AG/RES. 2006 (XXXIV-O/04): Special Security Concerns Of The Small Island States Of The Caribbean

(Adopted at the fourth plenary session held on June 8, 2004)

HAVING SEEN the Annual Report of the Permanent Council to the General Assembly (AG/doc.4265/04) in particular the section on the matters entrusted to the Committee on Hemispheric Security;

REITERATING that the security of small island states has peculiar characteristics which render these states specially vulnerable and susceptible to risks and threats of a multidimensional and transnational nature, involving political, economic, social, health, environmental, and geographic factors; and that multilateral cooperation is the most effective approach for responding to and managing the threats and concerns of small island states;

AWARE that the small island states remain deeply concerned about the possible threats posed to their economies and maritime environment should a ship transporting potentially hazardous material, including petroleum and radioactive material and toxic waste, have an accident or be the target of a terrorist attack while transiting the Caribbean Sea and other sea-lanes of communication in the Hemisphere;

MINDFUL of the potential negative impact of acts of terrorism on the stability and security of all states in the Hemisphere, particularly the small and vulnerable island states;

RECALLING its resolutions AG/RES. 1970 (XXXIII-O/03), AG/RES. 1886 (XXXII-O/02), "Special Security Concerns of Small Island States of the Caribbean, AG/RES. 1497 (XXVII-O/97), AG/RES. 1567 (XXVIII-O/98), AG/RES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99), and AG/RES. 1802 (XXXI-O/01), "Special Security Concerns of Small Island States" and AG/RES. 1410 (XXVI-O/96), "Promotion of Security in the Small Island States";

RECALLING ALSO that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Heads of Delegation recognized, as stated in the Declaration of Bridgetown, that security threats, concerns, and other challenges in the hemispheric context are diverse in nature and multidimensional in scope, and that the traditional concept and approach must be expanded to encompass new and nontraditional threats, which include political, economic, social, health, and environmental aspects;

RECOGNIZING that the Second High-Level Meeting on the Special Security Concerns of Small Island States, held in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in January 2003, reaffirmed that the political, economic, social, health, and environmental integrity and stability of small island states is integral to the security of the Hemisphere;

RECALLING FURTHER its endorsement, through resolution AG/RES. 1970 (XXXIII-O/03), of the recommendations of the said Second High-Level Meeting, as set out in the Declaration of Kingstown on the Special Security Concerns of Small Island States of the Caribbean; and

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION that at the Special Conference on Security, held in Mexico City, Mexico, on October 27 and 28, 2003, member states addressed the multidimensional scope of security and the new threats, concerns and other challenges in paragraphs 2 and 4 of the Declaration on Security in the Americas, and in paragraph 8 of that Declaration called for "renewed and ongoing attention to, and the development of appropriate instruments and strategies within the inter-American system to address, the special security concerns of small island states, as reflected in the Declaration of Kingstown on the Security of Small Island States", and noting also paragraphs 43 and 44 of the said Declaration on Security,

RESOLVES:

1. To continue to strengthen and enhance the agenda of the Organization of American States and the inter-American security system by addressing hemispheric security issues in the context of the multidimensional nature of security.

2. To urge member states to continue to collaborate with the small island states of the Caribbean with a view to developing effective ways of addressing the security issues of these small island states.

3. To instruct the Permanent Council to remain seized of the issues which impact the security of small island states, and, to this end, through its Committee on Hemispheric Security, to hold an annual meeting dedicated to the consideration of these issues, including the evaluation of progress made and the development of strategies for advancing the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.

4. To request that, in support of the small island states efforts to address their special security concerns, the Permanent Council, through the Committee on Hemispheric Security, coordinate with the appropriate organs, agencies, and entities of the Inter-American system, and maintain the necessary liaison with other institutions and mechanisms related to the various aspects of security and defense in the Hemisphere and to include in those consultations appropriate organs, agencies, and entities of CARICOM.

5. To request the relevant organs, agencies and entities of the inter-American system, including, in particular, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), the Inter-American Commission on Ports (CIP), the Consultative Committee of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), and the Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR), to support, within their areas of competence and programming, the continued efforts of the small island states to address their security concerns, particularly with respect to:

i. Completing the development of a virtual private network, through the identification of a virtual private network such as OASIS or other similar existing networks, to facilitate regional sharing of criminal intelligence and other relevant databases in the fight against terrorism.

ii. Providing technical assistance to the small island states for the development of an implementation plan for the "Security Management Model on Special Threats, Concerns and Challenges of Small Island States", adopted at the Second High Level Meeting on the Special Security Concerns of Small Island States.

iii. Improving their awareness and preparedness to combat and respond to acts of terrorism.

iv. Assisting border control authorities in the small island states in accessing critical information, enhancing their border control systems, transportation security, including airports and seaport security, and strengthening their border control capacities.

v. Developing training programs to enable existing security entities in the small island states to meet the new security threats, concerns and challenges.

vi. Strengthening the capacity of the small island states to fight against illicit trafficking in drugs and firearms.

vii. Developing proposals for strategic planning and cooperation and ways to deal with common threats.

6. To instruct the Permanent Council and the General Secretariat, as the case may be, to carry out the activities mentioned in this resolution within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.

7. To request the Permanent Council and the Secretary General to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth regular session on the implementation of this resolution.