1973 At its third regular session, held in Washington, D.C., the General Assembly created a Special Committee for the purpose of restructuring the inter-American system so that it might respond adequately to changing hemisphere and world conditions. 1974 Fifteenth Meeting of Consultation (under the Rio Treaty), Quito, Ecuador, was requested by the Governments of Colombia, Costa Rica, and Venezuela, which submitted a draft resolution to revoke all sanctions against Cuba. This resolution failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority. 1975 Sixteenth Meeting of Consultation (under the Rio Treaty) San José, Costa Rica, freed the State Parties to the Rio Treaty to normalize their relations with Cuba. Grenada became a member state of the OAS. 1976 Agreement signed by Honduras and El Salvador at OAS headquarters, under which they sought to end the hostilities between them dating back to 1969, by accepting the good offices of a mediator. 1977 Suriname became a member of the OAS. 1978 Seventeenth and Eighteenth Meetings of Consultation (under the Charter and the Rio Treaty, respectively) Washington, D.C., considered Nicaragua's civil strife and the serious situation between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Entry into force of the American Convention on Human Rights establishing the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 1979 Entry into force of the Panama Canal Treaty and the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality of the Canal and Operation of the Panama Canal. The Commonwealth of Dominica and Saint Lucia became members of the OAS. 1980 Deposit of the peace treaty between El Salvador and Honduras, at OAS headquarters. 1981 Nineteenth Meeting of Consultation (under the Charter), Washington, D.C., considered the conflict between Ecuador and Peru. At the meeting both countries announced the cease-fire at the zone of the conflict. The meeting acknowledge the commitment made by both countries to re-establish and consolidate the peace. Inter-American Convention on Extradition was approved. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda became members of the OAS. 1982 The Twentieth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (under the Rio Treaty) was convoked to consider the grave situation that had arisen in the South Atlantic due to a confrontation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Argentine Republic regarding the Malvinas Islands. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas became member of the OAS. 1983 The Special Specialized Conference on External Financing was held. The Conference unanimously approved the "Bases for Understanding." to make it possible to reverse the trend toward crisis of economic and social development. 1984 The Fourteenth Regular Meeting of the General Assembly made the "Declaration of Brasilia," through which the member states reiterated their willingness to join efforts in the continuing task of bringing about conditions of wellbeing and integral development that will ensure for their peoples a life of freedom and dignity. Saint Christopher and Nevis became member of the OAS. 1985 The Fourteenth Special Meeting of the General Assembly approved the Protocol of Amendments to the Charter of the OAS (Protocol of Cartagena) subject to ratification by the member states. 1986 The Inter-American Specialized Conference on Narcotics Trafficking adopted the "Program of Action against the Illicit Use and Production of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and the Traffic Therein." The Sixteenth Regular Meeting of the General Assembly approved the "Program of Action" on narcotics, and established the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission. 1987 The OAS Secretary General was named one of the thirteen members of the International Commission on Verification and Follow-up established by the "Esquípulas II" peace agreement between the five Central American Presidents. 1988 the The OAS Secretary General was named one of the two members of the Verification Commission established by the "Sapoa Agreement" between Nicaraguan Government and the Nicaraguan Resistance. The Eighteenth Regular Meeting of the General Assembly approved the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ("Protocol of San Salvador"). Entry into force, with three additional ratifications, of the 1985 Protocol of Amendment (the "Protocol of Cartagena de Indias") to the OAS Charter. IV. INTER-AMERICAN MEETINGS DEALING WITH THREATS TO THE PEACE IN THE AMERICAS, A. Brief Summary of OAS Peacekeeping Procedures1 Overview The Inter-American System has been based on a web of inter-related primarily the Inter-American treaties Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (the Rio Treaty) of 1947, the Charter of the Organization of American States of 1948 as amended by the Protocol of 1967, and the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (the Pact of Bogota) of 1948. Through these treaties, the States Parties have agreed (1) to refrain from interference in the affairs of others, (2) to resolve disputes in a peaceful manner, and (3) to take collective measures, in the event of aggression, to assist the party under attack. Procedures for Dealing with Three Types of Threats In general, the Inter-American System treats threats to the peace in three categories indicated below. It provides for the calling of a Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to serve as an Organ of Consultation to agree by a two-thirds vote on collective measures for dealing with the various threats. 1. Armed Attack Against an American State (Rio Treaty, Article 3) In the event of "an armed attack by any State against an American State" each of the signatories of the Rio Treaty agrees "to assist in meeting the attack in the exercise of the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense..." In this case, the Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OAS shall call the Permanent Council to act Provisionally as the Organ of Consultation (until the foreign ministers can assemble) to consider individual action previously taken and to agree "upon the measures of a collective character that should be taken." Until the decision of the Organ of Consultation, "each of the Contracting Parties may determine the immediate measures which it may individually take...." Complete information concerning selfdefense measures must be sent to the UN Security Council immediately. (Articles 3 and 5 of Rio Treaty, Article 63 of OAS Charter) 1 Prepared by K. Larry Storrs, Specialist in Latin American Affairs, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. This summarizes the procedures before the entry into force, on November 16, 1988, of the 1985 Protocol of Amendment to the OAS Charter (the "Protocol of Cartagena de Indias") which broadens the peace-keeping and dispute settlement powers of the OAS and its Permanent Council, and also expands the political role assigned to the OAS Secretary General. 2. Threat to the Peace Not an Armed Attack (Rio Treaty, Article 6) "If the inviolability or the integrity of the territory or the sovereignty or political independence of any American State should be affected by an aggression which is not an armed attack, or by an extracontinental conflict, or by any other fact or situation that might endanger the peace of America" the Organ of Consultation shall meet if the request of any party has been approved by an absolute majority of the Permanent Council. The Organ of Consultation shall agree on the measures to be taken to assist the victim of aggression and on the measures to be taken for the common defense of the Continent. (Rio Treaty, Article 6) 3. Problems of an Urgent Nature and of Common Interest (OAS Charter, Article 59) Any Member of the Organization of American States may request the Permanent Council to call a Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to act as the Organ of Consultation "to consider problems of an urgent nature and of common interest to the American States...." The Permanent Council decides by an absolute majority whether a meeting should be held. (OAS Charter, Articles 59, 60) 78-578 0 89 - 9 B. Summary of Major OAS Meetings Dealing with Threats to the Peace1 ACTION TAKEN OR RESULTS То consider means To discuss First Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Establishment of a security zone in the waters adjacent to the American continent so as to keep them free of any hostile acts by any non-American belligerent nation; establishment of the Inter-American Neutrality Committee, which in 1942 became the Inter-American Juridical Committee; establishment of the InterAmerican Financial and Economic Advisory Committee, which was succeeded in 1948 by the Inter-American Economic and Social Council; and the adoption of other measures for economic cooperation. Second Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Creation of an emergency committee to assume provisionally the administration of any European colony or possession in the Americas in the event of an attack or threat against it; and the adoption, among others, of Resolution XV, "Reciprocal Assistance and Cooperation for the Defense of the Nations of the Americas." 1 Includes disputes where action was taken by a Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, or by the OAS Council acting provisionally as the Organ of Consultation. Does not include disputes of lesser importance, particularly the numerous disputes handled by the Inter-American Peace Committee in the 1948-1970 period, and disputes handled by the Permanent Council in the 1970-1988 period. |