- 2 -

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OEA/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CSH/SA-108/06

22 June 2006

COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY Original: Spanish

Summary of the meeting of Tuesday, April 11, 2006

At 3:00 p.m., the Chair opened the fifth meeting of the Committee, convened to consider the items on the order of business, document CP/CSH-749/06.

In his opening remarks, the Chair explained the work method of the Committee for April and May 2006, and thanked the delegations for the draft resolutions submitted. A schedule of meetings for this period was distributed.

1.  Humanitarian demining action [1]/

i.  Presentation by the Humanitarian Demining Section, given by Col. Carl Case, Principal Specialist

The Director of the Department for the Prevention of Threats against Public Security of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, Mr. Christopher Hernández-Roy, briefly introduced Col. Carl Case, Principal Specialist, Humanitarian Demining Section.

Col. Case summarized the work carried out by the Humanitarian Demining Section, as set out in the Report of the General Secretariat, document CP/doc.4098/06 rev. 1.

ii. Consideration of the “Report of the General Secretariat on the Implementation of resolutions AG/RES. 2105 (XXXV-O/05) “Support for Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Ecuador and Peru,” AG/RES. 2106 (XXXV-O/05) “Support for the Program for Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Central America,” and AG/RES. 2142 (XXXV-O/05) “The Americas as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone” (CP/doc.4098/06 rev. 1)”

Note was taken of the Report of the General Secretariat on implementation of the General Assembly resolutions on this topic, which had been forwarded by the Permanent Council to the Committee for its consideration.[2]/

The following delegations commented on said report and the work of the General Secretariat in the demining area: Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Peru. All expressed their satisfaction with the report presented by the Secretariat and with the Program for Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines (AICMA). They urged all states to continue to provide support for said Program and thanked the donor countries for their contributions thereto. The delegation of Canada underscored the importance of the Ottawa Convention and acknowledged the contribution made by the Program to the accomplishment of its objectives.

The delegation of Chile requested that a correction be made to the Spanish version of the text.[3]/

The Chair of the Committee, on behalf of its members, thanked the staff of the General Secretariat working in support of the AIMCA Program.

iii. Presentation of the draft resolution "The Americas as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone" (presented by the delegation of Canada) (CP/CSH-747/06)

The delegation of Canada presented the draft resolution “The Americas as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone,” document CP/CSH-747/06. Said delegation indicated that two of the three resolutions on the topic “action against mines” adopted by the General Assembly in 2005 had been consolidated in this draft resolution: “Support for the Program for Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Central America,” AG/RES. 2106 (XXXV-O/05), and “The Americas as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone," AG/RES. 2142 (XXXV-O/05).

The delegations of Argentina, Canada, and Chile proposed amendments to the draft resolution. The delegation of Honduras reported that its country was a cosponsor thereof. The delegation of the United States expressed its firm support for different points contained therein, but reported that, in view of its country’s position on this topic, it would enter a reservation regarding a point it contained.

It was decided to continue consideration of this draft on April 20, 2006.

iv. Presentation of the draft resolution “Support for Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Ecuador and Peru,” assigned to the delegations of Ecuador and Peru

On behalf of the delegations of Ecuador and Peru, the delegation of Peru presented the draft resolution “Support for Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Ecuador and Peru.”

The delegation of Ecuador underscored different aspects of the draft resolution and reported that it would submit further information to be used to update the document, for consideration by the Committee at its meeting of April 20.

2.  Follow-up of resolution AG/RES. 2110 (XXXV-O/05), "Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions"

·  Presentation of the draft resolution "Convocation of the Meeting of States Parties to the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions," assigned to the delegation of Canada

The delegation of Canada presented the draft resolution “Convocation of the Meeting of States Parties to the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions,” document CP/CSH-748/06.

The objective of this draft resolution is to ensure that the Permanent Council, pursuant to General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 2110 (XXXV-O/05), convenes a meeting of States Parties to the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions in preparation for the Conference of States Parties to be held in 2009, pursuant to the provisions of Article VIII of said Convention. It was proposed to schedule the preparatory meeting in the autumn of 2006.

No comments were made and it was decided to consider this draft at the next meeting of the Committee.

3.  Follow-up of resolution AG/RES. 2104 (XXXV-O/05), "Consolidation of the Regime Established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)"

·  Presentation of the draft resolution "Consolidation of the Regime Established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)," assigned to the delegation of Mexico

The delegation of Mexico presented the draft resolution "Consolidation of the Regime Established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)," explaining in detail the new elements it proposed to include.

At the request of the delegations, the Declaration of Santiago de Chile, adopted by OPANAL, document CG/Res. 487, was distributed to those present.

It was decided to consider the draft resolution at the next meeting of the Committee.

4.  Follow-up of resolution AG/RES. 2152 (XXXV-O/05), "Limitation of Military Spending"

·  Presentation of the draft resolution "Limitation of Military Spending," assigned to the delegation of Peru

The delegation of Peru presented the draft resolution "Limitation of Military Spending," document CP/CSH-752/06. The objective of this draft resolution is to ensure that the Permanent Council, pursuant to General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 2152 (XXXV-O/05), convenes a meeting “to continue considering … the topic of limitation of military expenditures and the promotion of greater transparency in the acquisition of arms, bearing in mind, among other elements, the legitimate security and defense needs of states and unilateral, bilateral, subregional, and hemispheric perspectives of the topic … .” The delegation of Peru proposed scheduling the meeting for October 17 or 24, 2006, and proposed ideas for its agenda.

The delegation of Costa Rica reported that it was awaiting instructions enabling it to cosponsor this draft resolution and proposed adding a paragraph regarding the economies that are achieved through limitation of military spending.

The delegation of the United States welcomed the proposals for the agenda for the meeting, but expressed its concern that, thus far, no member state had provided the Permanent Council with its comments on the topic of the meeting and suggested that such information was prerequisite to its being held.

It was decided to consider the draft resolution at the next meeting of the Committee.

5.  Other business

Proposal to consolidate items in one draft resolution

The delegation of the United States presented the draft resolution “Cooperation for Security in the Hemisphere,” document CP/CSH-753/06, which consolidated the topics addressed in five resolutions: “The Americas as Biological- and Chemical Weapons-Free Region” [AG/RES. 2107 (XXXV-O/05)]; “The Proliferation of and the Illicit trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects" [AG/RES. 2108 (XXXV-O/05)]; "Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions" [AG/RES. 2110 (XXXV-O/05)]; "Transparency and Confidence- and Security-Building in the Americas" [AG/RES. 2113 (XXXV-O/05)], and "Denying MANPADS to Terrorists: Control and Security of Man-Portable Air Defense Systems" [AG/RES. 2145 (XXXV-O/05)].

The delegation of Canada commented that the proposal might prove valuable, but that it would examine it in detail, bearing in mind the draft resolution pertaining to the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions that had been presented by its delegation earlier.

The meeting closed at 4:50 p.m.

[1]. AG/RES. 2105 (XXXV-O/05), “Support for Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Ecuador and Peru”; AG/RES. 2106 (XXXV-O/05), “Support for the Program for Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Central America”; and AG/RES. 2142 (XXXV-O/05), “The Americas as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone.”

[2]. See the record of the regular meeting of the Permanent Council held on April 5, 2006, document CP/SA-1542/06.

[3]. Said Report has been corrected in all languages and published as document CP/doc. 4098/06 rev. 1 corr. 1.