Organization of American States
www.oas.org

 

(E-112/02)

May 30, 2002

OAS TOP POLITICAL BODY TO MEET IN BARBADOS; TERRORISM, VENEZUELA, HAITI AMONG ISSUES ON THE TABLE 

The hemisphere's foreign ministers will gather Sunday in Bridgetown, Barbados for the annual General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS). The June 2-4 session of the Organization's highest political body will focus on a number of critical current issues in the region, including the adoption of rigorous new measures to prevent, punish and eliminate terrorism. 

A number of foreign ministers are expected to sign the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism. The comprehensive treaty, arrived at through a consensus of all member states, seeks to prevent the financing of terrorism, strengthen border controls and increase cooperation among law enforcement authorities in different countries, among other measures.  The hemisphere's foreign ministers called for such a pact at their Meeting of Consultation in Washington last September, days after the terrorist attacks against the United States. 

Along with terrorism, the foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Haiti, where the OAS is seeking to help resolve the current political crisis, and examine how to promote the values contained in the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The OAS applied the months-old Democratic Charter for the first time during the April political crisis in Venezuela. 

Two separate fact-finding missions were sent to that country after the attempted coup last month, one by OAS Secretary General César Gaviria and the other by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The General Assembly will receive a report from the Permanent Council about the situation in Venezuelan.  

The three-day meeting gets underway Sunday evening with remarks by OAS Secretary General Gaviria and Barbados Prime Minister Owen S. Arthur. The sessions will be transmitted live through the OAS web page (www.oas.org) where photographs will also be available.

 

 

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