OEA/Ser.G
CP/doc.3337/00 rev.1
30 may 2000
Original: Spanish/English

SIXTH REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INTER-AMERICAN SUMMITS MANAGEMENT TO THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CONTENTS

Summary of the Meetings held by the Special Committee on Inter-American Summits Management 

Activities of the Organization of American States to Fulfill the Mandates of the Second Summit of the Americas 

• Education 
• Democracy 
• Human Rights 
• Civil Society 
• Migrant Workers 
• Strengthening Municipal and Regional Administrations 
• Corruption 
• Prevention and Control of Illicit Consumption of and Traffic in Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Other Related Crimes 
• Terrorism 
• Confidence- and Security-Building among States 
• Strengthening of Justice Systems and Judiciaries 
• Modernization of the State in Labor Matters 
• Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) 
• Science and Technology 
• Regional Energy Cooperation 
• Telecommunications 
• Fostering the Development of Micro, Small, and Medium-Size Enterprises 
• Property Registration 
• Women 
• Basic Rights of Workers 
• Indigenous Populations 
• Sustainable Development 
• Cooperation 

(Prepared in compliance with resolution AG/RES. 1659 (XXIX-O/99)

 This report, prepared in compliance with General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1659 (XXIX-O/99), contains information on the activities of the Organization of American States (OAS) undertaken to implement the mandates of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile, in April of 1998.

The report covers the activities of the Organization for the period June 1999 - May 2000. The information is presented under the headings of the Santiago Plan of Action, and in the order presented in that document. The report contains information only on those mandates in which the OAS is involved. In some instances, the OAS has the institutional lead on an issue; in other instances, the OAS plays a supporting role.

During the period covered by this report, the Special Committee on Inter-American Summits Management held two open meetings, which were attended by member state delegations, experts from international financial institutions and international and regional organizations (IDB, PAHO, OAS, ECLAC, and IBRD), as well as representatives of civil society to discuss the progress made on various initiatives of the Plan of Action of the Santiago Summit.

The Committee's meetings are held approximately one month prior to the meetings of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) and cover the same agenda. Consequently, the Committee's meetings have essentially become preparatory meetings for the SIRG. They have also become a forum for discussion among governments and civil society, through which valuable contributions to the Summit process are made, as they are transmitted to SIRG governmental follow-up meetings.

The first meeting of the Special Committee was held on October 12, 1999, and discussed the following topics: Women; Strengthening of Regional and Municipal Administrations; Fostering the Development of Micro, Small and Medium Size Enterprises; Property Registration; Building Confidence and Security among States; Regional Energy Cooperation; and Science and Technology. Despite the diversity of the topics considered during this open meeting, several common views emerged from the discussion: (1) when topics are addressed, everything is interrelated, hence the need for all actors to become involved, not only in policy-making but also in project implementation; (2) there are many crosscutting issues, which are difficult to follow up on; (3) many lessons have been learned and experiences must be widely shared, in particular in the same region; (4) it is difficult to follow up on the operative points in some areas because of the way in which the text is drafted (often it is declaratory and not action-oriented); and (5) there is a need to further improve on the lines of action of the mandates of the next Summit so that it will be easier to follow up on the commitments and make them more concrete.

On the topic of women, the discussion centered on the lack of resources and the need for specific proposals for the next Summit. It was deemed important to follow up on the topic and to focus on the implementation of existing legislation, which also calls for additional resources. On the topic of decentralization, specific reference was made to the activities being carried out by various institutions (UPD, IBRD, USAID) on this issue and the concern was expressed that the process was stagnating in some Latin American countries. On the topic of micro-enterprise, the IDB, USAID, the OAS, and the Grameen Foundation gave an account of their programs. In addition, the representative of ACCION International reported on the positive consequences of micro-enterprise. On the topic of security, the former Chair and the present Chair of the Committee on Hemispheric Security described the Committee's activities and civil society suggested that importance should also be given to environmental security issues, such as access to resources and their depletion and degradation. With regard to energy, the OAS Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment summed up the achievements in the energy sector, pursuant to the Summit mandate. The Summits managed to boost the expansion of energy services in both urban and rural areas, while at the same time protecting the local and global environment. On the topic of science and technology, the Director of the OAS office responsible for this topic summarized the activities carried out to follow up on the Santiago Plan of Action. For further information on the presentations made at this meeting, refer to document CE/GCI-163/99, "Open Meeting of the Special Committee on Inter-American Summits Management, Chair's Summary" (www.summit-americas.org).

The second open meeting of the Committee was held on February 18, 2000, and reviewed the following topics: Democracy and Human Rights, Migrant Workers, Indigenous Populations, Property Registration, and Financial Markets. The common positions that emerged in the discussion were the need for an exchange of experiences on the national implementation of the mandates of the Plan of Action. For their part, the representatives of civil society expressed the need for more specific mandates for the next Summit. Regarding the meeting in general, the governments and civil society considered that it afforded a very valuable opportunity for a constructive exchange of ideas.

On the topic of democracy, a highly productive discussion took place between governments and civil society, which underscored the need to include the topic of political parties in the discussion on the strengthening of democracy. As regards the topic of human rights, presentations were made by the Chair of the OAS Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs, the Executive Secretary of the IACHR, and various representatives of civil society. In the presentations, reference was made to the need to improve and strengthen the inter-American human rights system on the basis of its present structure. Emphasis was placed on the importance of the universality of international instruments and the national implementation of the agreements signed. With regard to property registration, two presentations were made on the activities of USAID and of the National Registry Center in El Salvador.

On the topic of indigenous populations, the Chair of the OAS Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs made a presentation in which he explained the negotiating process for the draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Populations. Civil society representatives also took the floor to refer to the crosscutting nature of the participation of indigenous populations in the deliberations on the Summit agenda and to underscore the importance of the work of the Working Group on the proposed American Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Populations and, in particular, the process established to allow indigenous representatives to participate in the discussions on the proposed Declaration. On the topic of migrant workers, presentations were made by the Executive Secretary of the IACHR and the representative of the ORIT/ICFTU (Inter-American Regional Organization of Workers of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions). On that occasion, it was announced that a symposium on migrant workers in Latin America and the Caribbean, sponsored by the OAS, ECLAC, and the IOM, would be held in Costa Rica in September. Lastly, on the topic of financial markets, the Director of the OAS Trade Unit reported on the meeting of Ministers of Finance held in Cancun, Mexico. For further information on the presentations made at this meeting, refer to document CE/GCI-165/00 corr. 1, "Meeting of the Special Committee on
Inter-American Summits Management, Summary by the Chair"

The Declaration of Santiago identified education as a key issue for the Hemisphere in the processes of development and integration, and instructed the Ministers of Education to meet in Brasilia to promote specific joint initiatives designed to improve access to education, with fairness, quality, relevancy, and effectiveness. The OAS Inter-American Program of Education, approved by the Ministers of Education at their meeting in Brasilia in July 1998, defined lines of action and priority projects in the area of cooperation to implement the commitments set forth in the Plan of Action of Santiago.

At its twenty-ninth regular session, held in June 1999, the OAS General Assembly adopted the resolution "The Inter-American Program on Education." This resolution instructed the Inter-American Council for Integral Development along with the Unit for Social Development and Education (and other bodies) to execute the Inter-American Program of Education. The programs and projects outlined below are being carried out by the OAS' Unit for Social Development and Education in accordance with that Mandate.

Meetings of the Inter-Agency Education Group of the Summit of the Americas

The Unit for Social Development and Education has continued to focus its efforts in pursuit of the mandates of the Second Summit of the Americas. Actions include participating at the meetings of the Inter-Agency Education Group of the Summit of the Americas. The Group, which is composed of representatives of the coordinating countries and the IDB, World Bank, ECLAC, UNESCO, and the OAS involved in education matters in the Americas, examines the extent to which the Summit’s mandates have been put into practice and assesses proposed programs and projects drawn up in accordance with the Summit’s lines of action.

First Meeting for the Integration of Agricultural and Rural Education in the Americas

In a partnership with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the USDE jointly sponsored the First Meeting for the Integration of Agricultural and Rural Education in the Americas, held at OAS headquarters in August 1999. This meeting created a network of American investigators engaged in developing agricultural education programs at the university level.

Cooperation Agreements

Over the past twelve months, the Unit has negotiated four individual cooperation agreements; one each with UNESCO (education for democracy and sustainability), the World Bank (education and integral child development), UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) (education management and planning), and the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI) (education and development).

The agreement with the World Bank was signed in the first half of 1999 and gave the Unit responsibility for forming specialized networks and for maintaining the World Bank's Web page on child education in Latin America. The agreement signed with OEI took place during the Colloquium on Compensatory Programs in Basic Education held during the first trimester of 2000 in Peru. The objective of this colloquium was to consolidate into one Support Plan and report on experiences in Latin America.

Multinational Technical Cooperation Programs

The Unit for Social Development and Education (UDSE) provided technical advisory services to eleven Multinational Technical Cooperation projects that were developed in accordance with the mandates of the Second Summit of the Americas. Ten of these projects are multinational, and are listed below:

• Education for Priority Social Sectors. Basic education: Compensatory Programs at Basic Education Level;
• Initial Education;
• Equity of Access, continuance and performance to Basic Education for Boys and Girls
• Strengthening Educational Administration and Institutional Development
• Education in Urban and National Project: Development of Capacity for Management of Rural Education in Urban and Rural Areas;
• Education for Work and Development of Youth;
• Education for Citizenship and Sustainability in Multicultural Societies
• Bilingual Intercultural Education;
• Exchanges of Teachers and Students of the Official Languages of the OAS.
• Professional training of Teachers and Education Administrators;

UDSE Technical Advisory Services

The UDSE has provided technical advisory services which helped form alliances between institutions of government, civil society, international agencies, and specialized institutions, particularly at the level of initial and preschool and/or toddler education and in the experiences of compensatory programs being run by the countries. Intersectoral efforts in support of education for small children, particularly health and feeding programs, were backed in different countries by operations in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization and/or the World Food Program.

All the projects facilitated horizontal cooperation between countries, the systematization of experiences, the training of teachers and education administrators, and, in some cases, training for representatives of civil society. In one project monitored by the Unit, researchers and teachers were trained to bring about changes in the public schools by introducing computers and increasing parent participation. Another important contribution was training Spanish teachers in the Caribbean in the use of new technologies in the classroom.

World Symposium on Early Childhood Education for the 21st Century

One of the main objectives of the UDSE was to complement the initiative of the Junta Nacional de Jardines Infantiles (National Board of Kindergartens, or JUNJI), of Chile, to organize and conduct a Symposium which was held March 1 to 4, 2000 in Santiago, Chile. The event was attended by participants from all over the world and was sponsored by the Government of Chile and other national and international agencies such as the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, the OAS, UNICEF, UNESCO, PAHO, CEPAL, CELEP, the Pontifical University of Chile, and the Catholic University of Chile, among others. A joint declaration was approved entitled "Declaración de Santiago a Favor de la Infancia Mundial" (Santiago Declaration on Behalf of the World’s Children). The Declaration set priorities in the field of child education and defined a method for them to be carried out in the new century. Measures to implement the commitments of this Declaration began in April 2000.

The promotion of democracy is one of the central mandates of the Plan of Action of the Santiago Summit. The programs of the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) are formulated with specific emphasis on the mandates adopted in the Plans of Action of the Summits of the Americas. The UPD supports member states for the preservation and strengthening of political institutions and democratic consolidation. The UPD’s activities are carried out in the broader context of the role of the OAS as an agent for generating and exchanging knowledge, information and experience, an instrument for partnership and cooperation, and as the high-level political forum of the hemisphere.

Disseminating and Exchanging Information and Experiences

One of the central Summit mandates for the UPD is to promote the exchange of experiences and information on democracy. The UPD’s ‘Democratic Forum’ and related seminars, which are concerned with varied priority topics, represent one of the institutional demonstrations of those efforts. These forums deal in depth with themes such as modernizing electoral administration; the role of legislatures and parliaments in a democracy; conflict prevention, management and resolution; policy frameworks for decentralization and citizen participation; and the role of civil society in the consolidation of democracy, among others. Such events, which are held both at OAS headquarters and in numerous member states, and organized in cooperation with national and sub-regional institutions, give local, sub-regional and national leaders a venue to discuss theories of democratization, strategies, accomplishments and experiences. They are generating greater knowledge and enhancing collaboration among and between governmental officials, legislators, academics, civil society representatives, media professionals and other participants from throughout the hemisphere.

Some of the seminars and meetings which the UPD conducted or supported in 1999 and in early 2000, included:

• Regional Seminar: Legislation for the Reconstruction of Central America. This seminar took place February 18-19, 1999, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It was jointly organized with the Forum of Presidents of the Legislative Branch of Central America (FOPREL), and the Congress of Honduras.
• Central American Meeting of Experts on "Facilitation of Municipal Training and Technical Assistance". This meeting took place May 4-6, 1999 in Roatan, Honduras and was jointly organized with the Central American Federation of Municipalities (FEMICA).
• Andean Community and Mercosur: "Second Seminar on Frameworks and Policies for Citizen Participation at the Municipal Level". This seminar occurred on May 17-19, 1999, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was jointly organized with the Argentinean Ministry of Interior.
• Andean Subregional Conference on Computerization of Civil Registries and Electoral Procedures. This conference took place on August 17-18, 1999, in Quito, Ecuador and was jointly organized with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Ecuador.
• Seminar on Decentralization and Local Government with an Emphasis on Citizen Participation. This seminar took place November 18-19, 1999, in Quito, Ecuador, and was jointly organized with FLACSO.
• Meeting of the Central American Inter-parliamentary Committee on Legislative Modernization. This seminar occurred on November 29, 1999, in Guatemala and was jointly organized with FOPREL.
• Regional Seminar: Institutional Dimension of MERCOSUR. This seminar took place November 18-19, 1999, in Montevideo, Uruguay, and was jointly organized with the Program for Legislative Studies of the Latin American Center for Human Economy (PEL-CLAEH), the Joint Parliamentary Commission of MERCOSUR (CPC), and the Congress of Uruguay.
• First Central American Summit against Drug Trafficking and Corruption. On February 24 and 25, 2000, this event took place in San José, Costa Rica, organized by FOPREL and its Central American Inter-parliamentary Commission against Drug Trafficking and Corruption (CICONA), with the assistance of the UPD. FOPREL also benefited from the collaboration of staff of the OAS Department of Juridical Cooperation and Dissemination and CICAD.
• Seminar for Analysis and Reflection on Participatory Democracy: Experts, academics and government representatives attended the Seminar for Analysis and Reflection on Participatory Democracy, held on April 10 and 11, 2000 at OAS headquarters. Discussed at the seminar was the need to improve citizens' access and the means of participating more directly in policy-making and day-to-day public affairs. The seminar was organized by the Working Group on Representative Democracy of the OAS in conjunction with the UPD, and chaired by Venezuela’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Virginia Contreras, Chair of the Working Group.

Partnership and Cooperation: Training and Orientation

As a vital tool for strengthening democratic institutions as well as promoting democratic practices and values, the UPD has developed a hemispheric program of training courses in various key thematic areas. In the framework of this program, a specific line of courses is dedicated exclusively to the training of young democratic leaders of the hemisphere. The Unit's courses, which are primarily conducted on a sub-regional basis, have included the following since June 1999:

• Regional Course for the Central American Region: Conflict Resolution. This course took place June 23-30, 1999 in the Dominican Republic, and was jointly organized with the U.S. Institute of Peace y Universidad Madre y Maestra. The principal objective of the seminar was to promote a better understanding of the dynamics of socio-political conflict, as well as the development of abilities and expertise to prevent, manage and resolve conflict peacefully.
• Regional Course for the Andean Region: Decentralization with an Emphasis on Management and Finances. This course was presented from June 21- July 1, 1999 in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia, and was jointly organized with the Universidad Javeriana. This course offered an opportunity in the region for reflection and training on the conceptual and practical elements of the decentralization process, local government, and citizen participation.
• Regional Course for Mercosur: "Legislative Branch in Democracy and Integration." This theoretical-practical course took place August 1-12, 1999 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the member states of Mercosur. The course was jointly organized with the Parliamentary Training Institute (ICAP) of the Argentinean Congress. Twenty representatives participated from civil society organizations, universities, the media, non-governmental organizations and political parties of the Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil. The course promoted greater knowledge of the powers, role and workings of the legislative branch in a democracy and in integration, and a greater understanding of its complexity, shortcomings and opportunities, particularly among public opinion-makers.
• Regional Course for the MERCOSUR: "Decentralization and Local Government with an Emphasis on Citizen Participation". This course took place August 8-18, 1999, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was jointly organized with the Argentinean Ministry of the Interior and the Universidad del Salvador and the Fellowships Department of the OAS. Approximately twenty-one MERCOSUR Fellows participated, from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as from the associate nations Bolivia and Chile. The participants had the opportunity to study analytically and exchange information on their experiences in the processes of decentralization and citizen participation which are developing in their countries.
• Regional Course for the Andean Region: "Democracy and Transforming Conflicts." This course was presented from September 13 - 23, 1999, in Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia, and organized jointly with Universidad Javeriana, the Colombian Institute of Educational Credit and Foreign Technical Studies (ICETEX) and the Fellowships Department of the OAS. The principal objective of the course was to sensitize participants to the relevance and importance of developing instruments and strategies for peaceful conflict resolution. Thirty-five representatives participated in the course, coming from the national and local level public sectors, the media, higher education, and civil society organizations from the Andean Region and Chile.
• Regional Course for Central America: "Legislative Power in Democracy and Integration." This course took place September 19-29, 1999 in Sololá, Guatemala, and was jointly organized with the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) and Rafael Landívar University, under the auspices of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala. Thirty-five young leaders participated, coming from civil society organizations, universities, the media, and political parties of the Central American region and the Dominican Republic. The objectives of this course were similar to those outlined above for the MERCOSUR course. An additional objective was that of bringing about a rapprochement, sharing of experiences and joint reflection amongst young people in the region on the question of democracy and the legislative branch.
• 2nd Regional Course for Young Leaders of the Central American Region: "Democratic Institutions, Values and Practices". This course took place from September 18-28 in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and was organized jointly by the UPD, the Central American Institute for Political Studies (INCEP) and the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, Center for Advisory Services and Electoral Promotion (IIDH/CAPEL). Forty-five young leaders participated from various political parties, the media, universities and civil society organizations of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The course covered the following themes: Theory of Democracy and the Challenges of the Region; Democracy and its Institutions; Political Actors; Democratic Values and Practices for a Democratic Culture; and Instruments for Managing Political Democracy.
• 2nd Regional Course for Young Leaders of the Andean Region: "Democratic Institutions, Values and Practices". This course occurred from October 18-28, 1999 in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia, and was organized jointly with the Luis Carlos Galán Institute for the Development of Democracy under the auspices of the Andres Bello Center. Thirty-three young leaders participated, representing civil society organizations, universities, the media and the political parties of Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Perú and Colombia.
• 2nd Regional Course for Young Leaders of MERCOSUR: Democratic Institutions, Values and Practices. This course took place November 7-17, 1999 in Asunción, Paraguay, and was organized jointly with Paraguay's Vice-Ministry of Youth. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Argentine Institute of Training and Formation of Political Leaders, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and the Catholic University of Paraguay also supported the event. Thirty-three youths participated, from political parties, the media, universities and the social sectors of the nations of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
• Workshop on Legislative Drafting for the Caribbean. This workshop took place in Barbados from February 7 to 11, 2000, with the support of the Government of Barbados and in collaboration with the Law Faculty of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus. This intensive training workshop, which concentrated both on theoretical concepts and practical exercises in legislative drafting, was designed for mid- and senior-level professionals from the Attorney Generals' or Justice Ministries of the participating member states, and was attended by individuals representing ten member states of the English-speaking Caribbean.

Partnership and Cooperation: Programs to Modernize Democratic Institutions

To support the process of strengthening democratic institutions, the UPD has responded to various invitations of member states to provide assistance in modernizing electoral systems, civil registries and national legislatures. The work with legislatures responds to the growing recognition in the hemisphere of the critical role of the legislative branch in a democracy, and the need therefore to have parliaments with the capacity to effectively exercise their legislative functions and to represent the diverse interests of the citizenry. In this field, the UPD is providing technical assistance and advisory services to various national legislatures in the hemisphere, as well as to regional parliamentary groupings.

With respect to the holding of periodic democratic elections, one of the cornerstones of the democratic system, among the requests that are most frequently received to help strengthen electoral systems are those related to upgrading the computerization of voting records and computerizing the records of vital statistics that are contained in the civil registries, which are the basis for the electoral register. At present, such registries projects are underway or have been completed in nine of the OAS member states. The computerizing of records contributes to the consolidation of democracy by helping to ensure that electoral records are accurate and easy to access. In the area of civil registries, vital statistics are made more accessible to citizens–especially the poor–by dramatically reducing the time required to issue certificates and other essential documents and significantly lowering the costs and time to obtain them.

The following list details some of the technical assistance programs in which the UPD is involved and its activities during the period under consideration:

• Juridical Support for the Congress of Guatemala. This initiative consists of the participation of five experts in a technical assistance program in support of the Presidency, the Vice Presidency and the legislative commissions of the Congress, in order to write the Peace Accords into law. The program is executed with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
• Support for the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, the Congress of Honduras, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. The assistance of the UPD to the above-mentioned institutions, in general terms, consists of providing supervision and advisory services for the development and implementation of the modernization plans of these national parliaments. This assistance focuses particularly on the modernization of the administrative, legislative management and information system aspects of these legislatures. Various activities undertaken are done in coordination with the IDB and other cooperating institutions.
• Support for the Forum of Presidents of the Legislative Bodies of Central America (FOPREL). UPD's assistance consists of coordination, supervision and advisory services to support the work of the Presidency, the Executive Secretariat and the Central American inter-parliamentary commissions of FOPREL (e.g., of Anti-Corruption y Narcotics Activity (CICONA), and of Legislative Modernization). This support includes research, seminars, publications and development of the Legislative Information Network for Central America and the Dominican Republic (RILCA).
• Support for the Andean Parliament. The UPD provides coordination, supervision and advisory services for the development and implementation of a work plan that includes research, seminars, publications and development of the Andean Legislative Information Network (RAIL).
• Support for the Joint Parliamentary Commission of MERCOSUR (CPC). Includes research, workshops, publications and development and the presentation of the Prototype of the Inter-parliamentary Network of Legislative Information (RIIL).
• Electoral Tribunals of Bolivia, Paraguay, El Salvador, Ecuador, Panama, and Guatemala. Programs have been developed and have continued with these electoral tribunals. Types of assistance include automatization of electoral procedures, training of electoral officials, and administrative information systems. Each project in this area was undertaken at the invitation of the member states' governments.
• Strengthening Electoral and Civil Registries in Ecuador, Paraguay, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These programs focus on automating electoral registries to ensure ease and efficiency of the voting process, as well as implementing information applications and training officials in their use. Further activities include work on birth and death registries and certification, emergency planning, and document recovery.

In addition, the UPD is working closely with the governments of Guatemala and Saint Lucia to provide technical expertise in the redrawing of the boundaries of electoral districts.

Strengthening Democracy:

Support of the dialogue process in Ecuador

President Gustavo Noboa requested the support of the Secretary General of the OAS, through the UPD, for a process to consolidate democracy in Ecuador through dialogue and the search for national consensus on key issues. The request was made during an official visit to Ecuador by the Secretary General.

Electoral Observation Missions (EOMs)

The OAS General Secretariat's Electoral Observation Missions (EOMs) are one of the most important instruments available to the Organization to help in strengthening democracies, through their role in supporting the holding of transparent and credible elections. Since 1990, the OAS, through the UPD, has observed approximately 50 elections in almost half of its member states. During 1999 and part of 2000, electoral observation missions were sent to the following countries:

• Grenada, parliamentary elections, January 18, 1999
• Panama, general/legislative elections, May 2, 1999
• Guatemala, constitutional referendum, May 16, 1999
• Venezuela, national constituent assembly representatives, July 25, 1999
• Guatemala; general elections, November 7, 1999
• Guatemala, presidential elections, second round, December 26, 1999
• Venezuela, constitutional referendum, December 15, 1999
• Peru, general elections, April 9, 2000
• Dominican Republic, presidential elections, May 16, 2000
• Haiti, first round legislative/municipal/local elections, May 21, 2000
• Suriname, parliamentary/regional/local elections, May 25,2000
• Venezuela, general elections, May 28, 2000.
• Peru, presidential elections (second round) May 28, 2000

Network of Parliamentarians of the Americas

The Conference of Presidents of Foreign Ministries or the Equivalent Body of the Parliaments or Congresses of the Member States has its origin in the mandate of the General Assembly contained in the resolution AG/RES.1673 (XXIX-O/99), emitted during its twenty ninth ordinary period of sessions. This agreement resolved: "To sponsor a meeting to be held during the first quarter of 2000 of the chairs of the foreign affairs committees or equivalent bodies of the national congresses or parliaments of the OAS member states, the purpose of which shall be to further the development of inter-parliamentary dialogue in addressing issues on the hemispheric agenda, bearing in mind the idea of establishing a forum for this purpose."

The Permanent Council, in its session of July 23, 1999, presented the topic to the Juridical and Political Affairs Commission for consideration. That body, during its sessions of October 12 and December 2, 1999, considered the issue, agreeing to set the dates of March 29 and 30, 2000, to hold the meeting in the Organization's headquarters, commending the preparation of basic documentation to the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy.

Fifty-seven parliamentarians representing thirty OAS member nations participated in the meeting, which was held on the aforementioned date. During the meeting the legislators discussed topics such as the role of the legislative branch in addressing issues of the inter-American agenda, as well as different structural models, functions and objectives of the Forum.

The meeting concluded with a broad consensus on the importance and necessity of creating an Inter-parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA). The representatives agreed to organize a meeting which would be called "Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas", to be held in Canada just prior to the April 2001 Quebec City Summit. Among other issues to be considered at the next inter-Parliamentary meeting will be the possibility of linking the Forum with the Organization.

During the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the American Convention on Human Rights, the "Pact of San José", and the twentieth anniversary of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and government representatives set up an ad hoc working group on human rights. This group held its first meeting in San José, Costa Rica, on February 10 and 11, 2000, and produced a series of recommendations relating chiefly to the full participation of the member states and to the role of the political organs in the inter-American system of human rights, as well as on the adjustment of procedural aspects in the work of the Commission and the Court.

The working group made recommendations in the following areas:

1. Financing.

2. The full entry of all the member states as members of the inter-American system of conventions on human rights.

3. Promotion of human rights and of national measures to apply international human rights law.

4. The role of political organs as guarantors of the functioning of the system and in particular of compliance with the decisions of the inter-American system of human rights.

5. Matching of procedural aspects in the work of the Commission and the Court.

In accordance with General Assembly mandates, the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs (CAJP), under the Chairmanship of the Permanent Representative of Mexico, Ambassador Claude Heller, led a broad dialogue form September 1999 to May 2000 on the Inter-American Human Rights Promotion and Protection system with the participation of Member States, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and representatives of non-governmental organization. The Chairman presented a Report reflecting the views and positions of participants in the Dialogue regarding the problems and obstacles facing the Inter-American System, as well as his conclusions:

The dialogue on the Inter-American system of Human Rights taking place within the Commission on Juridical and Political Affairs, has produced important results. Among other things, it has shown that the best and most feasible way of perfecting and strengthening the system, is through a gradual, consensual and transparent dialogue which is impartial and inclusive. Efforts made in this regard constitute an significant step to in creating an environment of confidence and openness which is indispensable for identifying and implementing the measures and actions necessary to guarantee human rights in the Hemisphere.

The agreements reached in the course of the dialogue are reflected in the draft resolution approved by the Permanent Council for consideration of the 30^th General Assembly. It contains a series of recommendations addressed to Member States, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, regarding the universality of the system, the need for substantial increases in budgetary allocations for the two bodies, the role of the political organs of the OAS as guarantors of the decisions of the system, and compliance with decisions of the system. The resolution also contains specific recommendations regarding procedural issues applied by both the Court and the Commission in dealing with contentious cases, and instructs the Permanent Council to continue the Dialogue on a permanent basis.

In order to establish mechanisms to facilitate participation by civil society in the activities of the Organization, in June 1999 the General Assembly decided to create a committee of the Permanent Council, called the Committee of the Permanent Council on Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CCSP). This committee’s tasks include drafting rules to govern civil society participation in the activities of the OAS in accordance with the intergovernmental nature of the Organization and the terms of its Charter. The Secretariat is supporting the Committee through a webpage, http://www.civil-society.oas.org, which also serves as a source of information for civil society and the public at large.

On September 21, 1999, a first working document, entitled "Guidelines for Participation by Civil Society organizations in OAS Activities," was submitted to the Committee. On December 15, 1999, the Permanent Council approved the guidelines which allow registered civil society organizations (CSOs) to designate representatives to attend public meetings of the Permanent Council and other political bodies of the OAS, as well as to receive and distribute documents to those bodies. On May 1^st, 2000, the CCSP approved the requests of the fourth first CSOs to be accredited to the OAS.

The Office of Summit Follow-up has been given responsibility to implement and execute the guidelines approved by the Permanent Council in December 1999 that are within the purview of the General Secretariat. These functions include supporting the Committee on Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities as its Technical Secretariat, in addition to administering and processing applications from CSO’s. The Offices of the General Secretariat in the member states will work with the Office of Summit Follow-up to facilitate and disseminate information on OAS activities for civil society organizations.

The Special Committee on Inter-American Summit Management, chaired by Ambassador Peter Boehm, held a meeting October 12, 1999 involving the participation of civil society experts. The meeting was held to assess progress on the implementation of the Summit mandates on women, strengthening municipal and regional administrations, fostering the development of micro, small and medium size enterprises, building confidence and security among states, regional energy cooperation, and science and technology. A similar meeting involving civil society representatives was held on February 18, 2000 to assess progress on the implementation of these additional Summit mandates: democracy and human rights, property registration, indigenous populations, migrant workers, and strengthening financial markets. Both of the meetings were broadcast live over the Internet in order to secure the broadest possible audience from across the hemisphere. For each subject area, international organizations and experts from different sectors made presentations. The purpose of the meetings was to exchange ideas between civil society and government representatives in order to build a comprehensive combined effort to implement the mandates in question.

In November 1997, the Unit for Sustainable and Environment (USDE) began coordinating the formulation of the Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-Making for Sustainable Development (ISP). The ISP, funded by the OAS, GEF/UNEP, USAID and UNESCO, was itself a successful model of a forum for government/civil society cooperation and of an interagency partnership. This formulation effort culminated on April 14, 2000, when the Inter-American Council for Integral Development approved the ISP Policy Framework and the annexed Recommendations for Action, which contain principles, recommendations and examples to promote public participation in sustainable development throughout the hemisphere. At the behest of the OAS member states, the USDE is currently undertaking the design and execution of an ISP implementation support program. For more information, see the ISP website: www.ispnet.org.

Helping to ensure that the rights of migrant workers and their families will be better protected, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the International Migration Organization (IMO) signed an agreement on March 22, 2000 at the OAS headquarters in Washington D.C. Under the terms of the agreement, the IACHR and the IMO will work on joint endeavors to promote respect for and effective promotion of human rights for migrants in the Americas.

In the Santiago Plan of Action the Member States agreed to "seek full respect for, and compliance with, the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, especially as it relates to the right of nationals, regardless of their immigration status, to communicate with a consular officer of their own State in case of detention". In this regard, it is important to highlight advisory opinion OC-16/99 issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on October 1, 1999, in which a number of individual rights under the Convention were clarified.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has requested that the Temporary Secretariat of the Regional Conference on Migrations (the "Puebla Group" or the "Puebla Process") grant the Commission observer status in order for it to learn more about this important regional forum on migrations.

Symposium on International Migration in Latin American and Caribbean

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), with the backing of the Latin American Demographic Center (CELADE- Population Division) and the International Migration Organization (IMO) are organizing a "Symposium on International Migration in Latin American and Caribbean" which will take place in San José, Costa Rica, September 4 to 6, 2000. This event is also sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) and the OAS.

The Symposium will bring together decision makers, experts, international agencies, non-governmental and other civil society organizations, allowing them to interact and exchange concerns and experiences related to international migration in the Hemisphere. Some of the results expected from the Symposium include:

• To increase information and knowledge about the tendencies and patterns of international migration in the region.
• To explore interrelation between international migration and development including the impact of globalization and the introduction of new technologies.
• To analyze the economic, political, and social consequences of migration on migrants and on countries of origin and destination.
• To analyze and evaluate current initiatives on multilateral migratory diplomacy established with the intention to give order to the migration flows and to promote international co-operation on the issue.

The UPD Program of Cooperation simultaneously focuses on the "Strengthening Regional and Municipal Administrations" and the "Civil Society" mandates of the Santiago Summit, the latter of which, among other things, calls for the OAS to serve as a forum for the exchange of experiences and information on civil society participation. Experience in the member states has pointed to the particular potential of the sub-national levels of government for promoting and strengthening public sector-civil society dialogue and civil society participation in decision-making on public policy issues.

The UPD Program of Cooperation was based on the Summit mandates and preparatory seminars and conferences held in 1997, as well as ongoing consultations. The UPD Program of Cooperation in Decentralization, Local Government and Citizen Participation aims at :

• Contributing to policy debate and serving as a forum for creation, dissemination an exchange of knowledge and information;
• Supporting institution-building in central, local government, and civil society, principally through "horizontal cooperation" approaches among countries of the region;
• Enhancing local governance through promoting increased citizen access and participation in public policy issues at the local level;
• Collaborating with other agencies and institutions with mandates in the areas of the Program.

The program is organized sub-regionally, and activities are undertaken with CARICOM; Central America and the Dominican Republic, the South American block, incorporating States of the Andean Community and the Southern Cone. The UPD has found that the sub-regional approach facilitates information exchanges and the creation and dissemination of specialized knowledge, as well as the formation of sub-regional networks of technical and resource personnel working on these issues.

Within the sub-regional frameworks, program objectives are achieved through seminars and experts’ meetings, training workshops and short-term courses and applied research, and information dissemination. Networks of experts formed under the Program are supported by a specialized Internet website, incorporating documentation from the Program’s meetings and other activities, providing links to other resource institutions, and encouraging contact and dialogue.

The following six basic program areas were targeted by the Caracas Seminar in May 1997 for analysis and cooperative action:

• Legal and regulatory frameworks
• Institutional development
• Relations between central and local government authorities
• Relations between legislatures and local authorities
• Aspects of economic and social development relating to local governance
• Information systems to support decentralization, local government and citizen participation.

All program activities are planned and implemented in collaboration with agencies and institutions in member states and in 1999 the Program aimed at deepening dialogue and examining the thematic areas identified by the first round of sub-regional meetings held in 1998. Activities for 1999 included:

• In Central America, a meeting of experts on "Facilitation of Municipal Training and Technical Assistance" was held in Roatan, Honduras from March 4-6, 1999, with the support of the Government of Honduras, and in collaboration with the Federation of Central American Municipalities (FEMICA)
• With regard to the Caribbean, the final report of the 1998 meeting on "Local Government, Communitarianism and the Citizen" for the states of CARICOM was published. The research presented in this publication and the meeting’s policy discussions constituted a significant contribution to the very small stock of information available on Caribbean local governance, This, together with contacts made through its distribution among international agencies, has led to two partnerships with other agencies for activities on local governance and participation in the Caribbean. These activities (seminar and training course) are to be executed in 2000.
• In the Andean Community and Southern Cone, the second seminar on "Frameworks and Policies for Citizen Participation at the Municipal Level" was held in collaboration with the Government of Argentina in Buenos Aires, May 17-19, 1999.
• Also at the request of the Government of Ecuador and the Andean Parliament, the project "Decentralization and Citizen Participation in Local Government" was initiated in the Andean Community in the final quarter of 1999.

The UPD, in collaboration with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will host a sub-regional forum in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on May 16-17, 2000, entitled "Effective Local Governance: Innovative Approaches to Improving Municipal Management". The objective of this forum is to build on and deepen the exchanges of a workshop that was held in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 8-9, 1998, which focused on developing policies and effective strategies for dealing with decentralization and the promotion of participation at the municipal/community level. At the present meeting, three critical areas will be addressed through in-depth dialogue and analysis of specific experiences by policy-makers, local officials, and civil society organizations in the CARICOM countries. The specific issues to be discussed include all of the following:

• Local governance and economic development;
• Effective strategies for citizen participation at the local/community level;
• Municipal associations and effective local governance.

In the Caribbean, consultations are in progress for an activity related to enhancing citizen participation at the local level in the member states of the Caribbean. In addition, UPD has been approached by two institutions for collaboration on activities in the Caribbean: a training course on decentralization and participation policy (University Madre y Maestre in the Dominican Republic) and a meeting on exchanges of experiences in community participation (International City/County Management Association, ICMA), based in Washington, D.C.

The training component of the Program of Cooperation was developed in 1999 through two intensive short-term courses supported by a) the Government of Colombia (for the Andean Region) and b) by Argentina (for Mercosur and Associated States). These short-term courses were held in collaboration with the OAS Department of Fellowships. They were designed according to a participatory methodology focussing on theory and practice of decentralization, local governance and participation, and the relationship of these to democratic consolidation. This training brought together the main actors in these processes for dialogue, exchange of experiences and networking with their sub-regional peers. These pilot experiences were received enthusiastically, evaluated through a methodology incorporating recommendations from course participants, and the content is being refined for training to be conducted in Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean in 2000.

The program’s Website was posted on the UPD home page in May of 1999, and is being developed to meet expressed needs, including links with other institutions. Also being developed is a data bank of technical resource personnel in decentralization, local government and participation, and research and results of activities implemented to date are to be published.

In 1999 the Unit developed its contacts with other institutions with mandates in the areas of the Program of Cooperation. An interesting development was the formation of the "International Forum for Cooperation on Local Government in Latin America and the Caribbean". This forum, convened by the IDB, with the International City/County Management Association of the US serving as technical secretariat, comprises a broad group of agencies and countries active in the issue of local government. Following consultations and a decision in principle to establish such a forum during the annual meeting of the IDB in Paris in March 1999, a technical meeting took place in Washington, D.C. in June 1999 at which agencies shared information on programs being implemented and identified key areas such as training and capacity building, Website, continued information exchanges and possible joint activities. The UPD participated in the meeting and intends to remain an active member of this Forum which aims at effective coordination among agencies for the benefit of the decentralization process and strengthening of local government.

The UPD will also sponsor comparative research and the publication of papers on legislation in this field. Furthermore, the UPD is working with the Government of Bolivia on the creation of a "Permanent Forum on Citizen Participation at the Municipal Level," which will be composed of representatives of countries interested in this issue.

With respect to others initiatives relating to the mandate on Municipal and Regional Administrations, the increasing importance of decentralization and participation by civil society as public policy issues has led to a number of important international meetings and activities on these topics, such as the annual Inter-American Mayors’ conferences. The next meeting will be in June 2000 in Miami.

CORRUPTION

The OAS Department of Legal Cooperation held a workshop to disseminate and incorporate into domestic law the Inter-American Convention against Corruption in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. The general aim of this event was to publicize the nature, content, and scope of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption through national workshops intended to promote greater awareness of the Convention’s principles in the participating countries. The objective was also to assist in the promotion of government efforts to ratify and implement, in their internal law, the norms and principles of the Convention according to the constitutional guidelines and dispositions of the national legislation. The workshop created a forum for discussion and analysis of the scope of their disposition and the possibilities, methods and alternatives for implementation.

The OAS and the Inter-American Development Bank signed a cooperation agreement on April 6-7, 2000. This agreement led to the OAS/IDB project The State of Criminal Legislation vis-à-vis the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, which will support twelve OAS member countries in incorporating the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption into their domestic legislation, in particular as regards the provisions of criminal law. The initiative will be carried out through technical investigations to analyze the state of criminal law vis-à-vis the terms of the Convention that will then be disseminated and enhanced at workshops organized for that purpose. The OAS portion was financed by the United States/CIDI specific fund. Organizations representing civil society will be invited to participate, both during the implementation of this project and in its follow-up, which will result in the creation of an Exchange Network for information and cooperation that could, in turn, promote a broader debate on the issue.

At the request of the Working Group on Probity and Public Ethics, the Department of Legal Cooperation prepared a questionnaire on "Ratification and implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption." The Questionnaire is intended to collect information not only from countries that have signed and ratified the Convention, but also from all member states. The Questionnaire was disseminated in March 2000 and the information gathered will support the Working Group’s efforts to strengthen cooperation and identify gaps in anti-corruption implementation.

The Inter-American Network of Institutions and Experts in the Struggle Against Corruption is a response to an initiative stemming from the Symposium on Enhancing Probity in the Hemisphere which was held in Santiago, Chile, in November of 1998. The Network aims to promote greater exchanges of information and experiences to further cooperation and coordinate hemispheric actions in the struggle against corruption. The Network, which is still being fine-tuned and expanded, already involves 56 public institutions and civil society organizations from 19 of the Organization’s member states.

The Anti-Corruption Information System was created to serve as an information service on issues related to the struggle against corruption. It can be accessed through the Department’s webpage.

Working Group on Probity and Public Ethics

The twenty-ninth regular session of the OAS General Assembly adopted a resolution to re-initiate the activities of the Working Group on Probity and Civic Ethics of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs. This Working Group will follow up on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption and on the recommendations of the Symposium on Enhancing Probity in the Hemisphere.

On January 24, 2000, the Working Group held a meeting in which it considered three main subjects:

1. The Report of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs (Department of International Law) on the anti-corruption work of the Inter-American Juridical Committee,
2. The Report of the Secretariat of Legal Affairs (Department of Legal Cooperation and Public Information) on the execution of anti-corruption projects, particularly in relation to the OAS/IDB agreement, and
3. Commencement of the proceedings of the special session of the Working Group on the Enhancement of Probity and the Fight against Corruption in the Hemisphere. Regarding the Report of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs (Department of Legal Cooperation and Public Information) on execution of the OAS/IDB anti-corruption project, it was proposed that projects be carried out in four specific areas:

• Support for enforcement of the Convention,
• Legislative modernization and institutional development,
• Information systems and the Inter-American network, and
• Investigative journalism.

In addition, a variety of recommendations were made for the work of the Working Group on the Enhancement of Probity and the Fight against Corruption in the Hemisphere. Noteworthy among these recommendations is the following:

"The member states of the OAS should promptly sign, ratify, and implement and execute the Convention and, in addition, are urged to develop programs that raise public awareness of the impact of corruption and the participation of public society and the private sector in the promotion of probity and public ethics."

On March 31, 2000, the Working Group held a special session on "The Enhancement of Probity and the Fight against Corruption in the Americas" in which it examined cooperation in the war on corruption and implementation of the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption. It should be noted that representatives of governments, international agencies, the private sector, and civil society attended this meeting. The international agencies spoke about their operations, projects, and experiences in the implementation of mechanisms for monitoring international anti-corruption commitments. The representatives of the private sector referred to commitments and proposals in matters of probity and to the effects of corruption in trade and investment. The representatives of civil society described their role in the promotion of probity and civic ethics.

The Trust for the Americas

The Trust for the Americas recently sponsored in Costa Rica the Central American Conference on Anti-Corruption: The Role of the Media, the first of a series of regional events across Latin America to undertake a joint and equal struggle against corruption. These events are the result of the mandates handed down by the Hemisphere’s leaders at the Second Summit of the Americas, in which press freedoms and fighting corruption were identified as hemispheric priorities in two separate mandates.

This two-day conference which took place in San José (April 7-8, 2000) was attended by journalists, government officials, corporations, civil society organizations and multilateral organizations. Working panels explored the social and environmental impacts of corruption as well as the role of a transparent procurement process in fighting corruption from the perspectives of the media, civil society, private sector, and government. This event examined key institutional reforms undertaken in the different sub-regions, thus providing information on practices and viewpoints regarding the decision-making process in the war on corruption. This initiative was followed by two weeks of intensive training for investigative journalists who specialize in covering corruption and government issues.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF ILLICIT CONSUMPTION OF AND TRAFFIC IN DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES AND OTHER RELATED CRIMES

When the Heads of State and Government met at the Second Summit in April 1998, they mandated the creation of a Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism ("MEM") to serve in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and production. Based on this, the twenty-third regular meeting of CICAD, held in May 1998, formed an Intergovernmental Working Group to put into place a multilateral evaluation mechanism. At the Twenty-Sixth Regular Session of CICAD held in Montevideo, Uruguay in October, 1999, and the following six meetings of the Intergovernmental Working Group over the course of 1998 and 1999, the member countries of CICAD approved the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism. A description of the final process and the steps already completed follows.

Countries to be evaluated provided data in response to a standard questionnaire, also approved at CICAD's Twenty-Sixth Regular Session. The Intergovernmental Working Group for the MEM received feedback from each of the 34 member countries on the evaluation questionnaires sent out in October 1999. Each country also presented a document prepared by its government on the situation of the country’s drug problem. This document illustrated achievements made by the country, as well as the difficulties it faces and areas in which cooperation should be strengthened.

The indicators designed for the questionnaire are divided into five main categories: National Plans and Strategies; Prevention and Treatment; Reduction of Drug Production; Law Enforcement Measures; and the Cost of the Drug Problem. These indicators should serve as tools for measuring national and hemispheric efforts and results to combat illicit drug use, production, and trafficking. They can provide feedback on how nations are meeting goals in a wide range of areas, including the development of anti-drug strategies and national plans, drug seizure operations, the creation of prevention and rehabilitation programs, reductions in illicit crop production, diversion of precursor chemicals, prevention of money laundering and arms trafficking, among others.

The member states decided that the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism will be applicable to all states, individually and collectively; that it will be governmental, singular and objective, with the participation of specialized representatives of the governments; that it will be transparent, impartial, and equitable so as to ensure objective evaluation; and that it will ensure full, timely participation by the states, based on generally applied norms and procedures, established by mutual agreement in advance, in order to ensure an equitable evaluation process. The countries also agreed that the MEM will not contain sanctions of any nature and that it will respect the confidentiality of deliberations and information administered by the states.

The member states committed themselves to support the successful conduct and completion of the first evaluation exercise in 2000. This is being carried out by a Governmental Experts’ Group (GEG) made up of experts from all 34 member states who will use the results of the questionnaires, and the summary documents presented by each government to carry out evaluations on a country-by-country basis. Final evaluation drafts will be submitted to the Commission for consideration and approval at its October 2000 meeting. The GEG is responsible for the 34 individual multilateral evaluations and the hemispheric report, together with recommendations on how to strengthen cooperation and the capacity of States to address the drug problem as well as to stimulate technical assistance and training programs as part of overall anti-drug efforts.

On April 10-14, 2000, the Governmental Experts’ Group met for the first time in a planning seminar to begin the initial steps of their work process. At this organizational meeting, each of the 34 delegated experts had the opportunity to meet and determine the best method to proceed, and began drafting the first preliminary reports. Then, the Group will reconvene between June 12-30, 2000, for the First Plenary Session to write the first Multilateral Evaluation Reports for 2000. Three more meetings are scheduled for the Fall of 2000 and the Executive Secretariat of CICAD will provide the necessary support for the Governmental Experts’ Group to ensure completion of the first evaluation exercise in December 2000. The Final Hemispheric Report is tentatively planned to be presented at the Summit of the Americas, to be held in Quebec City, Canada, in 2001.

Update on CICAD Activities in Relation to Firearms

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission's Model Regulations for the Control of International Movements of Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition were approved by the Commission in October 1997 and subsequently adopted by the OAS General Assembly in June, 1998.

Following their adoption by the General Assembly, CICAD, in coordination with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-LiREC) agreed to the convening of two awareness-building seminars. The purpose of the seminars is to bring together senior policy and operational officials responsible for the control of firearms exportation, importation and transshipment to exchange views concerning the application of the Model Regulations in their countries and the degree of their compatibility with national measures in place and to determine what measures, if any, would be required for the regulations to be applied.

A first seminar was held in November 1999 for all of the countries of South America in Lima, Peru. A second seminar for the countries of Central America and the Caribbean will be held May 23 – 24, 2000 in Fort de France, Martinique, again in coordination with UN-LiREC, and in coordination with the government of France’s Inter-Departmental Anti-Drug Training Centre (CIFAD).

CICAD has also developed a training proposal to apply the model regulations involving five or six training seminars over an eighteen-month period for line officers and their senior operational officials in the area of firearms control from CICAD member countries. The training will demonstrate to the officers working on the ground the measures contained in the Model Regulations for monitoring, controlling and effecting international cooperation over the movements of firearms, their parts, components and ammunition and thereby reduce the degree of diversion from licit to illicit trafficking.

It should be noted that the project also proposes to provide technical assistance to countries that request it if necessary, to help to put into effect the necessary legislative and regulatory measures and suggest appropriate administrative structures as may be required to make the system operational.

The Consultative Committee of the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials held its first regular session at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington on March 9 and 10, 2000. At the opening of its proceedings the Secretary General of the OAS urged the states that had not yet done so to ratify that Convention. Later, the Ambassador of Mexico Claude Heller, having been elected Secretary pro tempore of the Advisory Committee, said that "the first order of business of this meeting will be to contribute to promotion of the ratification of this significant instrument of inter-American cooperation." In the two-day meeting the delegates approved the Advisory Committee’s rules of procedure and program of work and, following a general discussion of the subject, considered a project for training in firearms control for government officials which had been submitted to the states parties by the Executive Secretariat of CICAD. The Secretariat pro tempore will conduct the requisite consultations to set the date of the next meeting.

In compliance with the Plan of Action on Hemispheric Cooperation to Prevent, Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism, adopted at the First Inter-American Specialized Conference on Terrorism (Lima, 1996), and in accordance with the creation, within the OAS, of a body to specialize in the study and prevention of terrorism that was proposed at the Second Specialized Conference on Terrorism (Mar de Plata, Argentina; November 1998), the twenty-ninth regular session of the General Assembly resolved to create and approve the statutes of the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE).

CICTE held its first regular meeting in Miami, Florida, on October 28-29, 1999. At the meeting, the OAS member states adopted a set of regulations to govern the Committee’s operations. The countries also adopted a Working Plan instructing the General Secretariat to undertake a wide range of activities, the most important of which are described below.

As regards documentation, the General Secretariat prepared a directory of the competent anti-terrorist authorities in the member states. It gathered together the bilateral, sub-regional, regional, and multilateral agreements regarding terrorism entered into by the member states, together with the regulations and laws for preventing, combating, and eliminating terrorism in force in those countries.

The Secretariat also evaluated the mechanisms for enforcing the provisions of international law set forth in the conventions in force for the member states, and it prepared an analytical study of all applicable legal cooperation provisions with a view toward strengthening them.

Regarding the formulation and implementation of technical assistance programs for the member states, the General Secretariat will establish contacts with other international agencies with experience in this field in order to prepare a report. It will also identify programs managed by other competent international organizations and will design programs to be carried out by the member states or by international agencies with experience in security matters at airports, ports, diplomatic premises, etc.

In designing and implementing cooperation mechanisms, the General Secretariat will undertake a number of activities, which include the following:

• It will compile the bilateral and multilateral agreements for detecting false identity papers in force in the member states.
• It will organize workshops and training courses on priority issues, including cooperation among immigration authorities, drawing up a hemispheric terrorism study, and strengthening inter-American cooperation.
• It will design and develop an inter-American network for data collection and transmission, including the creation of an inter-American database on terrorism issues.
• It will put into practice the guidelines for inter-American cooperation in the event of terrorist acts and activities (Annex II of the Mar del Plata Commitment) and the measures for eliminating the collection of funds for terrorism (Annex III of the Mar del Plata Commitment).
• It will propose mechanisms for coordinating with other international agencies responsible for these areas.

The annual report of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) was presented at the Permanent Council meeting on March 8, 2000. The report includes the proceedings of the first ordinary session of the Committee which took place on October 28 –29, 1999, as well as the rules of procedure, the list of participants, and the Working Plan outlined above.

Committee on Hemispheric Security (CSH)

In the Santiago Plan of Action, the Heads of State and Government instructed the OAS Committee on Hemispheric Security to: 1) Follow-up on and expand topics relating to confidence and security building measures; 2) analyze the meaning, scope, and implications of international security concepts in the Hemisphere, with a view to developing the most appropriate common approaches by which to manage their various aspects, including disarmament and arms control; and, 3) pinpoint ways to revitalize and strengthen the institutions of the Inter-American System related to the various aspects of Hemispheric Security.

Follow-up on Confidence and Security Building Measures

In order to accomplish the first task, the Committee on Hemispheric Security reviewed the progress made on implementing the initiatives for confidence and security building measures adopted in the Santiago and San Salvador Conferences. This was done at a meeting held February 25, 1999, at which the Chairs of the two Conferences in question participated. Exchanges of information through the Organization have continued, and a number of member states have submitted reports to the Committee on Hemispheric Security on the implementation measures they have taken. In addition, a meeting of experts was recently held in Cartagena, Colombia, on the issue of education for peace. The meeting produced an educational program, the objectives of which are to prevent conflicts, reduce violence, and promote peace–based on education provided to the Hemisphere’s youth.

In pursuit of its second task, the Committee held a meeting April 20-21, 1999, during which it redefined the concept of security and the nature of threats in the Hemisphere. The role of the OAS, of its General Secretariat, and of the Inter-American Defense Board were also discussed at the meeting as were the following issues: strengthening the Committee on Hemispheric Security; cooperation between member states to find quick solutions to problems and to threats to security; and the need to establish mechanisms which ensure long-term peace.

Analysis of Concepts of International Security

In order to stimulate regional dialogue and to promote an environment of confidence and security, a forum on the future of international security in the Hemisphere was held at OAS Headquarters in April 1999. The forum, organized by the Permanent Mission of Chile with support from the OAS General Secretariat and the Permanent Mission of the United States, brought together academics and diplomats and facilitated an exchange of ideas the objective of which was to unify the principal concepts and definitions of the security issue.

On March 20 and 21, 2000, the Committee held a special session, attended by experts and representatives of the member states, to examine the significance, scope and implications of the concepts of international security in the Hemisphere. This special session considered the common approaches best suited to address the different aspects of international security; studied the problems and risks for peace in the Hemisphere, and examined and evaluated the instruments bearing on peace and security, the institutions and processes of the Inter-American system, and the subregional security agreements, mechanisms, and processes.

To follow up on and further discussion of confidence and security building measures, the CSH held a meeting on March 31, 2000, of parliamentarians to monitor the agreements of the Second Regional Conference, held in San Salvador in 1998, and to review the extent to which confidence and security building measures, launched in 1995, have been implemented. In addition, on April 5, 2000, the Committee hosted a seminar for exchanges of experiences with other regional organizations, with the participation of the Disarmament Department of the United Nations, the OSCE and ASEAN. This seminar was followed on April 6, by a special session to evaluate and review the application of the confidence and security building measures adopted in the Declarations of Santiago and San Salvador with the participation of government experts.

In terms of the transparency of defense policies in the Hemisphere, a major accomplishment was made at the XXIX OAS General Assembly in Guatemala, in June 1999, where member states adopted the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions. Twenty-four member states signed the convention in Guatemala which imposes mandatory reporting requirements on weapons acquisitions. With the Convention, the Hemisphere becomes the first region in the world to have such a mandatory agreement on the exchange of information on conventional weapons.

On the issue of cooperation in response to natural disasters and for humanitarian search and rescue operations, a significant achievement was also made at the Guatemala General Assembly when the member states adopted a resolution bringing the Organization’s response mechanisms up-to-date. Hurricanes George and Mitch, along with the earthquake in Colombia, made evident the need for this modernization, the result of which was the creation of an Inter-American Committee on Disasters.

By arranging meetings of this kind and preparing information documents the Committee on Hemispheric Security continues to move forward in its analysis of the different aspects of security in the Hemisphere and the reinforcement of confidence and security building measures in compliance with the mandates of the Plan of Action of the Santiago Summit.

Special Security Concerns of Small Island States in the Caribbean

At the hemispheric level, the OAS General Secretariat has adopted a number of measures in response to these special security concerns as they relate to economic matters, the environment and natural risks, the promotion of democracy, and cooperation for the eradication of illicit drug trafficking and abuse. These measures include the following:

1. Economic matters: technical assistance has been provided by the OAS Trade Unit to the FTAA negotiating and consultative groups of countries with small economies and the Organization of Regional Seminars on matters related to FTAA for the officials of Caribbean Island States.
2. Environment and natural risks: the OAS Unit for Sustainable Development and the Environment has implemented a series of technical assistance programs for the mitigation of natural risks and adaptation to world climate change, financed with external resources.
3. Promotion of democracy: the Program of Support for Legislative Institutions and Processes, with the participation of the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago; the program on the network of Legislative Leaders of the Americas and the program on the Promotion of Democratic Values and Practices. The OAS is also cooperating with the Secretariat of the Caribbean community (CARICOM) in the execution of the project on Education for Democracy in the States of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
4. Cooperation in the eradication of illicit drug trafficking and abuse: technical assistance programs conducted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission.

The Committee on Hemispheric Security held a Special Meeting on February 29, 2000, to discuss the special security concerns of the small island states. At this meeting the experts discussed the prospects of the smallest member states, whose economies are suffering severely from natural disasters. Delegates also reviewed how effective the OAS has been in promoting and developing the issue. The meeting further looked at the regional and subregional role organizations have played in strengthening security regionally and at the level of the small island states, as well as military cooperation among small island states.

Demining and the Western Hemisphere as an Anti-Personnel Mine-free Zone

Given the importance of an integrated and comprehensive response to the crisis caused by antipersonnel mines, as well as the need to provide real and lasting support to those who face ongoing risk, a new program area called "Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines" (AICMA) was created in the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy in 1998. This area is the focal point for the General Secretariat on this issue and covers the following topics, among others: (a) mine risk awareness education for the civilian population; (b) support for minefield surveying, mapping, marking, and clearance; (c) victim assistance, including physical and psychological rehabilitation and the socioeconomic reintegration of cleared zones; (d) support for a total ban on antipersonnel mines; and (e) establishment of databases on activities directed against antipersonnel mines.

Assistance Program for Demining in Central America (PADCA)

The Assistance Program for Demining in Central America was created by the Organization of American States in 1991, at the request of the Central American countries affected by antipersonnel mines. Since May 1995, responsibility for the general coordination and supervision of the Assistance Program for Demining in Central America (PADCA) has been assigned to the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, with the technical support of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB). The distinctive feature of PADCA, which is integrated into the new AICMA program, is that it is largely a humanitarian project, since it seeks to restore safe conditions and the confidence of citizens, to reduce the threat and danger posed by explosive devices and antipersonnel mines, and to restore the use of the lands dedicated to agriculture and livestock in the affected zones.

The successful work done and progress achieved by PADCA is, in large measure, due to the invaluable and generous support of member states: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela, and the United States, and the contribution of big international donors: Denmark, France, Great Britain, Holland, Japan, Norway, Russia, Spain, and Sweden, among others. Over the course of one year, these contributions have amounted to approximately $4.815 million.

The progress made in each PADCA-recipient country can be summarized as follows:

Costa Rica. Module VII operations are currently being carried out in the areas of Cutriz, Pocosol, and Las Tiricias, in Alajuela Province, on the northern border with Nicaragua. Demining and the removal of explosive devices have been carried out with the ongoing assistance of two international supervisors, forty-one sapper soldiers, and the support of canine techniques.

The Mine Risk Awareness Education Campaign for the Civilian Population has continued in the areas of Crucitas, Jocote, Las Tiricias, San Isidro, Pocosol, Medio Queso, and La Guaría, in Alajuela province.

Guatemala. In keeping with the National Plan for Demining and Destruction of Explosive Devices, operations aimed at identifying and destroying explosive devices in the area of Ixcán, Quiché Department were wrapped up, and because of this, demined lands were handed over for the first time by the local authorities to the community in January 2000.

At the moment, tracking and detection work in the area of the Ixil triangle is being carried out, which includes four municipalities in Quiché Department and covers 30 of the 129 suspicious zones included in the National Demining Plan.

Honduras. It is important to underscore the fact that antipersonnel mines have been cleared in the eastern area of Honduras, with these activities being concluded under module VII and covering the San Andrés de Bocay sector, in the municipality of Olancho Department. At the moment, the activities are being conducted in the southern zone of the country in the municipality of San Marcos de Colón in Choluteca Department, where 10 suspicious zones have been identified.

At the same time, assistance has been provided with the following activities: Clearance operations in a suspicious area in Naco, a municipality of Cortés Department in the northern region of Honduras. Work has continued on the "Mine Risk Awareness Education for the Civilian Population" campaign among the populations close to the zones of operation.

Nicaragua. Using funds provided by the Government of the United States of America and the United Kingdom, a new operations front composed of 100 sapper soldiers will be established. It will be located in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) of the Republic of Nicaragua. At the moment, the sapper soldiers who will belong to the new platoons are being trained. It should be emphasized that they will supplement the other two fronts that are supported by the international community, through the OAS, in the areas of Ocotal and Juigalpa.

At the moment, module IV operations, in Operations Front No. 3, located in Juigalpa, and module VIII operations, in Operations Front No. 4, in the Ocotal area, are being carried out.

Furthermore, at the request of ENEL (the Nicaraguan Electricity Company), the certification and handing over of demined high-tension towers in the territories of Chontales and Matagalpa have begun, in order to begin maintenance of transmission lines.

During the course of the year, the Mine Clearance Assistance Mission in Central America (MARMINCA) was transferred from Honduras to Nicaragua.

Also, the "Program for Care to Victims of Mines and Explosive Devices," which has existed in Nicaragua since 1997, was continued and will be strengthened in the year 2000, with the assistance of the Government of Sweden, in order to ensure monitoring of the rehabilitation services provided under the program.

Lastly, during the period covered by this report, the Mine Risk Awareness Education for the Civilian Population campaign has been strengthened through community visits and through a variety of national radio messages. AICMA also received a large shipment of posters showing the dangers of mines, which have been used to mark suspicious areas.

Peru and Ecuador: On the occasion of the visit of the Presidents of Ecuador and Peru to the OAS headquarters, the Secretary General offered the assistance and expertise of the OAS in the area of humanitarian demining.

By means of a joint note of March 18, 1999, the Governments of Ecuador and Peru, through their Permanent Missions to the Organization of American States, asked the Organization to establish a specific fund to support demining related to the demarcation of the border between Ecuador and Peru, using the funds provided by Canada for that purpose.

In this regard, the Organization started activities in this area with the establishment of a specific fund for the "Program for Demining Assistance in Ecuador/Peru," (PADEP), using a contribution from the Government of Canada of CAN$300,000 (USD$198,800.45) in April 1999. This contribution, which was divided equally, has been used exclusively for the purchase of equipment and materials for activities to support humanitarian demining associated with the demarcation of the border between Ecuador and Peru.

The U.S. Department of State invited the Organization of American States to participate in a multi-disciplinary mission to Ecuador and Peru. This mission was conducted August 16-20, 1999, in order to evaluate the antipersonnel land mine situation in the border region of the two countries.

As a result of this mission, and based on the requests of both countries for the assistance of the OAS in humanitarian demining activities, the Organization submitted working documents for consideration by both governments containing a proposal to provide coordinated international assistance with the efforts of both countries in integrated action against antipersonnel mines in their respective territories.

A number of additional activities conducted within the framework of AICMA are indicated below:

• As stipulated in the Ottawa Convention and in the National Plan for the Destruction of Stockpiled Mines in Nicaragua, 30,000 antipersonnel mines have been destroyed in the country on four different occasions.
• In that regard, and in order to begin the destruction of stocks of mines in Honduras, AICMA organized an advisory and assistance mission to that country for the destruction of stockpiled antipersonnel mines, sponsored by the Government of Canada.

With regard to the Rehabilitation Program for Victims of Antipersonnel Mines, a Framework Agreement was signed between the International Rehabilitation Center and the Organization of American States for the implementation of a Plan of Action to develop and prepare new technologies, educational material, and physical and labor-related employment programs for persons affected by antipersonnel mines and explosive devices in Central America.

Furthermore, during the course of the year, there was close coordination with the Pan American Health Organization with the aim of working cooperatively on activities related to assistance, rehabilitation, and integration of victims of mines, and on awareness education of the population on the danger of these devices. Also, contact was established with the Trust for the Americas in order to conduct joint work with the private, public, and academic sectors, and the different civil society institutions in the Hemisphere, with a view to promoting initiatives beneficial to mine victims.

In order to start a seed fund aimed at providing urgent medical assistance overseas to mine victims who cannot be treated in their countries, AICMA made arrangements, together with the Women of the Americas Foundation [Fundación Mujeres de las Américas] of Washington, to obtain funds from the cultural activity organized by this foundation annually, which, by means of a unanimous decision, contributed 80% of funds collected.

For further information on OAS de-mining activities, please see the Report of the General Secretariat on the Implementation of resolutions AG/RES. 1641 (XXIX-O/99) "Support for the Mine-Clearing Program in Central America", and AG/RES. 1644 (XXIX-O/99) "The Western Hemisphere as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone", (CP/doc.3306/00).

Honduras-Nicaragua Situation

Tensions between Honduras and Nicaragua rose to alarming levels in late November 1999, following the ratification, by Honduras, of a treaty with Colombia which mutually recognizes Honduras and Colombia’s maritime boundaries in the Caribbean sea. Both countries quickly sought the help of the OAS in order to prevent an escalation of tensions or incidents in the Caribbean Sea.

Upon receiving the requests from Honduras and Nicaragua, and without delay, the OAS Permanent Council met in special sessions on December 6 and 7, 1999, to consider the matters presented by the two countries. On December 7, the Council approved a resolution calling for the Secretary General to nominate, "with the greatest possible urgency," a Special Representative to "evaluate the situation, facilitate dialogue, and formulate recommendations aimed at easing tension and preventing acts that could affect peace in the Hemisphere."

Ambassador Luigi Einaudi was chosen as Special Representative and immediately began helping the Parties search for common ground and establish confidence and security-building mechanisms to avoid incidents. Over the subsequent three months, Honduras and Nicaragua reached a series of understandings which helped reduce tensions and established mechanisms to ensure the peace.

The first agreement was concluded in Miami following two days of intense discussions at the end of December 1999. The Foreign Ministers of Honduras and Nicaragua, and the Special Representative, agreed on a political framework for lowering tensions in the region and for enacting confidence and security-building measures. The second agreement, concluded February 7, 2000, in San Salvador, El Salvador, at the headquarters of the Central-American Integration System, defined tension-reducing measures in the Caribbean Sea, including an agreement to not maintain any new military or police posts, to refrain from carrying out actions that could provoke incidents or serve as an obstacle to resolving any controversy by peaceful means, and to establish a combined Honduran-Nicaraguan patrol mechanism. The final agreement, concluded March 7, 2000 at the headquarters of the OAS, completed the confidence and security-building mechanisms agreed upon in Miami and San Salvador by setting forth detailed provisions for combined patrols in the Caribbean, for controls on military activity near the land border, and for coordinated patrols within the two countries’ jurisdictional waters in the Gulf of Fonseca.

The provisions established by the three agreements provide for a peaceful and secure modus vivendi while the substantive issue of determining the maritime border in the Caribbean Sea is settled by the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Nicaragua had requested that the Court determine the maritime boundary, and both countries have agreed to abide by its decision.

Two other disputes in the sub-region, one between Costa Rica and Nicaragua over navigation rights in the San Juan river, and a territorial dispute between Guatemala and Belize, have more recently been brought to the attention of the Organization. At the request of the Parties to both disputes, the Secretary General is serving as a facilitator for continued discussions to find peaceful solutions to these issues.

STRENGTHENING OF JUSTICE SYSTEMS AND JUDICIARIES

As regards cybercrime, a second Meeting of Experts was held to analyze the Government Experts’ draft report based on the questionnaire developed by the member states. Special guests to deal with the question of cybercrime were in attendance, including representatives of CitiGroup, America Online, the FBI, and other private sector companies. The government experts recommended the member states create public agencies to investigate and prosecute cybercrime. The experts urged all the countries to make the necessary efforts to harmonize their applicable laws in order to facilitate international cooperation in combating these crimes.

The Inter-American Juridical Committee met in Washington, D.C., on March 20-31, 2000, and discussed several key issues including the juridical aspects of hemispheric security and legal dimensions of integration and international trade. Participants also discussed the issue of children who are taken across international borders by one parent.

Creation of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas

The special General Assembly held on November 15, 1999, approved the creation of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas, the statutes of which were drawn up by the working group of government experts over the course of five meetings at OAS headquarters. The aim of the Center is to facilitate training of justice sector personnel, information exchanges, technical cooperation, and support for the reform and modernization of justice systems in the region. The member states agreed that the Center would first tackle criminal justice issues. During the Third Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas, Santiago, Chile was chosen as the Headquarters for the Center.

Third Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas

The Third Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas was held from March 1 to 3, 2000, in San José, Costa Rica, and was opened by the President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Dr. Miguel Angel Rodríguez. It fulfilled several of the mandates of the Plan of Action of the Santiago Summit in the area of the strengthening of judicial organs and justice systems.

The ministers approved a series of concrete proposals for collective measures to move forward in the areas of legal and judicial cooperation, primarily in the field of extradition and cyber crimes. The general discussion among the ministers and attorneys general reflected the growing need of the countries in the Hemisphere for cooperation in the aforementioned areas not only in relation to their national interests, but because of the complexity and transnational scope of many of those subjects today, whose treatment has ceased to be exclusively domestic. In this spirit, the ministers noted the importance of exchanges of experiences and the support of the OAS and other international institutions for the modernization of their justice systems.

Topics discussed at the Ministerial meeting included:

• Penitentiary policies and alternative conflict resolution;
• Legal and judicial cooperation in such matters as extradition and the fight against corruption;
• The designation of central officials in the countries to facilitate the dissemination of information and the effective and efficient implementation of agreements for cooperation in those areas;
• The report on the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas, including its recommendations on the site;
• Technical assistance and support from working groups of specialists under a regional program in the OAS in such areas as cyber crime, in which new crimes need to be identified and jurisdictional organs must be authorized to combat them.

The Third Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas, approved the following conclusions and recommendations:

1. Cyber Crime

The Third REMJA, mindful of the recommendations made by the Group of Government Experts on Cyber Crime that met at OAS headquarters in May and October, 1999, urges member states of the OAS to:

• Identify one or more agencies within their country that will have primary authority and responsibility to investigate and prosecute cyber crime;

• Take steps to enact legislation covering cyber crime, if they have not already done so;

• Make every effort to harmonize their laws on cyber crime in such a way as to facilitate international cooperation in preventing and combating these illicit activities;

• Determine their training needs in the area of cyber crime and explore bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation mechanisms to meet those needs;

• Consider the possibility of becoming members of the 24-Hour/7-Day a Week Point of Contact Group, or participating in other existing mechanisms for cooperation or the exchange of information in order to initiate or receive information;

• Take steps to heighten awareness of this issue among the general public, including users in the education system, the legal system, and the justice system regarding the need to prevent and combat cyber crime;

• Consider various measures, including setting up a Voluntary Specific Fund, to support efforts to expand cooperation on this matter in the Hemisphere;

• Promote, in the framework of the OAS, the exchange of information on cyber crime and dissemination of information regarding activities in this field, including the OAS Web page on the subject;

• Ensure follow-up to the implementation of the recommendations of the Group of Government Experts in the framework of the OAS, taking into account the need to prepare guidelines to orient national efforts in the field of cyber crime through, for instance, the development of model legislation or other pertinent legal instruments and training programs.

2. Extradition and mutual legal assistance

The Third REMJA welcomes the progress achieved in complying with the recommendations made at the Second REMJA, especially with regard to presentation of information on points of contact, checklists of requirements for extradition, standard forms for requesting mutual legal assistance, and glossaries of legal terms.

In this connection, it:

• Urges member states of the OAS that have not already done so to present the information requested as soon as possible in order to permit a comprehensive assessment of the situation in the Hemisphere with regard to this topic;

• Invites the OAS to disseminate that information through its web page;

• Encourages member states of the OAS to provide, in addition to the information already presented, material on the way extradition requests are handled by their respective executive and judicial branches;

• Emphasizes the need to promote heightened awareness among members of the legislative and judicial branches regarding their responsibility with respect to extradition;

• Resolves to strengthen cooperation and mutual confidence in this field by establishing an information network composed of competent authorities and mandated to prepare specific recommendations in the area of extradition and mutual legal assistance for consideration by said authorities prior to plenary session of the Fourth REMJA. That network containing information on the different legal systems in the Hemisphere should rely as far as possible on electronic communications media, especially the Internet;

• Exhorts member states of the OAS that have not already done so to consider the possibility of ratifying or acceding to inter-American conventions on juridical and judicial cooperation.

1. Prison and penitentiary policy: all aspects of health in prisons

Bearing in mind the importance of all aspects of health in prisons, the Third REMJA:

• Invites member states of the OAS to seek ways to reduce overcrowding in prisons, making use, inter alia, of alternatives to imprisonment;

• Urges governments to share experiences acquired in their prison systems with respect to all aspects of the health of the prison or former prison population in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, STDs, addictions and prison violence;

• Invites member states of the OAS to cooperate in the development of projects to train personnel in this area, with the support of international and national organizations, whether governmental or nongovernmental;

• Requests member states of the OAS to monitor, with the help of experts in the field, the subject of all aspects of health in prisons, with a view to identifying common problems and promoting cooperation and exchanges of information and experience;

• Invites member states of the OAS with the relevant experience to share information regarding the participation of private enterprises in the construction and/or management of penitentiaries, with a view to exploring new options for improving prison systems.

4. Access to Justice: Alternative Conflict Resolution and Other Mechanisms

With a view to improving systems for the administration of justice, the Third REMJA:

• Reiterates its commitment to improve access to justice for the inhabitants of member states of the OAS through the promotion and use of alternative methods of conflict resolution, to broaden access to flexible and expeditious judicial and extrajudicial means of conflict resolution that will contribute to democratic development;
• Urges member states of the OAS with experience in this field to offer their cooperation in developing and fostering these alternative mechanisms;
• Recommends that, as part of the legal cooperation activities being carried out by the General Secretariat of the OAS, an effort be made to develop and implement cooperation programs designed to encourage recourse to alternative conflict resolution methods, in coordination with agencies active in this field in the countries of the Americas;
• Urges member states of the OAS to promote, in accordance with their respective laws, the incorporation into educational programs of material encouraging the use of dialogue, negotiation, mediation, and other methods of dispute resolution that are designed to strengthen peaceful coexistence and further a culture of peace and human rights;
• Resolves to continue consideration of the topic of alternative dispute resolution in the framework of the OAS, in order to foster the exchange of experience and other cooperation among the member states of the OAS.

5. Justice Studies Center of the Americas

The Third REMJA:

• Welcomes the establishment of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas; the adoption of its Statute; and the election of its Board of Directors by the General Assembly of the OAS, fulfilling a mandate of the Second Summit of the Americas;
• Takes note of the recommendations contained in the Report of the First Meeting of the Board of Directors, held in Washington, D. C. on February 24 and 25, 2000;
• Decides that the site for the Justice Studies Center of the Americas be Santiago, Chile, exercising the authority assigned to the REMJA under the Statute of the Center and bearing in mind the recommendation made by the Board of Directors. The Third REMJA thanks the governments of Argentina, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay for their offers to provide a site for the Center and invites them to contribute their experience and technical skills in supporting the work entrusted to the Center. The Third REMJA recognizes the role that institutions such as that proposed by the Government of Argentina and other governments may play in this regard;
• Urges the member states and Permanent Observers of the OAS to contribute voluntary funds to finance the Center's activities, in accordance with the provisions of Article 17 of the Statute of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas;
• Encourages the Board of Directors to proceed with preparation of its rules of procedure; early signature of a Headquarters Agreement with the Government of Chile; preparation of a draft work plan for the Center; and appointment of its Executive Director;
• Requests that the General Assembly of the OAS approve the appointment of the person proposed by the Board of Directors as Executive Director of the Center, pursuant to Article 6 of the Statute of the Center in order to ensure that it can begin activities as soon as possible;
• Invites the Board of Directors to give due consideration to the conclusions and recommendations of the Third REMJA in developing the Center’s work plan and its activities, as provided for in Article 12 of its Statute.

These conclusions and recommendations are addressed, as appropriate, to the member states of the OAS, its political and advisory organs, the General Secretariat, and other inter-American entities.

Several nongovernmental organizations participated, some in the meeting itself and others in an informal session in which they described the work they had done in support of the governments, primarily in matters relating to prison policies. Extensive information was also supplied on a variety of national experiences in some of the areas covered by the agenda.

In June 1999, the Labor Ministers' Working Group I on globalization of the economy and its social and labor dimensions, met in Lima, Peru, to discuss the following issues related to the social dimension of integration processes: transformations in the structure and function of job markets and labor regimes; professional training and skill acquisition; and assistance systems for unemployed workers. This group had been created at the Eleventh Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor. In connection with these issues, the Group proposed drawing up a Ministerial Declaration that would set forth principles for tackling the social dimension of integration processes, the adoption of basic labor rules, and procedures for ensuring their compliance.

The Ministers' Working Group II on modernization of the state and labor administration: requirements and challenges met in San José, Costa Rica, in April 1999. At this meeting, the Group analyzed a broad range of functions performed by labor ministries and concluded that changes had to be made in a number of areas. These two Groups met again in November and December 1999 to continue their work.

On February 24-25, 2000, in Washington D.C., the Ministers of Labor of the hemisphere met for a two-day follow-up session of the Eleventh Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the Inter-American Development Bank, and the OAS provided technical support to the meeting. The main objective of this meeting was to review the progress made in implementing the Plan of Action approved by the ministers in their 1998 meeting in Viña del Mar, Chile.

Peru, as coordinator for Working Group I on "Economic Globalization and Its Social and Labor Dimensions", presented a document stressing the social dimension of integration processes. The document outlined the transformations undergone by labor markets and labor legislation, recommended reforms in training and vocational education, and argued in favor of establishing systems to assist unemployed workers, or workers changing jobs.

The second working group, coordinated by Costa Rica, presented its conclusions in a report entitled "Modernization of the State and Labor Administration: Requirements and Challenges". Some of the main points emphasized in it were: general labor administration topics; inspection systems; information and statistics systems; mechanisms for prejudicial settlement of labor disputes; dialogue between labor and management; collective bargaining; and integration of special collectives in the labor market.

To follow-up on these proposals, the Chairman requested that a future meeting of the Advisory Committee be convened. This Committee will prepare specific projects for technical cooperation on nine different areas:

• Employment and labor institutions,
• Collective bargaining,
• Labor relations,
• Professional and occupational training,
• Protection systems for the unemployed,
• Labor information systems,
• Meeting labor standards,
• Modernizing labor justice, and
• Social dialogue.

Finally, the ministers agreed to hold the XII Conference next year in Canada, and the XIII meeting in Brazil in 2003.

Support in Employment and Labor Affairs from the Unit for Social Development and Education

With regard to employment and labor affairs, the Second Summit of the Americas requested the OAS’s cooperation to assist labor ministries in exchanging information on methods and strategies for modernizing the State and labor administrations. In compliance with this, the Unit for Social Development and Education is supporting the member states’ efforts at the four levels described below.

1. At the ministerial level, the Unit serves as the Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor and it has been providing permanent assistance to the Conference’s pro tempore chair, particularly in preparing an