Fourteenth Regular Session of CICTE

The Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) held its Fourteenth Regular Session, February 20-21, 2014 during which the 34 member states of the Organization focused their discussions on the need to strengthen hemispheric cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism in the Hemisphere, with special attention to three aspects: how to counter criminal activities that may exacerbate the threat of terrorism, such as trafficking in drugs, arms and people or money laundering; how to strengthen criminal justice responses to acts of terrorism; and how to enhance the efficiency of CICTE itself and its National Points of Contact.

In the inaugural ceremony the OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin highlighted the importance of security and combating terrorism for the countries of the Hemisphere. “The leaders of our member states have made it clear by word and deed that terrorism undermines the pillars that this hemispheric Organization defends and promotes,” he said.

Ambassador Ramdin noted that “terrorism seeks to immobilize our societies with fear with a macabre image of death, and restrict our capacity to apply the rule of law. Our response must therefore be vigorous, constantly adapting to the changing global reality. We have a permanent obligation to adopt measures to strengthen cooperation mechanisms among the countries of the Hemisphere.”

The Chair of CICTE during the 2013-2014 period and Permanent Representative of Colombia to the OAS, Ambassador Andrés González Díaz, highlighted that, while there remains much to be done in terms of organization and coordination in combating terrorism, the Committee “has earned a well-deserved international recognition as a model of effective and efficient multilateral cooperation.” Given the omnipresent nature of the danger, said Ambassador González Díaz, “international cooperation and the exchange of information are increasingly necessary.”

In addition, the outgoing Chair emphasized that his country considers that CICTE “has done an excellent job of defining policies to combat terrorism.” As member states, added the Colombian Ambassador, “we have an important political and legal environment from which to address this threat. It is time then to go one step further. It's time to define specific areas of cooperation and make specific programs around these areas.”

During the meeting, the Member States adopted the CICTE Work Plan for 2014 which includes programs of activities in the areas of Border Controls; Legislative Assistance and Combating Terrorism Financing; Protection of Critical Infrastructure; Strengthening Strategies on Emerging Terrorist Threats; and International Coordination and Cooperation.

The Committee also elected Canada as its Chair and Paraguay as Vice Chair for the next twelve months. Guest speakers at the meeting included the Executive Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee, Jean-Paul Laborde; the Head of Research for Mexico, Central America and Caribbean at Insight Crime, Steven Dudley; and the Director of Treaty Affairs for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, John Sandage.

Resolution

Languages: Spa | Eng | Por | Fra

List of Participants

Speeches

• Remarks by the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, His Excellency, Ambassador Alber R. Ramdin

  
  Languages: Spa | Eng | Por | Fra

• Remarks by the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, Mr. Neil Klopfenstein

  
  Languages: Spa | Eng | Por | Fra

• Remarks by the 2014-2015, Chair of CICTE, His Excellency, Ambassador Allan Culham

  Languages: Spa | Eng | Por | Fra

• Remarks by the 2013-2014, Chair of CICTE, His Excellency, Ambassador Andrés González Díaz

  Languages: Spa | Eng | Por | Fra

• Remarks by Mr. Jean-Paul Laborde

  Languages: Eng

• Remarks by Mr. Steven Dudley

  Languages: Eng

• Remarks by Mr. John Sandage

  Languages: Eng

Reports

• Report of the Chair of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism 2013-2014, his Excellency Ambassador Andrés González Díaz

  Languages: Spa | Eng | Por | Fra

• Report on Activities of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, presented by CICTE Secretariat

  Languages: Eng

• Rapporteur's Report on the Fourteenth Regular Session of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism

  Languages: Eng | Spa