AG/RES. 1399 (XXVI-O/96)

HEMISPHERIC COOPERATION TO PREVENT, COMBAT, AND ELIMINATE TERRORISM

(Resolution adopted at the eighth plenary session, held on June 7, 1996)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN resolution AG/RES. 1350 (XXV-O/95), which convened an Inter-American Specialized Conference on Terrorism;

BEARING IN MIND that the Specialized Conference was held in Lima from April 23 to 26, 1996, and that it adopted the "Declaration of Lima to Prevent, Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism" and the "Plan of Action on Hemispheric Cooperation to Prevent, Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism";

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Secretary General's proposals on new forms of inter-American cooperation to confront terrorism with all due effectiveness, which have been included in the Declaration of Montrouis: A New Vision of the OAS and presented in the document "The Law in a New Inter-American Order," which is under consideration by the governments; and

CONSIDERING:

That the Plan of Action on Hemispheric Cooperation to Prevent, Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism recommends, among other measures, that the Organization of American States (OAS) should follow up on the progress made in implementing that Plan of Action, and that the OAS General Assembly should consider convening a meeting of experts to examine ways to improve the exchange of information among the member states, in order to prevent, combat, and eliminate terrorism;

That, in addition, resolution CEITE/RES. 2/96 recommends that the General Assembly of the Organization consider appropriate ways and means to follow up on the measures agreed upon in the Declaration and the Plan of Action adopted at the Specialized Conference; and

The Final Report of the Inter-American Specialized Conference on Terrorism (CEITE/doc.28/96),

RESOLVES:

1. To reiterate its strongest condemnation of all forms of terrorism by whatever agent or means and to repudiate the grave consequences of such acts which, as stated at the Summit of the Americas, "constitute a systematic and deliberate violation of the rights of individuals."

2. To express its satisfaction with the holding of the Inter-American Specialized Conference on Terrorism and the adoption of the Declaration of Lima to Prevent, Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism and the Plan of Action on Hemispheric Cooperation to Prevent, Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism.

3. To instruct the Permanent Council to consider appropriate ways and means to follow up on the measures recommended in the Plan of Action and submit a progress report on its work to the General Assembly at its next regular session.

4. To request the Permanent Council to consider convening a meeting of government experts to examine ways to improve the exchange of information and other measures for cooperation among the member states to prevent, combat, and eliminate terrorism.

5. To draw the attention of all the organs of the Organization of American States and, in particular, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to the importance of the Declaration of Lima and the Plan of Action.

6. To instruct the Inter-American Juridical Committee to continue its study of the topic "Inter-American Cooperation to Confront Terrorism," in light of the documents approved at the Specialized Conference.