AG/RES. 1615 (XXIX-O/99)

MEETING OF MINISTERS OF JUSTICE OR OF MINISTERS OR ATTORNEYS GENERAL OF THE AMERICAS

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session, held on June 7, 1999)

 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the Report of the Permanent Council on the Second Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (CP/doc.3186/99);

BEARING IN MIND the agreements of the Heads of State and Government in the Plan of Action adopted at the Second Summit of the Americas, at which, in reference to the "Strengthening of Justice Systems and Judiciaries," they agreed to support "the convening of periodic meetings of Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General of the Hemisphere within the framework of the Organization of American States (OAS)"; and

CONSIDERING:

That resolution AG/RES. 1562 (XXVIII-O/98) convened the Second Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas;

That, in resolutions CP/RES. 737 (1176/98) and CP/RES. 739 (1179/98), the Permanent Council set the dates and approved the agenda for that meeting;

That the Council took note of the Final Report of the Second Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA-II/doc.21/99 rev. 1), held in Lima, Peru, from March 1 to 3, 1999; and

That the Permanent Council formed a special group chaired by the Permanent Representative of Peru, with the Permanent Representatives of Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago serving as Vice Chairs, to follow up on the conclusions and recommendations arising from that meeting,

RESOLVES:

1. To express its appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Peru for hosting the Second Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas and for the success of the Meeting.

2. To convene the Third Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas; to instruct the Permanent Council to prepare the preliminary documents, set the date, and determine the agenda for that meeting; to thank the Government of Costa Rica for its generous offer to host that meeting; and to accept that offer.

3. To thank the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for its generous offer to host the Fourth Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas and to accept that offer.

4. To support and recognize the progress being made by the Permanent Council’s Special Group to facilitate the meetings of government experts on the establishment of the Justice Studies Center for the Americas and on cyber crime, among other topics.

5. To instruct the Permanent Council to determine the date and place of, and to convene, a meeting of central authorities, on the recommendation of the Special Group, after consulting with the ministers of justice or ministers or attorneys general, and within resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources, in order to strengthen cooperation among those authorities in the context of the various conventions on legal and judicial cooperation.

6. To instruct the Permanent Council to take any measures it deems advisable for its continued consideration of this topic, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirtieth regular session.