Public
security is one of the major concerns of the
Americas. That being so, and following up on a
September 2007
proposal by the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel
Insulza, in April 2008 the OAS
Permanent Council convened the
First Inter-American Meeting of Ministers
Responsible for Public Security (MISPA), which
will be held on October 7-8, 2008, in Mexico City,
Mexico. The Department of Public Security (DPS)
initiated a preparatory process with the
participation of the institutions of the
inter-American system, international and subregional
development agencies, academics, and civil society
organizations.
The
purpose of this meeting is to share successful
experiences and exchange information as a basis for
examining recommendations regarding public security
management, the management of police forces, crime
and violence prevention, citizen participation in
public security, and international cooperation on
security issues. A
Working Group, was established in the framework
of the Committee on Hemispheric Security to prepare
a draft agenda, a draft Political Declaration, and a
Plan of Action. This Working Group meets to discuss
initiatives in the area of security. It comprises
the delegates of the OAS member states and guests
representing organizations in the inter-American
system, such as the Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO);
the World Bank; United Nations agencies such as the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-HABITAT); and sub regional entities such as the
Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), the Central
American Integration System (SICA), the Andean
Community, and the Inter-American Coalition for the
Prevention of Violence (IACPV). Parallel to the
sessions of this Working Group,
preparatory meetings have also been held and
their conclusions have served as inputs for the
special Working Group. One such meeting was held in
Santiago, Chile and another in Jamaica with
academics and experts on security matters, while a
third meeting took place in Guatemala with
representatives of civil society.
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