24 September 2002
OAS Envoy Addresses Hemispheric Security Architecture
(Stresses democracy, prosperity, ability to bolster peace and
security) (1580)
U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Roger
Noriega addressed hemispheric security cooperation initiatives for the
21st century during September 20 remarks before the Inter-American
Development Bank.
Noriega discussed the role of the OAS in promoting security and
combating terrorism in the Western Hemisphere, as well as OAS efforts
to adapt to diverse and evolving threats. OAS initiatives to combat
terrorism, fight narcotics, respond to natural disasters and
strengthen democracy and economic development were among the efforts
he outlined.
Regional security "depends on the pillars of democracy, prosperity and
the ability to bolster peace and security," Noriega said. He suggested
several steps to achieve these objectives, including better definition
of current threats and the development of tools to deal with them.
He also called for reaffirming the purpose of the existing hemispheric
security infrastructure, the strengthening of conflict-prevention
capabilities, and the development and implementation of new
confidence- and security-building measures in the region.
Perhaps most importantly, the nations of the Western Hemisphere must
be mindful of the "new and dynamic environment" in crafting
hemispheric security architecture for the 21st century and beyond,
Noriega concluded.
Following is the text of Noriega's remarks, as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
Cooperative Hemispheric Security Architecture for the 21st Century
Ambassador Roger F. Noriega, U.S. Permanent Representative to the
Organization of American States
Remarks to the Conference at the Inter-American Development Bank
Washington, D.C.
September 20, 2002
The dangers of the Cold War have faded. And new and prominent threats
in the Hemisphere have emerged, requiring coordinated, cooperative,
and multilateral responses. Recognizing that the international and
regional system has changed substantially in the past decade, it is
important to redefine the collective goals of our nations in the
hemisphere.
The Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance ("Rio Treaty") sets
a standard whereby nations would respond in their common defense, with
the ultimate goal of creating a more secure environment. Our
experience since September 11th in mobilizing hemispheric support and
responses to fight terrorism under the OAS Charter and "Rio Treaty"
proves that the current hemispheric security structure can address the
region s security needs quite well. It also demonstrated the
flexibility of our security architecture to address the new and
emerging threats we face.
Yet, a genuinely stable and secure environment cannot be created by
solving our national defense problems alone. For example, we recognize
that threats to our security can stem from conflicts within states as
well as from conflicts between states. As new threats and security
challenges have evolved and emerged, the states of the Americas have
stepped up to meet them.
Since 1995, the OAS has built an impressive record of achievement.
Over 90 resolutions on regional arms control, demining,
nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, confidence- and
security-building measures (CSBMs) and other aspects of defense and
security policy have been adopted by consensus. In addition, three
conventions concerning illicit trafficking in firearms, transparency,
and terrorism have also been adopted. By actions and deeds, not mere
words, this body of work defines our hemispheric security, as we know
it today.
The OAS has served as the catalyst for hemispheric cooperation and a
broader "inter-American system of hemispheric security," which now
includes the Pan American Health Organization, the Inter-American
Development Bank, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in
Agriculture, the Inter-American Defense Board, and meetings such as
the Defense Ministerial of the Americas and Conferences of the
American Armed Forces.
Because today s security concerns have broadened to encompass far more
than just internal and external military conflicts, the region has
taken specific steps to address these threats.
In the war against terrorism, the Inter-American Committee Against
Terrorism (CICTE) was established in October 1999 to coordinate Member
States activities against terrorism, including special training and
facilitating exchanges of information. The terrorist attacks of
September 11th have awakened hemispheric concerns and, more
importantly, drove hemispheric actions to address terrorism in a
comprehensive manner. In January, CICTE identified urgent actions
aimed at strengthening inter-American cooperation to prevent, combat,
and eliminate terrorism in the Hemisphere. Moreover, the OAS adopted
at the General Assembly in Barbados an Inter-American Convention
Against Terrorism that expands our legal obligations to work together
to both prevent and respond to terrorism. CICTE s activities, in
conjunction with the invocation of the Rio Treaty, constitute a strong
institutional base for the hemispheric fight against terrorism.
In the fight against illegal narcotics, OAS member states have
developed a drug abuse control program (CICAD) -- launched in 1987 -
which has developed model legislation and fostered cooperation across
the broad range of narcotics issues. In 1996, the OAS negotiated the
Anti-Drug Strategy for the Hemisphere, providing the policy context
for the multilateral evaluation mechanism.
In the effort to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, the OAS
created the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction to
mitigate or prevent the effects of natural calamities that befall the
Americas. This mechanism will assist in identifying and preventing
problems dealing with preparedness. It will also take hemispheric
action to respond to natural disasters.
In the campaign to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, the OAS
has worked to support democratic institutions and governments,
developing election observation missions and assisting member states
in political reconciliation. In 1997, the Washington Protocol took
effect, amending the OAS Charter to permit, as a last resort, the
suspension of a member state whose democratically constituted
government is overthrown by force. Last September, the OAS further
strengthened democracy by the historic adoption of the Inter-American
Democratic Charter, which commits us to defend and promote democracy
through preventive measures to head-off ruptures in the democratic or
constitutional order.
Finally, economic development and prosperity are important
underpinnings of democracy and security in the region. The OAS has a
broad mandate to address the economic and social agenda of fundamental
importance to our societies. A great challenge facing the world today
is how to raise the living standards of the world s poor and integrate
them into the global economic system. The Summit of the Americas has
identified this challenge and our Governments have concluded that the
primary engines for economic advancement are trade, foreign
investment, and a healthy private sector.
We can all agree that our security depends on the pillars of
democracy, prosperity and the ability to bolster peace and security.
With this as an objective, let me suggest steps in that direction.
First, we must seek to define the current threats and sources of
insecurity, take stock of existing tools for dealing with them and
consider any additional methods and measures required. There is
considerable temptation to define "security" to include virtually any
source of discomfort or inconvenience in our world. Some at the OAS
have even raised "trade disputes" as an example of a threat to
hemispheric security. While it is true that we should consider the
impact of extreme poverty and even internal stability on our common
security, we should take care not to settle for an overly broad,
unfocused, definition that renders the term "security" meaningless and
renders our hemispheric security agenda unattainable.
For that reason many issues, such as development, public health, the
environment, and social concerns are being handled within the
appropriate summit and OAS architectures rather than within the
Inter-American system related to hemispheric security.
We must continue to support existing mechanisms and institutions, and
reaffirm the essential purposes of our hemispheric security
architecture. The region must be ready to deter and to defend against
any threat of aggression towards another nation. Yet, due to the
existence of other destabilizing factors, the hemisphere must also
promote wide-ranging partnership, cooperation, and dialogue with one
another, with the ultimate aim of increasing transparency, mutual
confidence, and the capacity for coordinated action.
We must stand ready to contribute to effective conflict prevention and
to engage actively in crisis management, including crisis response
operations. Our security architecture must identify early potential
sources of conflict and take measures to address them. The
Inter-American conflict prevention and resolution capabilities must be
strengthened by adoption of appropriate mechanisms, measures and tools
for early warning, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the
prevention of conflict. This applies to conflicts within states, as
well as those between states.
Our security architecture must have a more formal structure and
process conducive to the development, implementation, and
consideration of new confidence- and security-building measures.
Our security architecture must recognize the important contributions
of sub-regional arrangements, agreements and measures that foster
hemispheric security. For example, the Regional Security System (RSS)
of the Caribbean and the Framework Treaty on Democratic Security in
Central America both play an important role in defining our present
and future security architecture.
The Special Conference on Security also should recognize that the OAS
must have the educational, technical and advisory expertise on defense
and security issues that it needs to better serve its member states.
The product of this review must be a structure that all States find
relevant to their security concerns and in which they can
enthusiastically participate.
One year ago yesterday, the invocation of the Rio Treaty demonstrated
the ability of the existing Western Hemispheric security architecture
to respond to the challenge of September 11 and the specter of
international terrorism.
Facing the new and dynamic environment of the 21st century, it is
incumbent upon the States of the Western Hemisphere to seize the
unique opportunity to design a Cooperative Hemispheric Security
Architecture for the 21st Century and beyond. I know we will succeed.
Thank you.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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