Hemispheric Security In The 21st Century

Mr. Chairman,

Our heads of government have challenged us to "revitalize and strengthen the institutions of the Inter-American system related to the various aspects of hemispheric security." Today, we begin a deliberate preparatory process that will culminate in a Special Conference on Security within the framework of the OAS.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the strong hemispheric actions taken under the OAS Charter and Rio Treaty, we have heard calls for accelerating the Summit-mandated Conference. We all recognize that the events of September 11 have dramatically affected the way we look at the whole range of issues that encompass "hemispheric security." My delegation strongly agrees with the calls to advance the date of the conference. We must accelerate our work and move ahead in a manner which underlines the seriousness we attach to this issue and to the accomplishment of the preparatory tasks laid out in the Summit Plan of Action. Today, we call on the OAS to advance its timetable on this matter, with the objective of holding the Summit-mandated conference hopefully by the end of next year.

We have several important opportunities in the coming months to advance the Summit-mandated Conference through major contributions from several key future hemispheric meetings – the Regular Sessions of CICTE in January 2002, the Justice Ministerial in March, the Security of Small Island States Conference in June, the Defense Ministerial of the Americas in November, and a Confidence and Security-Building Measures Experts Meeting during the course of the year.

Our experience at the OAS since September 11 in mobilizing hemispheric support and responses to fight terrorism under the OAS Charter and the Rio Treaty proves that the current hemispheric security structure can function well.

The Summit-mandated Conference must assess and formally recognize the rich experiences and diverse achievements we have made to address security and defense in the hemisphere since 1947.

Hemispheric Realities

Today, the traditional definition of defense and security has evolved into a multidimensional concept that includes military, political, economic, social, and geographic facets. The traditional and non-traditional threats the region faces require coordinated, flexible, cooperative and multilateral responses.

From our perspective, transnational security challenges in the region include inter alia, terrorism, narcotics trafficking, natural disasters, environmental problems, organized crime, and corruption. These challenges require a multilateral response, since frequently no one state can confront them alone. Indeed, these threats are being addressed today at the bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international levels.

These modern transnational threats are cross-cutting problems that require multi-faceted responses by different national organizations, depending on their nature and severity. More often today, our response to these new security challenges is marshaled by civilian authorities rather than the military. In some cases, a mixed civilian and military response is required, which each country carries out in accordance with its own national experience.

That said, the OAS cannot forget that "traditional security" worries are still with us. Over 15 territorial and border disputes continue to exist in our region, with some potentially deteriorating into dangerous confrontations.

Cooperative Hemispheric Security Experiences and Accomplishments

In the face of new threats and security challenges, the states of the Americas have not stood still. Since 1995, the OAS has built an impressive record of achievement. Over 50 resolutions on regional arms control, defense and security policy have been adopted by consensus. This body of work defines hemispheric security as we know it today.

The OAS also has served as the catalyst for hemispheric cooperation and a broader "inter-American system of hemispheric security," which includes the Inter-American Defense Board, and meetings such as the Defense Ministerial of the Americas and Conferences of the American Armed Forces.

Complementing these institutions and meetings, the hemisphere has a framework of regional security instruments -- the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Treaty on Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty). The hemispheric response to the attacks of September 11 demonstrates that those legal instruments remain relevant and adaptable. In addition, a large number of specialized agreements have emerged, dealing with democracy and -- most recently -- the conventions against corruption, on illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, and on transparency in conventional weapons acquisitions.

While today’s security concerns have broadened to encompass far more terrain than internal and external military aggression, the region has taken specific steps to address these threats.

In the fight 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 events of September 11 have activated hemispheric concerns and, more importantly, hemispheric actions to address terrorism in a comprehensive manner. We have re-energized CICTE and, as we prepare for the January 2002 Regular Session, are engaged in intense work to identify urgent actions aimed at strengthening inter-American cooperation to prevent, combat, and eliminate terrorism in the Hemisphere. Further, our work in preparing a draft Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism for the June 2002 General Assembly can further our ability to both prevent and respond to terrorist threats.

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, which provided the policy context for the multilateral evaluation mechanism.

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 periodic natural calamities that befall the Americas. This mechanism will assist in identifying and preventing problems dealing with preparedness and in coordinating hemispheric action to address the challenges our hemisphere faces from natural disasters.

In support of democracy, the OAS has worked to strengthen democratic institutions and continues to organize election observation missions. 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. In September, we further strengthened democracy by the adoption of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which commits us to defend and promote democracy.

Democracy, of course, goes hand in hand with the protection of human rights. The OAS’s Inter-American Commission on Human Rights continues to hear cases involving allegations of human rights abuses and to issue recommendations to governments of the OAS member states and refer cases to the Inter-American Court. The Commission also conducts on-site visits, issues country reports, and focuses attention on thematic areas through the use of Special Rapporteurs, such as the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression.

Economic development and prosperity are important underpinnings for democracy. The OAS has addressed the economic and social agenda that is of fundamental importance to our societies. Raising the living standard for all our citizens is a key hemispheric task. The Summit of the Americas has underscored this challenge and our Governments have concluded that the primary engine for economic advancement is trade and foreign investment.

Confidence and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs), a key pillar of hemispheric security, are flourishing in the Summit Action Plans and Declarations of San Salvador and Santiago on CSBMs. More work must be done on universal implementation of those commitments. Continued progress in fostering mutual confidence in the region will go along way toward building the firm foundation for continued peace and security in the Americas. Our Presidents and leaders have called on us to consider a process more conducive to the development, implementation, and consideration of CSBMs. The Summit-mandated Experts’ meeting is an important stepping stone to the eventual Conference on Security.

Regional Contributions to Hemispheric Security – A New Element of the Hemisphere’s Security Architecture

At the Summit-mandated Conference on Security, we must also recognize the progress that has been made to address sub-regional concerns with sub-regional solutions. Since 1947, sub-regional security arrangements such as the Regional Security System in the Caribbean, the Framework Treaty on Democratic Security in Central America, the Political Declaration of Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile as a Zone of Peace, and the resolution of the Peru-Ecuador border dispute are examples of cooperative approaches that contribute directly to hemispheric security. This is an important development, part and parcel of our new hemispheric security architecture.

Conclusions

What conclusions and evaluation can we make concerning the Inter-American system of hemispheric security based on the new realities and security concerns in the Americas?

While today there is clear consensus that the hemisphere’s concept of defense and security must be updated, we must be careful in how we define our common threats. Too narrow a definition of defense and security will leave us unprepared to deal with the unique concerns of smaller states. Too broad a definition, however, runs the risk of assigning false priorities and inappropriate resources to fundamentally different types of problems. Likewise, we must guard against defining every challenge as a security issue, lest the concept become meaningless. As a region, we must be careful about viewing problems that are primarily economic or social as security issues or else we may find ourselves using the wrong tools to fix real problems.

From the U.S. perspective, an essential part of the work for the OAS and our states in the review of the institutions of the Inter-American system related to hemispheric security must be the adoption of a common expression of principles on hemispheric security based on existing Inter-American institutions and processes. Such a declaration would best complement existing security arrangements and recognize the hemisphere’s rich history, experiences, and current realities that encompass hemispheric security. More importantly, a common expression of hemispheric security would provide us with a guide for the new millennium.

On June 27, 2001, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated "We are living in unique moment of peace. Cold War threats have receded, but the new threats of the 21st century have not yet fully emerged. We need to take advantage of this period to ensure that we are prepared for the security challenges we will certainly face in the decades ahead – so we can help to extend this era of peace well into this new century." The tragic events of September 11 lend new urgency to this challenge. We must work together diligently to ensure a new era of peace. Let us accelerate that effort. Let us develop a new consensus for cooperative hemispheric security for the Americas.