS Concludes with Call to Fight Terrorist Financing

The Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) of the Organization of American States (OAS) today completed its thirteenth annual meeting with a statement on "Strengthening of Hemispheric Cooperation to Address Terrorist Financing and Money Laundering," and with the election of Colombia and Canada as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the Committee for the next term.

In the declaration adopted, the 34 OAS member countries establish their “commitment to continue to adopt measures, to strengthen international cooperation mechanisms, especially at the hemispheric level, including the application of extradition and mutual legal assistance, as well as the exchange of information, including financial information, in accordance with domestic law, in order to avoid impunity, find, deny safe haven to, and bring to justice or extradite any person who supports, facilitates, participates, or attempts to participate in the financing, planning, preparation, or commission of terrorist acts.” The declaration was approved today at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC.

In addition, Member States adopted the CICTE Work Plan for 2013, which includes the program of activities for the following areas: 1) Border Controls: Maritime Safety; Aviation Security; Security of Documents and Prevention of Fraud; Immigration and Customs; and Assistance for the implementation of Resolution 1540 of the UN Security Council. 2) Legislative Assistance and Combating Terrorism Financing: Legislative Assistance; and Combating Terrorism Financing. 3) Protection of Critical Infrastructure: Cyber-security; Tourism Security; Critical Infrastructure Protection; and Global Supply Chain Security. 4) Strengthening Strategies on Emerging Terrorist Threats: Crisis Management; and Workshops. 5) International Coordination and Cooperation: Partnerships.

The declaration urges the OAS Member States that have not yet done so “to sign, ratify, or accede to, as the case may be, and to implement in an effective way, the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, as well as the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council related to combating terrorism and its financing.

The government representatives also reaffirmed their commitment to "prevent the movement of terrorists, terrorist groups or whosoever finances terrorism by effective border controls and controls on the issuance of identity papers and travel documents, and through measures for preventing the counterfeiting, forgery, and/or fraudulent use of identity papers and travel documents."

At the same meeting, CICTE chose its Chair and Vice Chair for the next twelve months. Colombia, who was represented by its Permanent Representative to the OAS, Andrés González Díaz, became Chair, taking over from José Rodrigo Vielmann, Ambassador of Guatemala. The Vice Chair, meanwhile, was assumed by Canada in the figure of its Permanent Representative, Allan Culham, who succeeded Colombia in the position.

Similarly, Member States approved the convocation of the Fourteenth Session of CICTE on February 19, 20, and 21, 2014 at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-082/13