Through
its resolution AG/RES. 1123 (XXI-O/91), "Cooperation for Security in the
Hemisphere," the General Assembly entrusted the Permanent Council with setting up a
working group, with the specific mandate of studying and making recommendations on
cooperation on the various dimensions of hemispheric security.
As
a result of the work of the working group, the General Assembly, in 1993, through
resolution AG/RES. 1237 (XXIII-O/93), resolved to convene the first meeting of government
experts on confidence- and security-building measures in the Hemisphere, which was held in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, in March 1994.
The
Heads of State and Government of the Hemisphere, meeting at the First Summit of the
Americas, held in December 1994, declared in the Plan of Action their intention to support
"actions to encourage a regional dialogue to promote the strengthening of mutual
confidence, preparing the way for a regional conference on confidence-building measures in
1995
"
In
accordance with the foregoing, the member states of the OAS held the Regional Conference
on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures in Santiago, Chile, in November 1995. The Declaration of Santiago on
Confidence- and Security-Building Measures emanating from this Conference contains 11
measures agreed by the states to build confidence, dialogue, and the exchange of views on
hemispheric security-related matters.
The
Second Regional Conference on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures in Follow-Up to
the Santiago Conference was held in San Salvador, El Salvador, in February 1998. At this
Conference, the member states agreed to nine additional measures, which are contained in
the Declaration of San
Salvador on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures.
The
Committee on Hemispheric Security of the OAS is currently charged with studying this topic
and is considering the possibility of holding another regional conference on confidence-
and security-building measures in due course.
It
should be mentioned that since 1997, the Organization has maintained a roster of experts (of the
member states) on confidence- and security-building measures, in fulfillment of the
mandate of the General Assembly.
The
Inter-American Defense
Board, in response to a request by the General Assembly, has also prepared an
inventory of confidence- and security-building measures of a military nature. This
inventory is based on information provided by the member states each year.
Currently, pursuant to document
CP/CSH-1043/08 rev. 1, member states fill
in a “Consolidated List of Confidence and Security Building Measures” to
be reported, in accordance with OAS resolutions, by no later than July
15 of each year.
That has been done pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 2398 (XXXVIII-O/08),
operative paragraph 3 of which instructed the Committee on Hemispheric
Security, with the participation of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB),
to conduct a study on unification of the criteria for reporting
confidence- and security-building measures adopted in Santiago, San
Salvador, and the Miami Consensus. Those measures were ratified in
resolution AG/RES. 2447 (XXXIX-O/09).