AG/RES. 1964 (XXXIII-O/03)

SUPPORT FOR THE WORK OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE AGAINST TERRORISM 

(Resolution adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 10, 2003) 

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 

            HAVING SEEN the observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council on the annual reports of the organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization (AG/doc.4228/03), in particular as they pertain to the Report of the Chair of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism to the General Assembly at its Thirty-third Regular Session:  Activities 2002-2003 (CP/doc.3714/03); 

            NOTING WITH SATISFACTION that the third regular session of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) was held in San Salvador, El Salvador, from January 22 to 24, 2003, on which occasion the member states adopted the Declaration of San Salvador on Strengthening Cooperation in the Fight against Terrorism, the recommendations of CICTE to the Special Conference on Security, the CICTE Work Plan, and resolution CICTE/RES. 1/03 rev. 2, “Revision of the Statute and Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE)”; 

REAFFIRMING that terrorism, whatever its origin or motivation, has no justification whatsoever, and that, in keeping with the Declaration of San Salvador on Strengthening Cooperation in the Fight against Terrorism, adopted by the member states during the third regular session of CICTE, terrorism constitutes a serious threat to democratic values and to international peace and security, destabilizes and undermines the foundations of society as a whole, and seriously affects economic and social development in the states of the region; 

RECOGNIZING WITH CONCERN that the links that often exist between terrorism and illicit trafficking in drugs, the laundering of assets, illicit trafficking in arms, and other forms of transnational organized crime aggravate this threat, and that their proceeds are used by terrorist groups to finance and support their activities, for which reason stronger measures are needed to prevent and suppress them; 

RECALLING its resolutions AG/RES. 1650 (XXIX-O/99), “Hemispheric Cooperation to Prevent, Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism,” AG/RES. 1734 (XXX-O/00), “Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism,” and AG/RES. 1789 (XXXI-O/01) and AG/RES. 1877 (XXXII-O/02), both entitled “Support for the Work of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism”; 

            BEARING IN MIND United Nations Security Council resolution S/RES/1373(2001), in which member states are urged to take specific measures to combat international terrorism; and 

            WELCOMING the increasing collaboration between the CICTE Secretariat and subregional and international organizations, including the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, the Central American Inter-Parliamentary Commission, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), 

RESOLVES: 

1.                   To reaffirm its commitment to continue strengthening hemispheric cooperation and implementing specific measures to prevent, combat, and eliminate international terrorism. 

2.                   To express satisfaction with the progress made by member states in the adoption of effective measures to prevent, combat, and eradicate terrorism; and to underscore the need to continue strengthening their application and that of cooperation mechanisms in the fight against terrorism at the bilateral, subregional, regional, and international levels. 

3.                   To endorse the Declaration of San Salvador on Strengthening Cooperation in the Fight against Terrorism and encourage member states to do their utmost to pursue the commitments contained in that Declaration. 

4.                   To express its satisfaction with the work of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) in identifying urgent measures to strengthen hemispheric cooperation to prevent, combat, and eliminate terrorism. 

5.                   To urge CICTE to facilitate ongoing dialogue among member states with a view to undertaking preventive measures that anticipate and address emerging terrorist threats, whatever their origin, such as the activities of international terrorist groups and threats to cybersecurity. 

6.                   To express its appreciation to the member states and permanent observers, as well as the Inter-American Defense Board, which have contributed personnel and other resources for the CICTE Secretariat and to support the implementation of the CICTE Work Plan. 

7.                   To call on member states, permanent observers, and other members of the international community to provide, maintain, or increase, as appropriate, financial contributions to CICTE and to consider designating personnel for the CICTE Secretariat. 

8.                   To commend the member states that already are parties to the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, and to call upon the remaining member states to sign, ratify, or accede to that Convention, as the case may be, so that it may enter into force. 

9.                   To urge member states to: 

a.                   Intensify their actions to comply strictly with the provisions of United Nations Security Council resolution S/RES/1373 (2001), in particular the obligation to refrain from providing any kind of support to entities or persons who participate in the commission of terrorist acts; the obligation to deny refuge and/or safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts; and the duty to prevent their territories from being used to finance, plan, and facilitate the commission of such acts; 

b.                   Continue their efforts to implement the recommendations on financial and border controls adopted at the third regular session of CICTE, including, as appropriate, the incorporation of those recommendations in their domestic law, as well as the adoption of measures necessary for intensifying the exchange of information on the activities of terrorist groups;  

c.                   Report to the fourth regular session of CICTE on measures taken to implement those recommendations and provide, if they have not yet done so, a copy of their most recent reports on measures taken to implement United Nations Security Council resolution S/RES/1373 (2001); 

d.                   Respond, if they have not yet done so, to the CICTE Questionnaire, which instrument is essential for identifying and addressing the cooperation needs of member states; and 

e.                   Continue encouraging the broadest cooperation, within the appropriate OAS organs, on matters related to the objectives and purposes of the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism. 

10.        To reiterate the importance of strengthening collaboration, coordination, and information exchange on counter-terrorism programs and activities between CICTE and the appropriate inter-American committees and mechanisms, including the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the Consultative Committee of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), the member states, the permanent observers, and the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, with the aim of combating the links that often exist between terrorism and illicit trafficking in drugs, illicit trafficking in arms, and other forms of transnational organized crime. 

11.        To instruct the General Secretariat to continue providing, within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources, administrative and any other necessary support for the CICTE Secretariat and the fourth regular session of CICTE, including the preparatory meetings for that regular session, and for the meeting of points of contact which will take place at the OAS on July 14 and 15, 2003. 

12.        To request the Chair of CICTE to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-fourth regular session on the implementation of this resolution.