Security of small island states
Reports
PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATESCOMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY |
OEA/Ser.G
CP/CSH-174/99 rev. 1
7 May 1999
Original: Spanish |
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES
CONDUCTED BY THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT IN RESPONSE TO THE SPECIAL
SECURITY CONCERNS OF SMALL ISLAND STATES
[Document prepared by the General
Secretariat pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99), operative
paragraph 13]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. THE LINK BETWEEN TRADE, ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, AND SECURITY 1
A. Trade 1 B. Tourism 4 C. Ports 5
II. PROTECTION FROM ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS AND ECOLOGICAL DISASTERS 6
III. THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN AND
PROTECT DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, WHICH ENSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY 8
A. Strengthening of Democratic
Institutions 9 1. Support to Legislative Institutions and Processes 9
2. Promotion of Democratic Values and Practices 10 3. Program of
Cooperation in Decentralization, Local Government and Citizen
Participation 10
B. Electoral Technical Assistance 11 1.
Modernization and Strengthening of Civil and Electoral Registries. 11
C. Democratic Forum 12
D. Special Missions 12
E. Collaboration with Other
Organizations 13
IV. COOPERATION FOR THE ERADICATION OF
DRUG TRAFFICKING AND DRUG ABUSE 13
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY
THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT IN RESPONSE TO THE SPECIAL SECURITY CONCERNS
OF SMALL ISLAND STATES
[Document prepared by the General
Secretariat pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99), operative
paragraph 13]
This report describes the
activities conducted by the General Secretariat pursuant to resolution
AGRES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99), operative paragraph 13, which instructed the
General Secretariat to “continue to implement appropriate action to
address the special security concerns of small island states,
including those identified at the High-Level Meeting on the Special
Security Concerns of Small Island States, held in San Salvador in
February 1998, and at the special meeting of the Committee on
Hemispheric Security held in October 1996.” Through operative
paragraph 15 of the same resolution, the General Assembly also
instructed the General Secretariat to “report to the Permanent
Council, through its Committee on Hemispheric Security and prior to
the thirtieth regular session, on its compliance with the provisions
of the resolution.”
In 1999, the OAS member
states, under the auspices of the Inter-American Council for Integral
Development (CIDI), financed several activities that respond to the
special security concerns of small island states, as they were
expressed in February 1998 at the High Level Meeting in San Salvador.
These projects are
multilateral in nature; that is, they are executed by two or more
countries. Also, cooperation activities are grouped in different
categories such as trade, economic development, regional security,
environmental protection, ecological sustainability, and the
strengthening of democratic institutions through regional cooperation
and education. (See Annex 1).
The other activities
conducted are organized according to topic, as follows: economic
aspects, the environment and natural hazards, the promotion of
democracy, and cooperation in the eradication of drug trafficking and
illicit drug use.
I. THE LINK BETWEEN TRADE,
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND SECURITY
A. Trade
One of the Trade Unit’s
main mandates is to assist the smaller economies in their economic
development and in enhancing their trade capacity and resources.
Pursuant to this mandate, the OAS´ Trade Unit provides technical
assistance to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Negotiating
and Consultative Groups of the process and supporting the smaller
economies in their participation in these negotiations. As such, the
OAS Trade Unit has worked with the FTAA Consultative Group on Smaller
Economies (CGSE), as well as the former Working Group on Smaller
Economies (WGSE) during the preparatory phase of the FTAA process.
This work is reflected in last year report on the Special Security
Concerns of Small Island States (Document CP/CSH-174/99 rev. 1). In
1999, the Trade Unit prepared a study on the relationship between
Trade and Financial Liberalization for the CGSE as well as a number of
documents aimed to facilitate the smaller economies’ efforts to follow
the progress of the FTAA negotiating Groups.
Also as part of its
efforts in support of the FTAA CGSE, the Trade Unit is continuing to
compile information on the technical assistance needs of the smaller
economies and has put this information in database form. This database
is now available to the public – including donor organizations –
through the FTAA homepage. The Trade Unit also compiled a database of
trade-related technical assistance programs available to the smaller
economies in each of the areas that will be negotiated in the FTAA.
This database is also now available to the public and will be
continually updated. Additionally, as part of a joint effort with
USAID, the OAS Trade Unit has constructed a database of trade-related
training programs. All three of these databases can be found on the
FTAA homepage under the “technical assistance” button at the following
address: http://www.ftaa-alca.org/tecass/tapindex.asp
In addition to the CGSE,
the OAS Trade Unit provides support to the smaller economies in their
work for the FTAA negotiating groups on: Investment; Services;
Intellectual Property; Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing
Duties; Competition Policy; and Dispute Settlement. It is also
supporting the Market Access Negotiating Group in the area of
Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade and the Joint
Government-Private Sector Committee of Experts on Electronic Commerce.
In the Negotiating Group on Market Access, the Trade Unit prepared a
document on the needs and supply of technical assistance in the area
of Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade, and in the Negotiating
Group on Competition Policy, the Trade Unit, along with the United
Nations Economic Commission on Latin America (ECLAC), prepared a paper
entitled “Competition Policy in Small Economies: Issues and Options.”
Over the course of 1999,
the Trade Unit carried out a number of regional seminars on FTAA-related
issues that emphasize the participation of the smaller economies. In
the context of the Trade Unit’s technical cooperation projects
organized with the financial assistance of the OAS Inter-American
Council for Integral Development (CIDI), three regional seminars were
organized to address specific issues of relevance to the Free Trade
Area of the Americas negotiations. All of these activities are
oriented towards the smaller countries of the Americas.
In July 1999, the Trade
Unit, in conjunction with IDB/INTAL and Costa Rica’s Ministry of
Foreign Trade, organized the “Global Services Trade and the Americas”
conference with the participation of trade officials, leading private
sector executives from prominent services industries, representatives
of national services coalitions, and academics, including participants
from the Caribbean island states. This activity was of particular
importance to the island states of the Caribbean as their economies
are highly service dependant. This conference examined the critical
issues of the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
negotiations, analyzed the approach towards services liberalization in
the various sub-regional trading agreements and explored the services
discussions in the FTAA process. A book with the contributions of this
conference will be published this year.
On 13-15 September 1999,
the OAS Trade Unit along with the Ministry of Foreign Relations and
the Ministry of Trade of Paraguay held a seminar on Technical
Regulations in the Americas in Asuncion, Paraguay. The seminar was
open to all Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas, and funding
was granted for the participation of the smaller countries, among
which was the Dominican Republic. The objective of the seminar was
facilitate the participation of the smaller countries of the Americas
in the FTAA discussions on standards and technical barriers to trade
and to help them to comply with their obligations under the WTO
Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. It also aimed to contribute
to a better understanding of the key issues by government officials,
private sector and civil society participants.
On October 25-26 in
Bridgetown, Barbados, the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery and
the OAS Trade Unit hosted a seminar on investment for the
English-speaking Caribbean. The aim of the seminar was to familiarize
government officials from Caribbean countries with existing investment
arrangements and their main concepts. It was also designed to
contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between
investment and issues such as competition policy and services in the
WTO discussions and in the FTAA negotiations. Speakers were drawn from
academia, international institutions, the private sector and think
tanks.
The third regional seminar
was entitled “Intellectual Property in the New Millennium”, and held
in Caracas, Venezuela, December 6-7. Organized by the OAS, with
funding from CIDI, and co-sponsored by the Servicio Autonomo de la
Propriedad Intelectual (SAPI) and the postgraduate program of the
Universidad de los Andes. The seminar included over 150 participants
from governments, the private sector, and academia, including
participants from Dominican Republic. The program was designed to
address the most current issues in the intellectual property debate
that promise to be part of what will be negotiated in the context of
the FTAA.
In addition, Trade Unit
staff participate frequently as invited guests in a number of events
organized in the small island states of the Caribbean by providing
briefings on the FTAA process. On March 29-30, 1999, the OAS Trade
Unit participated in a workshop held in Nassau, the Bahamas, entitled
“Global and Regional Trade Negotiations and their Impact on Smaller
Economies”. Co-sponsored by SELA and the WTO, topics on the agenda
included the WTO and the upcoming millennium round of negotiations,
the FTAA , and regional trade negotiations in the context of
globalization.
The Trade Unit also
continues to offer a training course entitled “Multilateral and
Regional Trade Issues for the Americas: Advanced Training Course for
Government Officials.” Held for the first time in the summer of 1998,
the training program is a joint effort of the OAS, the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and Georgetown University, and will be held again
in summer 2000. The course offers sessions, taught by high-level trade
analysts and practitioners drawn from the WTO, OAS Trade Unit
Georgetown University faculty, World Bank, Inter-American Development
Bank, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,
sub-regional institutions, as well as universities, law firms and
think tanks.
Course sessions cover the
main issues that are under negotiations in the FTAA (market access
–tariffs, non-tariff measures, rules of origin, customs procedures,
safeguards and standards/technical barriers to trade–, agriculture,
services, investment, government procurement, competition policy,
dispute settlement, intellectual property rights,
subsidies/antidumping and countervailing measures) as well as regional
trends in economic integration and the status of multilateral and
regional trade talks. The course aims to enhance the participation of
small country negotiators in the FTAA and other trade negotiations. In
the summer of 1999, 13 officials from the English-speaking Caribbean
countries participated in the course, and received a textbook prepared
by the Trade Unit for the course, along with other materials. A CD-Rom
with the full contents of the Foreign Trade Information System (SICE)
web site was distributed to all course participants. The tentative
course dates for the 2000 sessions are June 19-30 for the Spanish
language session and July 10-21 for the English language session. A
textbook, incorporating papers presented by a number of experts on the
various subjects, is being prepared for distribution to the
participants.
B. Tourism
In view of the remarkable
natural and cultural attractions of the Caribbean, tourism plays a
fundamental role in guaranteeing the security of the economic systems
of the region.
Analyses of the economic
impact of tourism indicate that it is a major industry for the small
Caribbean states and provides large and significant direct and
indirect benefits to their economies. Direct benefits include
employment, foreign exchange earnings, fiscal revenue enhancement, and
generation of production and employment in other sectors of the
economy. The indirect benefits vary widely but generally include
increases in agriculture, fisheries and handicrafts production, new
construction, and impulse to commercial and services industries, such
as duty free shopping, banking and entertainment.
The assistance offered by
the OAS to the Caribbean tourism sector has focused on various aspects
of sustainable tourism development, such as: tourism product
development, formulation of projects of infrastructure and
attractions, marketing and promotion, management of small local
tourism establishments, and tourism public awareness. Our assistance
in the various fields has involved training and institutional
development.
Current regional efforts
by the Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism are concentrated in two
multilateral projects for tourism development, and the financial and
technical support provided through the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
The first multilateral project is entitled "Caribbean Tourism
Competitiveness and Sustainability (CTCS)" and has three critical
components: (1) assistance for small hotels, (2) technology transfers
and, (3) tourism awareness.
The Small Hotels
Assistance component is aimed at improving the quality of the tourist
services provided by the hotel sector, with particular emphasis on
smaller hotels. With the support of the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, our efforts targeted : (1)
the development of Caribbean hotel brands and market driven standards;
(2) the presentation of an application for funding support to CIDA
Canada for the creation of a "Technical Secretariat" within the
Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) to underpin this activity; and (3)
the continuation of negotiations with the Washington based
Inter-Agency Group (IMF, IDB, IFC, World Bank) on the creation of a
Caribbean Tourism Investment Fund.
The Technology component
focused on a program aimed at introducing information technology to
the small hotel owners/managers. The following activities were carried
out: (1) The launch in June 1999 of a Caribbean website:
www.caribbeaninnkeeper.com; (2) The creation of Technology Walk-In
Centers with the installation of computer work stations; and (3) The
deployment of volunteers from the US Peace Corps, the Canadian
University Services Overseas (CUSO), the Canadian Voluntary Services
Overseas (VSO), and the Retired Dutch Executive Organization to work
with the small hotel owners/managers on technology use and Internet
web-site development. The Tourism Awareness component has focused on
seeking funding for the creation of a Tourism Awareness Foundation
that would fulfill a mandate to: (1) establish a resource center for
tourism awareness programs, media and support material; (2) manage a
tourism awareness web-site now under development for the region; (3)
develop and implement “train the trainer” programs to support national
tourism awareness efforts; and (4) develop, fund, and implement
programs to support national tourism awareness programs.
The second multilateral
project is aimed at the establishment of a “Caribbean Heritage
Foundation” dedicated to the support and advancement of awareness,
preservation and tourism potential of the rich built and cultural
heritage of the Caribbean. Based on a request from St. Lucia, through
the Office of the Governor-General, the OAS funded the development of
a strategy and business plan for the creation of the Foundation.
Another conduit for OAS
assistance and support to Caribbean tourism has been through the
Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). During the past year, the CTO
has (1) provided continued support for the Regional Tourism Marketing
Program in the North American travel markets; (2) participated in the
preparation, publication, and distribution of a Guide to Tourism
Careers, Education and Training in the Caribbean; (3) developed a
program to sensitize the general public in the area of Health and
Tourism; (4) prepared a study on the Intra Regional Tourism Market.
This market has been identified by most national tourism organizations
in the Caribbean as having the potential to improve hotel occupancy
rates and boost tourism receipts in the off season when international
visitation is low; and (5) prepared a study of Tourism Education and
Training Needs in the Caribbean.
C. Ports
The Secretariat of the OAS
Inter-American Committee on Ports held the following activities for
small island States:
1. A Course on Port
Security, which was held November 16-20, 1998 in Barbados. Thirty-five
port officials from the following OAS member countries participated
(the majority of which are small island States): Antigua and Barbuda,
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The aim of
the course was to assist participants with the improvement of port and
cargo security. The course covered the following topics: the maritime
industry and security, staff or contracted security forces, control of
access to ports, methods of preventing cargo theft, measures for
preventing drug smuggling, port security rules, and training of port
personnel. Port experts from Miami and New York/New Jersey and the
United States Customs Service assisted with this activity.
2. Distribution of the
following technical material and specialized leaflets on port
security: “Sea Port Security”, “Port Security: Security Force
Management”, and “Port Security: A National Planning Guide”. These
documents (written in English and translated into Spanish) were
distributed, in 1998 and 1999, to all port authorities of the
following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica,
Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.
3. Another intensive port
security course for the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean
was scheduled to take place in September 1999 in Saint Lucia. Due to
the prolonged nature of the hurricane season in that area, it had to
be postponed and rescheduled for the first half of the year 2000, at
the same venue.
II. PROTECTION FROM
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND ECOLOGICAL DISASTERS
During 1999, Floyd and
Lenny have again demonstrated the vulnerability of the Caribbean Small
Island Developing States to hurricanes and tropical storms. The
disruptive effects of these events threaten the social welfare and
sustainable development of many of the smaller OAS Member States. The
vulnerability to these known climatic hazards is being compounded by
the growing effects of global climate change, which may be causing
increases in frequency and intensity of climatic extremes. While
storms and related flooding and landslides are the most frequently
experienced hazards, earthquakes and volcanoes also pose significant
risk to the region.
The threat posed by
natural and environmental disasters to the Small Island States was an
important topic at the UN Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States (UN/SIDS), held in
Bridgetown Barbados, 1994. The resulting Program of Action calls for
regional and national initiatives to reduce vulnerability to natural
and environmental disasters by strengthening the institutional
capacity to monitor and assess risk and to formulate cost-effective
measures for risk reduction. Important social and economic aspects of
these initiatives were included in the Summit of the Americas on
Sustainable Development, held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia,
1996. More recently, may 1997, Caribbean Member States and the United
States of America joined in a Partnership for Prosperity and Security
in the Caribbean, which calls for, among other actions, for an
effective cooperation in disaster preparedness and response.
The High-Level Meeting on
the Special Security Concerns of Small Island States, held in San
Salvador in February 1998, concluded, inter alia, that a fundamental
aspect of the security of these States is their protection against
environmental phenomena and ecological hazards that can threaten their
integrity. This Meeting recommended the review and strengthening of
cooperation programs to prevent and respond to natural disasters.
These programs are, of course, subject to the authorization and
conducted at the behest of the countries involved. The conclusions and
recommendations of the meeting were compiled by the General Assembly
of the Organization of American States in resolution AG/RES. 1567
(XXVIII-O/98).
Last year, the OAS member
States established the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster
Reduction during the twenty-ninth regular session of the General
Assembly in Guatemala. This decision stems from the keen awareness of
all member States of the need to step up efforts to design global
strategies that permit a reduction in natural disasters and reduce
their impact on the lives of the peoples of the Hemisphere and on the
economic and social infrastructure of their countries. The Committee,
which has met twice, decided to form three working groups: 1)
mechanisms for the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance,
chaired by PAHO; 2) assessment of financial mechanisms for natural
disaster reduction, chaired by the Inter-American Development Bank;
and 3) evaluation of the vulnerability of social and economic
infrastructure, chaired by the OAS. In addition, pursuant to the
mandate contained in operative paragraph 8 of AG/RES. 1682
(XXIX-O/99), the Secretary General ordered the establishment of the
OAS internal committee to address natural disaster situations.
In response to the
concerns of member states, and in accordance with the Program of
Action of the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States (UN/SIDS), held in
Bridgetown, Barbados in 1994, the GS/OAS, acting through the Unit for
Sustainable Development and Environment, has financed, planned, and
developed a series of technical assistance programs aimed at reducing
natural hazards, preventing natural disasters, minimizing the damage
caused by them, and promoting adaptation to global climate change.
Under these programs, the
technical support of the GS/OAS consists of providing assistance with
policy formulation, evaluating risk and vulnerability, providing
training in techniques to mitigate the effects of disasters, and
preparing investment projects. In general, the activities are carried
out as part of the technical cooperation programs under way at the
national or regional levels, with the assistance of national and
regional institutions. In response to a mandate from the Summit on
Sustainable Development, inter-American dialogue has been initiated
with a view to the reduction of the effects of disasters, in order to
encourage an exchange of ideas on this topic at all levels.
In order to finance these
programs, funding has been obtained from the European community, UNDP,
and USAID. The Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project, financed by
USAID and executed by the GS/OAS, amounted to US$5 million and took
place over a five-year period. This project had several objectives.
The first was to promote sustainable development by reducing the
vulnerability of infrastructure to natural risks. The second was to
prepare maps of zones at-risk, in order to build awareness of the
problem, and improve decision-making related to development projects.
The third was to improve risk management by the insurance industry, in
order to improve coverage of the region in the event of disaster. The
fourth and final objective was to involve the private sector in
community activities related to natural risk prevention and response.
In order to achieve these objectives, the GS/OAS promoted community
activities related to risk prevention and response, prepared risk
maps, worked towards the standardization of construction protocols and
practices that reduce the risk of buildings to natural hazards,
promoted incentives for loss reduction and risk mitigation in the
insurance industry, provided technical training, and disseminated
information on all these subjects. In 1999, at the end of the project,
regional institutions such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Response Agency (CDERA) , the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and
the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) assumed
responsibility for several of the programs.
In response to the damage
caused by Hurricane Georges in Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and
Nevis, la GS/OAS is carrying out a damage mitigation project in these
States. The project, financed by USAID, will cost US$1,150,00, and
will last eighteen months. The aim of the project is to reduce
long-term risk by integrating preventive measures into development
planning, adopting codes and practices for proper construction,
improving the refugee system, and expanding information and education
on this subject.
Global climate change
poses special risks for those States that form part of the Caribbean.
In fact, global warming will likely increase the temperature of the
oceans, a factor that will lead to extensive damage in coastal areas.
In order to examine the level of risk, determine the zones that will
be seriously affected, assess their vulnerability, suggest strategies
for adapting to these changes, and encourage planning in this area,
the project “Caribbean: Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate
Change” (CPACC) was formulated. CARICOM and the GS/OAS worked together
to secure funding for it. It was agreed that the International
Monetary Fund would provide the $6.7 million needed for the Project,
that the World Bank would coordinate it, that the GS/OAS would execute
it, and that the Unit for Project Implementation would be established
within the Center for Environment and Development of the University of
the West Indies in Barbados.
Considerable progress has
been made with the project. The Government of Barbados has made the
West Indies Commission building available to it to house the
Implementation Unit. From a technical standpoint, the installation of
18 advanced technological stations for gathering information on
meteorological conditions and ocean temperatures has been completed in
the 12 countries participating in the project. This information is
available on the Project’s webpage. The collection of information to
prepare an inventory of the coastal resources of each participating
country is beginning. A program to evaluate the impact of climate
change on the coral reefs of Jamaica, Belize, and Bahamas has been
established. Barbados, Grenada, and Guyana have completed the first
study on the effects of climate change in their coastal zones. Plans
are being made to begin pilot programs to study coastal resources in
Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, and St. Lucia. Antigua, Barbuda, and
St. Kitts and Nevis will begin pilot programs to determine the most
appropriate economic mechanisms for managing coastal zones. Assistance
with these projects was provided by the Permanent Council of the
Organization, which urged its members to participate actively in the
projects. Lastly, the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable
Development approved a resolution, based on the Project, for the
establishment of the Caribbean Center on Climate Change.
III. THE ABILITY TO
MAINTAIN AND PROTECT DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, WHICH ENSURE DOMESTIC
TRANQUILITY
For small island states,
security is related, inter-alia, to their capacity to deal adequately
with numerous governance challenges posed by a rapidly changing
international environment and complex internal socio-economic issues.
In the period under review, the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD)
continued to respond to requests for assistance to the small island
states of the OAS, in accordance with the Unit’s 1999 work plan
contained in CP/CAJP-1436/98 rev. 2. corr. 1, and mandates of the OAS
General Assembly.
In this context, in May
1999 the Unit completed an analysis of the governance challenges of
the OAS Commonwealth Caribbean small island states, a study begun in
1998 with the contracting of a consultant to examine these issues,
possible UPD support in critical areas of governance, and to identify
possible sources of additional funding for this purpose. The
consultant submitted recommendations and an updated working document
of March 1999 entitled “Program of Support for Democracy and
Governance in the Caribbean”. This document had first been presented
for the review of the Permanent Representatives of OAS Commonwealth
Caribbean member states in April 1998, and subsequently to the Second
Coordination Meeting between the General Secretariat of CARICOM and
the General Secretariat of the OAS on April 23-24, 1998. Drafted and
subsequently refined on the basis of ongoing and wide-ranging
consultations with Caribbean member states, the CARICOM Secretariat
and international, regional and bilateral donor and financing
agencies, the program recommends sub-regional activities in: education
for democracy (civic education); improvement of the justice system;
legislative drafting; decentralization, local government and citizen
participation; training of young political leaders; strengthening
electoral processes; and, Caribbean studies on democracy and
governance.
This working document was
endorsed by the OAS General Assembly of June 1999 through AG/RES. 1675
(XXIX-O/99) “Cooperation between the General Secretariat of the
Organization of American States and the General Secretariat of the
Caribbean Community”. This resolution was transmitted by the Secretary
General of the OAS to the Secretary General of CARICOM, and in
accordance with the commitment expressed in that communication, UPD in
coordination with the Office of the Assistant Secretary General, has
been consulting with the CARICOM Secretariat on the content of the
proposed program, as well as the venue, timing and methodology for
organization of a donor’s meeting to seek funds for its
implementation.
In addition to its efforts
at proposing an integral program of support to the small island states
of the Organization, the UPD also continued to respond to specific
requests for support from those states. Following are the activities
undertaken by the Unit at their request between the period January
1999 and January 2000.
A. Strengthening of
Democratic Institutions
1. Support to Legislative
Institutions and Processes
Workshop in Legislative
Drafting
The need to improve
legislative processes by strengthening the capacity of central
legislative drafting units in the small states of the Caribbean is
evidenced in areas such as delays in promulgating important
legislation and the contracting of skilled personnel from
extra-regional sources. In 1997 and 1998 UPD responded to the request
of these states for entry to mid-level workshops in legislative
drafting for government personnel, workshops both executed with the
collaboration of the Faculty of Law at the Cave Hill Campus of the
University of the West Indies (UWI) in Barbados. Formal evaluations of
these workshops and consultations with the offices of the Attorney
General/Ministries of Legal Affairs which had participated in the
preceding activities confirmed the need for a follow-up activity. With
the support of a contribution by the Permanent Observer Mission of the
United Kingdom to the OAS, and following the requisite consultations
and arrangements in 1999, an intensive workshop in legislative
drafting is confirmed for February 7-11, 2000. The workshop is again
conducted with the support of the Faculty of Law of the Cave Hill
Campus of UWI in Barbados, and is aimed at senior technical
legislative drafting personnel from the twelve Commonwealth Caribbean
member states. The objective is to enhance the in-house capacity of
these legislative drafting units by upgrading the knowledge and
professional skill of the technical personnel with intensive training
in state-of-the-art techniques of legislative drafting.
2. Promotion of Democratic
Values and Practices
a. Civic
Education/Education for Democracy in the OECS and Trinidad and Tobago
The fostering of a
democratic political culture is an important underpinning of
governance in virtually any state. In small island states it is
especially important for political institutions and processes to be
supported and enhanced by a solid civic culture. The CARICOM
Secretariat collaborated with the UPD in the area of civic education
by acting as executing agency for the conducting of a study on Civic
Education/Education for Democracy in six member states of the
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS: Antigua and Barbuda,
Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines), and Trinidad and Tobago. The study was conducted
in accordance with mandates on the subject area issued by the
Conference of the Heads of Government of CARICOM at their summit of
July 1997, and supported with resources approved by the Inter-American
Council for Integral Development (CIDI) of the OAS. The basic purpose
of the study was to assess the adequacy of the content, methodology
and impact of civic education programs in the target countries in
terms of the objective of contributing to fostering a democratic
political culture. The report and the consultant’s recommendations are
to be presented to the countries involved for comment and decisions on
required action.
b. Seminar on Analyzing
and Managing Conflicts: Tools for Strengthening Democratic Systems
The UPD has been working
with national and regional institutions of government and civil
society to support the development of knowledge and skills, especially
among young people, in relation to democratic values and culture. In
this context, on June 23-30, 1999 the Dominican Republic hosted the
seminar “Analyzing and Managing Conflicts: Tools for Strengthening
Democratic Systems”. The seminar was organized jointly by the UPD and
the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), in collaboration with
Santo Domingo’s Madre y Maestra Catholic University and the United
States Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. An important
objective was to promote greater understanding of the dynamics of
social and political conflicts and the development of skills to
prevent, deal with and peacefully resolve them. The seminar brought
together some thirty representatives of the English-speaking Caribbean
and Haiti, Central America and Colombia, from the government sector
(foreign affairs, defense, justice, education) as well as civil
society.
3. Program of Cooperation
in Decentralization, Local Government and Citizen Participation
In the small island states
of the OAS as in the hemisphere as a whole, local governance and the
participation of civil society in public policy-making at the local
and community level are important planks in the democratic
consolidation process. In this regard, the report of the sub-regional
meeting for the Caribbean entitled "Local Government, Communitarianism
and the Citizen: Opportunities and Challenges" (Kingston, Jamaica,
June 7-8, 1998), held within the UPD Program of Cooperation in
Decentralization, Local Government and Citizen Participation, was
published in the first quarter of 1999. The research papers presented
in the publication as well as the record of the meeting’s policy
discussions constitute a significant contribution to the very small
stock of information available on Caribbean local governance, and
this, together with contacts made through its distribution among
international agencies, has led to two partnerships for activities on
local level participation in the small island states of the Caribbean.
These activities (seminar and training course) are to be executed in
the year 2000.
B. Electoral Technical
Assistance
1. Modernization and
Strengthening of Civil and Electoral Registries.
Reliable civil and
electoral registries and, in general, electoral systems with sound
technical support play an important role in supporting transparent and
credible elections, a vital part of the democratic process. During the
period covered by this report, the UPD provided support in the
following areas:
a. Modernization of the
Civil Registry: Belize, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
Since 1996, the UPD has
assisted the General Registry of Belize with the computerization of
the country’s civil registry system. In 1999, UPD technical experts
continued providing assistance to the General Registry in its
computerized database of demographic information including deaths,
births and marriages. The experts reviewed with the officials of the
General Registry methods to improve the accuracy of the information
being entered.
Requests were also
received from Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines for technical assistance to modernize the civil registry
information systems in their countries and some of the funding for
purchasing necessary hardware and software has been secured through
specific contributions. Thus a UPD consultant was stationed in Grenada
for four months to formulate a program in which the General Registry
Information can be stored. Additionally, the UPD provided the
necessary hardware and software for the General Registry.
b. Electoral Technical
Assistance: Belize, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
The UPD has assisted in
the computerization of the electoral registry of Belize used in two
different elections. UPD is now working with the Elections and
Boundary Commission to decentralize the input of voter registration
information to link the Electoral and General Registries and to
improve the capability of the system to generate needed reports.
During the period under
review, requests were also received from Grenada, Saint Lucia, and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for electoral technical assistance to
modernize the voter registration system in their respective countries,
along similar lines as the support provided to Belize. Some of the
funding required to support execution of these requests was secured
through specific contributions and a technical consultant has begun
work in Grenada. In addition to its work on the General Registry, the
OAS has provided technical assistance to improve the security of the
computerized voter registry and to make the electoral registry more
compatible with the General Registry.
c. Reform of the Electoral
System: Saint Lucia
The Unit responded to a
formal request of February 1999, presented by the Government of Saint
Lucia through its Permanent Mission, for assistance in re-drawing the
country’s electoral boundaries. Following a technical mission to
define the scope and nature of the assistance, and the securing of
some of the required financing, work has begun on this project with
the contracting of a consultant whose technical study will provide
baseline data to support re-drawing of the constituency boundaries.
C. Democratic Forum
On May 24, 1999, the UPD
held a session of the Democratic Forum, its periodic discussion series
to examine salient governance issues in the Hemisphere. The objective
of the May session was to examine the role of civil society in
consolidating democracy and in contributing to the formulation of
public policy in the hemisphere. Experiences from small island states
were highlighted in the presentation of the speaker from Trinidad and
Tobago (Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research of
the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in
Trinidad and Tobago), and these were contrasted and compared with
other experiences from the region, including Argentina, Colombia,
Guatemala, Mexico and Panama.
D. Special Missions
1. OAS/UN International
Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH) and Electoral Observation
The UPD has supported
efforts to defend and promote democracy in Haiti, principally through
the activities of the joint OAS/UN International Civilian Mission to
Haiti (MICIVIH). Established in 1993 and initially focussed on the
promotion and defense of human rights and support for the
consolidation of democracy, following the return of constitutional
order, MICIVIH’s mandate was expanded to include the provision of
technical assistance to democratic institutions, including the initial
development of a conflict resolution program within a broader plan of
action which also focussed on civic education and activities designed
to promote the respect for human rights. In the period under review,
the UPD continued to utilize its considerable experience in
peace-building and conflict resolution to provide technical expertise
to the MICIVIH program.
In 1999, the Secretary
General, responding favorably to a request for an electoral
observation mission to observe Haiti’s legislative, municipal and
local elections, charged the UPD with organizing this mission. The
OAS, through the UPD, will observe the elections, slated for March 19,
2000, during, the pre- and post-electoral phases as well as on
election day. The core group of the mission is scheduled to arrive in
Port-au-Prince in early February. It will be recalled that the OAS has
observed various electoral processes in Haiti since 1990.
2. Electoral Observation –
Grenada
In the period under
review, the OAS through the UPD also organized an electoral
observation mission to Grenada which had been requested by that
country’s Government. The mission was present in Grenada January
12-22, 1999 to observe the general elections held on January 18, 1999.
Ambassador Joseph Edmunds was appointed Chief of Mission, and OAS
Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Christopher R. Thomas was
present for these elections.
E. Collaboration with
Other Organizations
Association of Caribbean
Electoral Organizations (ACEO)
In keeping with its
mandate to foster and facilitate exchanges of information and
specialized knowledge among institutions and technical personnel of
the Hemisphere, the UPD has been collaborating in the work of the
Association of Caribbean Electoral Organizations (ACEO), an
Association whose founding session took place at a conference in
Puerto Rico convened for that purpose in March-April 1998. UPD and the
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) were designated
co-Secretariats to the Association, with UPD exercising that office in
the final quarter of 1998 and first quarter of 1999. During that
period collaborative technical support activities were initiated,
including a feasibility study on providing Internet access to the 20
ACEO member countries, and compilation of electoral norms (codes,
legislation, constitutions and codes of conduct) to be made available
to all members through the Political Database of the Americas, a joint
project between the UPD and the University of Georgetown. The
Association’s executive committee meeting held in Washington, D.C.
June 21-22, 1999 also agreed on a number of operational strategies,
regular publication of an information bulletin, a diagnosis of the
status of electoral rolls and a study to assess electoral observation
experiences in the sub-region. The first information bulletin was
published in January 2000.
IV. COOPERATION FOR THE
ERADICATION OF DRUG TRAFFICKING AND DRUG ABUSE
Resolution AG/RES. 1640
(XXIX-O/99) “Special Security Concerns of Small Island States,”
resolves, inter alia, “to urge member states to cooperate with the
small island States in the eradication of transnational criminal
activity that threatens the stability and security of the said small
island States; and to instruct the Permanent Council and its
appropriate committees and working groups, in collaboration with the
General Secretariat, to identify ways in which to combat such criminal
activity and to support the small island states in their efforts to
eradicate the said activity. In fulfillment of these mandates, in
1999, CICAD:
1. Conducted work aimed at
formulating and updating the National Anti-Drug Plans of all the
countries of the region, through the development of CICAD’s Program
for Institution Building, the objective of which is to provide
technical support to the national authorities in updating and
improving their national anti-drug strategies, as well as the entities
responsible for their implementation, in particular the National Drug
Control Commissions. In 1999, technical assistance missions were
conducted in the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St.
Lucia. In the year 2000, these missions will be conducted in Antigua
and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Haiti, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
2. Continued to provide
operational assistance to the Telecommunications Network for Drug
Control (through national councils) RETCOD, which fosters the exchange
of anti-drug information among member States. This effort includes
facilitating access to equipment and Internet services and the
training of network operators.
3. Continued
implementation of its training program for professionals and technical
experts involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts
in the region. In that context, an intermediate-level training course
was held in Tobago last August for community workers and churches of
the entire English-speaking Caribbean. In addition, a training
workshop was held in the Dominican Republic on “Women and Drug Abuse.”
In conducting these activities, consideration was given to increased
drug consumption in small island States.
4. Carried out a number of
training and education activities in the area of drug prevention and
control. In that framework, police officials from all the Caribbean
countries participated in the course held in conjunction with the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa in July 1999. Also, customs
officials from 15 countries and territories of the region received
training in the drafting of risk profiles and the location of illicit
products that are trafficked by concealment in the human body. The
training course was held, with the assistance of the Caribbean Customs
Cooperation Council (CCLEC), at the facilities of the
Inter-Ministerial Anti-Drug Training Center of France, CIFAD,
headquartered in Fort de France, Martinique.
5. Initiated, in October
1999, the project entitled “System for the Control of Chemical
Substances in the Caribbean,” the objective of which is to improve
coordination and communication among the institutions responsible for
the control of chemical substances in the region. This project, which
is being funded by the European Commission, will be carried out during
the year 2000 and involves 12 Caribbean countries and States. During
its implementation, the individual and collective needs of the
participating countries and territories will be identified, the
necessary technical support for the implementation of their national
control systems will be provided, equipment will be made available,
and specialized training will be provided for officials responsible
for the control of chemical substances.
Lastly, it should be
mentioned that CICAD decided to conduct activities in the areas of
prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, control of chemical substances,
port security, and anti-drug maritime cooperation in the countries of
the Caribbean during the year 2000.
Annex 1. COOPERATION
PROJECTS EXECUTED BY SEDI/IACD
Area Topic Project Title
Brief Description/Objective SEDI/IACD The link between trade and
equitable economic development Trade and Integration in the Americas:
Advance Training Program for Government Officials To increase
understanding of regional and multilateral trade issues among trade
officials in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to improve
negotiating capacity SEDI/IACD The link between environmental
protection, ecological sustainability and security for small island
states Climate Change and Adaptation Planning for the Coastal Zone of
Caribbean States To assist Caribbean member states to acquire
technical skills and improve their technical capacity to cope with
potential impacts of climate change SEDI/IACD The link between
environmental protection, ecological sustainability and security for
small island states Freshwater Resources Management in the Small
Island Developing States A)To review existing regional and national
assessments of Freshwater resources problems and management
strategies; B) To mobilize additional resources from Global
Environment Facility (GEF) SEDI/IACD The link between economic
development and domestic tranquility DMS/CTCS Technology Based
Learning To achieve support for economic diversification and
employment generation through increased sustainable tourism SEDI The
link between trade and equitable economic development Trade and
Integration in the Americas: Advance Training Program for Government
Officials To increase understanding of regional and multilateral trade
issues among trade officials in Latin America and the Caribbean in
order to improve negotiating capacity SEDI The strengthening of
sustainable democratic institutions through regional cooperation
Strengthening Strategic Capability of CARICOM Member States in
National Security Policy Issues To develop the requisite skill of
national security policy formulation as well as the application of
innovative lobbying techniques SEDI The link between technology and
economic development Cooperation in Development and Transfer of
Biotechnologies for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean To
enhance the productivity of Caribbean agro-based industries with the
ultimate goal of improving domestic economies to facilitate trade and
preserve and improve environment integrity SEDI The link between
technology and economic development Small and Medium Food Enterprises
in the Caribbean: Transfer and Development of Technologies for
Industrial Food Processing and Preservation To facilitate and promote
the preservation of agricultural raw material for the purpose of
integrated development
Note: SEDI projects were
executed in 1999. SEDI/IACD projects will be executed in the year
2000. All resources are from voluntary contributions to FEMCIDI
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