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GOVERNMENTS OF THE AMERICAS INSTITUTIONALIZE MEETING OF MINISTERS OF PUBLIC SECURITY

Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. The Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) agreed Thursday in Santo Domingo to institutionalize the Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas (MISPA) to strengthen cooperation against delinquency, violence and insecurity.

The Meeting, following the agreement reached by Ministers, Vice Ministers and representatives from Member States, will be held every two years in odd-numbered years, alternating with the Meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Americas (REMJA), which takes place in even-numbered years, and thus creating an integrated process in the fight against crime.

Governments also agreed that each MISPA will be preceded by a preparatory meeting of experts, with the next one taking place in Chile. MISPA I was held in Mexico City, Mexico, in October 2008, and MISPA II concluded Thursday in Santo Domingo after two days of meetings.

“The OAS started a long time ago having meetings of Ministers of Labor, Education, Culture or Justice, but only in 2007 started organizing ministerial meetings on Public Security. Institutionalizing this meeting as a regular event in the calendar every two years is a very important step towards coordinating work on security issues in the hemisphere,” said the OAS Secretary for Multidimensional Security, Alexandre Addor-Neto.

“The existence itself of the meeting shows the countries’ interest in joining efforts to fight crime and violence. Moreover, the projects already running confirm that their commitment contains true will and determination,” he added.

The representatives from the hemisphere also agreed to keep working “to strengthen the training and education of personnel responsible for public security in the region.” The OAS General Secretariat will collect input from Member States and will report to the next MISPA.

The governments of the hemisphere also reaffirmed their commitment to “forge ahead” with implementation of the “Commitment to Public Security in the Americas”, the basic document for collaborating on the matters approved in MISPA I, which established the priority areas to pursue: the exchange of best practices and experiences on the subject of prevention of crime, violence, and insecurity, public security management, police management, citizen and security participation and international cooperation.

The Second Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas featured 29 Member States, 10 Observer Countries and representatives from 38 organizations and entities. The meeting addressed issues such as the prevention of violence, public policies, the fight against organized crime and the exchange of experiences related to police action. The meeting also featured presentations by representatives of INTERPOL, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), among others.


In their speeches, delegations thanked the people and government of the Dominican Republic for their hospitality, particularly President Leonel Fernández and the Secretary of State of the Interior and Police, Franklin Almeyda. The host country presented the Plan of Democratic Security for the Dominican Republic which, according to Ambassador Addor-Neto, “features guidelines, such as the restoration of the State’s presence with police reinforcement and protection of citizens’ rights, that coincide with the perception of the OAS.”

Reference: E-367/09