OEA - CICTE - Resolución CICTE doc 6 rev 1

INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE AGAINST TERRORISM (CICTE)

TWENTY-SIXTH REGULAR PERIOD OF SESSIONS OEA/Ser.L/X.2.26

April 8-9, 2026 CICTE/doc.6/26 rev. 1 Panama City, Panama 9 April 2026

Original: Spanish

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE AGAINST TERRORISM

(CICTE)

(Approved during the fourth plenary session held on April 9, 2026)Index

Page

I. Introduction........................................................................................................................1

II. Legal and political framework ...........................................................................................1

III. Main programs ...................................................................................................................3

IV. Major donors....................................................................................................................12

V. Communications, consultations and inter-agency cooperation........................................13

VI. Annexes: Annex 1: Consolidated list of high-level international meetings.....................................15

Annex 2: Consolidated list of donors and key institutional partners ...............................18 Annex 3: List of projects under implementation 2025………………………………… 21ANNUAL REPORT 2025

OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE AGAINST TERRORISM (CICTE)

I. Introduction The Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) is an entity of the Organization of American States (OAS) and, in accordance with Article 53 of the OAS Charter, was established by the General Assembly in 1999 with the purpose of promoting and developing cooperation among Member States to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism. This Annual Report is submitted in accordance with Article 91.f of the Charter of the Organization of American States, Article 17.h of the Statute of the CICTE and Article 11.e of its Rules of Procedure.

II. Legal and political framework

Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism The Inter-American Convention against Terrorism was adopted in Bridgetown, Barbados on 3 June 2002 and entered into force on 10 July 2003. The Convention is a legally binding instrument aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The General Secretariat of the OAS is the custodian of the Convention. To date, 24 OAS member states have ratified the Convention. 1 The first Consultation Meeting of States Parties to the Convention was held on 12 September 2022, as provided for in Article 18 of the Convention. Meetings of CICTE and its subsidiary bodies The Twenty-Fifth Regular Session of CICTE was held on May 7 and 8, 2025, at OAS headquarters under the leadership of Ecuador in the Committee’s Presidency and Panama in the Vice Presidency. The central themes were: (a) existing, growing, or potential links that may, in some cases, arise between the financing of terrorism and transnational organized crime; and (b) regional counterterrorism legislation. During the regular session, Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the work of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism and acknowledged CICTE’s contributions in support of Member States’ efforts to counter terrorism in the region. In addition, OAS Member States approved the Annual Work Plan of the CICTE Secretariat and elected Panama and Peru to serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee, respectively, for the period 2025-2026.

1 “Inter-American Convention against Terrorism.” Department of International Law – Secretariat of Legal Affairs of the General Secretariat of OAS. List of signatures and ratifications available at: https://www.oas.org/juridico/english/sigs/a-66.html2 All documents from the regular session are available on the CICTE Secretariat’s website. The

next regular session will be held from April 8 to 9, 2026, in Panama City. The Sixth Meeting of the Working Group on Cooperation and Confidence-Building Measures in Cyberspace, a subsidiary group of CICTE, was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on November 17-18, 2025 under the leadership of the Dominican Republic as Chair of the Working Group and Canada as Vice Chair. The main topics of the meeting were: the exchange of up-to-date information on national cybersecurity policies; the management of cyber threats through confidence-building measures; the analysis of Inter-American regulatory and technical frameworks; and the consideration of proposals for classifying the severity of cyber incidents. It also included a space for reflection on the regional implications of the United Nations Global Mechanism on developments in the field of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in the context of international security and on the responsible behavior of States in their use. During the Working Group meeting, OAS Member States elected Canada and Brazil to serve as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the Working Group for the period 2025-2026. All documents from the meeting are available on the Committee Secretariat’s website. Meetings of OAS political bodies The Executive Secretariat actively participated in the sessions of the OAS political bodies, and in particular of the Permanent Council and the Commission on Hemispheric Security, when topics of competence of CICTE were discussed. The CICTE Secretariat also actively collaborated with the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) during 2025, particularly on cybersecurity, which enabled more integrated, effective, and inclusive cyber defense at the hemispheric level. Inter-American Day Against Terrorism The OAS General Assembly, through the Declaration “The Threat of Terrorist Groups to International Security and the Full Enjoyment of Human Rights” [AG/DEC. 101 (XLIX-O/19)], established June 3 as the Inter-American Day against Terrorism. That date coincides with the day on which the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism was signed. Coordination with the United Nations system The CICTE Secretariat facilitated coordination of efforts with the United Nations Counterestablished June 3 as the Inter-American Day against Terrorism. That date coincides with the day on which the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism was signed. Coordination with the United Nations system The CICTE Secretariat facilitated coordination of efforts with the United Nations CounterTerrorism Committee and the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540. Particularly noteworthy were the participation of Ms. Natalia Gherman, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Executive Directorate of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee, during the twenty-fifth regular session of CICTE, as well as the active participation of the Chair of the 1540 Committee and its experts in activities organized by the CICTE Secretariat.3 As part of the coordination of efforts between the United Nations system and the InterAmerican system on the prevention and countering of terrorism, the CICTE Secretariat worked closely throughout the year with specialized agencies of the United Nations system and, in particular, with the Executive Directorate of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee (UNCTED), the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).

III. Main programs In accordance with the Work Plan approved by OAS Member States for the period 2025-2026, the CICTE Secretariat made progress in implementing projects in virtual, hybrid, and in-person formats. The Secretariat coordinated efforts with other international agencies specialized in the field in order to foster synergies and avoid duplication.

The Committee's programs and projects addressed the following priority areas: cybersecurity; disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly through the

implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004); border security (air, maritime, and land); supply chain security; security of crowded spaces; prevention of violent extremism; and technical assistance to counter the financing of terrorism. In addition, the Secretariat continued to promote the development of tools for information exchange, the operation of specialized networks, and the sharing of practices and experiences in the Committee’s areas of competence, including the Inter-American Counter-Terrorism Network. Projects implemented by the CICTE Secretariat included capacity-building, support for the formulation of policies and strategies, and the generation of knowledge and exchange of good practices. The implementation of the projects includes a comprehensive and cross-cutting approach, ensuring alignment with the four pillars of the OAS: democracy, human rights, security, and integral development. This approach promotes close coordination among the different areas of the OAS, strengthening synergies, avoiding duplication, and maximizing the impact of projects on the ground. The full list of projects under implementation during 2025 is available in Annex 3 of this report. This report includes a synthesis of the main results achieved in each of the priority areas of work during 2025. Cybersecurity In the area of cybersecurity, the CICTE Secretariat continued to support OAS Member States in strengthening their capacities to prevent, respond to, and recover from cyber threats through technical cooperation. Such cooperation included specialized support for the development of cybersecurity policies, regulatory frameworks, and strategies; the strengthening of the technical capacities of cyber incident response teams (CSIRTs); and initiatives to promote public awareness and knowledge on cybersecurity issues.4 During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat implemented the following cybersecurity technical cooperation projects: - Support to the OAS and its Member States to prevent, combat, and mitigate cybersecurity threats in the Americas (2019-2025). Donor: Canada

• Support to the OAS and its Member States to address the gender gap in the cybersecurity agenda (2022-2026). Donor: Canada - Increase access to knowledge and information on cyber threats and prevent risks at the regional and international levels (2020-2025). Donor: United States - Enhance the capacity of Western Hemisphere partner nations to apply best practices in their national cybersecurity approaches (2024-2029). Donor: United States - Report: Navigating the Future: Embracing Emerging Technologies and Enabling Cyber Resilience

(2024-2025). Donor: Inter-American Development Bank. During the course of the year, the Cybersecurity Section conducted more than 100 training, awareness-raising and policy development activities involving officers from most Member States, with an aggregate reach of more than 28,000 people across the region. Development of cybersecurity policies During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat supported and accompanied the formulation processes for the National Cybersecurity Strategies of Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. A national cybersecurity strategy is essential to protect critical infrastructure, mitigate cyber threat risks, safeguard sensitive data, foster digital trust, boost the economy, and ensure national security in an increasingly connected environment. The region’s growing maturity in cybersecurity is reflected in the fact that in 2016 only six countries had such policies, whereas by 2025 there are already 21, and several countries are already on the second, third, or fourth version of their policies or specialized strategies in this field. Of these 21 countries, the CICTE Secretariat has supported 16 Member States in developing such cybersecurity policies. Support was also provided for the National Dialogue on International Law in Cyberspace, held in July in Santiago, Chile, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). This initiative brought together more than 60 government and defense experts.

On cybersecurity policy, the CICTE Secretariat, in partnership with UNIDIR, published the specialized study “A Novel Approach to the 11 UN Standards on Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace: Guidelines for Gender-responsive Implementation.” In addition, the CICTE Secretariat, together with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), published the “Cybersecurity Report 2025: Vulnerability and Maturity Challenges to Close Gaps in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Preparation of this report, available only in English, was supported by the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre (GCSCC) at the University of Oxford.5 The CICTE Secretariat also published the study “Advancing global digital governance: opportunities, challenges, and future directions in ICT behavior and multilateral frameworks,” carried out in collaboration with the ICT4Peace Foundation and with the support of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The study is available in English only. Development of cyber capabilities The CICTE Secretariat organized a series of National Dialogues on the Application of International Law in Cyberspace, an initiative aimed at strengthening national understanding, legal coherence, and multi-stakeholder engagement regarding the application of international law in cyberspace. A total of 146 diplomatic officers from Member States were trained. The national dialogues took place in the following countries: 1) Chile (July 28-30, 2025): Organized with UNIDIR, the dialogue included a preparatory webinar, a public conference at the University of Chile, and a high-level workshop focused on the application of principles such as sovereignty, attribution, and due diligence in the national context. 2) Mexico (November 11-13, 2025): Conducted virtually in collaboration with ICT4Peace. The dialogue addressed fundamental legal principles such as sovereignty, nonintervention, due diligence, State responsibility, human rights, and international humanitarian law in cyberspace, incorporating Mexico’s priorities and perspectives on the matter. During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat carried out the following editions of the SheSecures and OAS Cyber Challenge initiatives. - 13 editions of the SheSecures initiative (Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Chile, Colombia,

matter. During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat carried out the following editions of the SheSecures and OAS Cyber Challenge initiatives. - 13 editions of the SheSecures initiative (Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay), with the participation of 1,972 women. - 7 editions of the OAS Cyber Challenge initiative (Honduras, Grenada, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay). A total of 439 young people aged 17-25 participated in this virtual cybersecurity competition. The SheSecures initiative is an online cybersecurity exercise composed of different technical challenges based on real scenarios. Through this initiative, the CICTE Secretariat seeks to help close the gender gap in cybersecurity. The OAS Cyber Challenge initiative is aimed at young people across the hemisphere and seeks to strengthen cybersecurity skills through virtual competition. The Youth Academy for Cybersecurity Empowerment was also launched, in partnership with the Government of Jamaica and with the support of the Government of Canada and the SANS Institute, in September 2025. This program is designed to equip 30 young Jamaicans with technical cybersecurity skills, industry certifications, and hands-on experience. The second #GirlsinCyber Mentorship Fair took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, on October 24, 2025. This event, organized in partnership with the Agency for Electronic Government and the Information and Knowledge Society (AGESIC), directly reached 34 young women at a key stage in6 their academic and professional development, strengthening their interest and participation in the field of cybersecurity. The CSIRTAmericas Network The Cyber Incident Response Teams Network, known as the CSIRTs Network of the Americas, supports OAS Member States in their efforts to strengthen cybersecurity resilience. The

Network has 532 specialists and 52 CSIRTs from 22 countries in the region. Among its activities, the Network organizes an annual meeting for its members to exchange information and experiences on cyber threats. The 2025 edition was held during STIC Days in Panama in May and included the participation of 26 heads of partner CSIRTs. Two editions of CSIRT Week were also held, an activity that enhances collaboration, capacitybuilding, and knowledge-sharing among CSIRTs associated with CSIRTAmericas. During the week, training on incident management, threat intelligence, and best practices is offered, along with practical simulations to strengthen cybersecurity responses. The 2025 editions of CSIRT Week were held in Mexico and Uruguay in March. The Network offered six virtual sessions during 2025 to promote the exchange of experiences and knowledge among CSIRTs in the region. Topics covered in these virtual sessions included, among others, feed management, the creation of sectoral communities for information exchange, and secure online shopping. More than 100 incident response professionals participated. Finally, 36 CSIRT members associated with CSIRTAmericas were certified as auditors in SIM3 (Security Incident Management Maturity Model), a model that evaluates the maturity level of a CSIRT by taking into account governance parameters, incident documentation, and operations. SIM3 certification is crucial for assessing and improving incident response capacity. It also helps organizations identify gaps, optimize processes, and ensure efficient incident handling. The third edition of the basic cybersecurity track of Academia CSIRTAmericas, a continuous training program developed by the CICTE Secretariat with the support of Spain’s CCN-CERT, is being held virtually from October 2025 to March 2026. It is intended for the 52 CSIRTs that are members of the CSIRTAmericas Network. Regional and international events

The Tenth Edition of the Cybersecurity Summer Bootcamp was held in León, Spain, in July 2025 with the National Institute of Cybersecurity of Spain (INCIBE). It recorded a record participation of 507 professionals from 27 countries. During 2025, the Cybersecurity Symposium and the Regional Initiative for Education and Cybersecurity (RICET) were also held in October in Montevideo, in collaboration with Uruguay’s Agency for Electronic Government and the Information and Knowledge Society (AGESIC). More than 300 specialists from the region participated in the meeting.7 Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat implemented two technical cooperation projects in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: - Project: Strengthening biosafety and biosecurity in Latin America in line with UN Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) - phase II. Donor: European Union. - Project: Strengthening of strategic trade controls in Latin America – Costa Rica and Panama.

Donor: United States.

Through these projects, the CICTE Secretariat provided technical assistance to a total of 12 countries in the region: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Biosafety and biosecurity in laboratories of the region Regarding efforts related to the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the CICTE Secretariat provided technical and legislative assistance to Panama, Paraguay, and Peru for the analysis and updating of their legal frameworks on the BWC. In addition, Panama received technical assistance for the submission of its BWC CBMs. The CICTE Secretariat conducted workshops on biosafety and biosecurity in laboratories in Peru (March), Colombia (May), Panama (August), Argentina (September), Paraguay (October), and

the Dominican Republic (November), in collaboration with relevant national institutions. Approximately 30 staff members participated in each workshop. Strategic Trade Regarding efforts related to strategic trade management, the CICTE Secretariat carried out technical and legislative assistance missions in Costa Rica and Panama within the framework of the project “Strengthening Strategic Trade Controls in Latin America,” financed by the United States, with the following notable results: - Technical assistance sessions for drafting rules and regulations aimed at strengthening strategic trade legislation. - A workshop on licensing exports of dual-use goods was conducted in Brazil (July), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil, for specialized personnel from Costa Rica and Panama. - Specialized workshops were conducted in Costa Rica (August) and Panama (September), in collaboration with relevant national institutions, to support their efforts to develop and update, respectively, national action plans for the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1540 (2004).8 - A subregional conference on strategic trade, border security, and maritime security was organized in Costa Rica (September), with the participation of 44 specialists from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. - A “Subregional Workshop on Links between Trade and Finance: Combating the Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction through the Control of Strategic Trade in Latin America” was organized in collaboration with Panama’s Ministry of Economy and Finance in September 2025. The workshop brought together 32 officials from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Chemical Safety Regarding efforts made for chemical safety, the CICTE Secretariat worked closely with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to strengthen the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention in the region. Implementation of Resolution 1540 (2004)

Regarding efforts to strengthen the implementation of Resolution 1540 (2004) in the region, the CICTE Secretariat provided technical support to Costa Rica and Panama in their efforts to draft and update, respectively, national action plans for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004). In this regard, the CICTE Secretariat organized a series of virtual and in-person workshops as part of the process of developing the national plans for the implementation of this resolution. In Costa Rica, the virtual workshop was held in July and the in-person workshop in August, while in Panama, the virtual workshop was held in August, and the in-person workshop took place in September. The drafting process is expected to continue during 2026. Regional and international cooperation on disarmament The CICTE Secretariat strengthened cooperation in this area with other organizations such as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) and the European Union Export Control Program (EUP2P). It also continued to cooperate with specialized agencies of the United Nations system such as the Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit (ISU), the Group of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre

(UNCCT).

In addition, it continued to strengthen technical cooperation ties with the International Federation of Biosecurity Associations (IFBA) and with academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins University.9 In the framework of the Biological Weapons Convention, the CICTE Secretariat participated in the Sixth Session of the Working Group of the Biological Weapons Convention on 14 and 15 August at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. In addition, the CICTE Secretariat participated in forums such as the G7 “Global Partnership

against the Spread of Materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction” under the Canadian Presidency and the open consultations for international organizations on the implementation of Resolution 1540 (2004), organized by UNODA. It also collaborated at the technical level with entities such as LexisNexis in specialized events. Finally, the CICTE Secretariat, in its role as regional coordinator supporting the implementation of Resolution 1540, served on the Board of Directors of the electronic journal “1540 Compass,” under the coordination of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). Coordinated border management Cargo and container security During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat implemented the following technical cooperation project on cargo and container security: - Project - Securing maritime and land trade, and commercial cargo in Latin America and the Caribbean (2020-2026). Donor: Canada The CICTE Secretariat continued to provide technical cooperation in support of national and regional efforts to strengthen cargo security mechanisms and the means used to transport goods. Such cooperation included the development of technical inspections and training activities on a wide range of topics, including basic principles of cargo, container, and commercial vessel security and inspection, identification and risk analysis, as well as the use of non-intrusive technologies in the inspection of commercial cargo and containers. As a result of these efforts, during 2025 approximately 140 technical officers from 14 Member States (Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago) were trained. The CICTE Secretariat carried out three technical inspections in coordination with the relevant national institutions. These inspections were conducted in Colombia from January 29 to 30, in Honduras from February 26 to 27, and virtually with Haiti from July 23 to 24. These technical

inspections supported national authorities’ efforts to review procedures, identify gaps, and pinpoint areas for improving control and inspection practices. Particularly noteworthy were the initial official government meetings held with Haiti to identify priority needs and define the next steps for cooperation on maritime and cargo security in that Member State. In the area of training, the “Health and Safety” workshop for Barbados was held virtually on March 12. The workshop provided technical support to strengthen the capacities of 15 staff members in biosafety practices, risk management, and occupational health procedures applied to cargo10 inspections. This activity strengthened key competencies to ensure safe working environments and to improve the effectiveness of control operations at border crossing points. In addition, national introductory courses on intermodal container inspection were held in Trinidad and Tobago in March, Honduras in April, and Colombia in May, as well as a binational introductory course on intermodal container inspection in the Bahamas from November 24 to 28 for officials from the Bahamas and Haiti. These activities provided theoretical and practical training to 48 officers, with the aim of improving inspection techniques, risk analysis, and the detection of irregularities in containers, thereby strengthening officers’ operational capacities to identify illicit activities within the supply chain. Similarly, two national introductory inspection courses on commercial vessels were conducted in Trinidad and Tobago (March) and Colombia (May), as well as a binational course in the Bahamas (December) for officials from both the Bahamas and Haiti. These courses provided technical support to strengthen the technical capacities of 37 officers in vessel inspection, the identification of concealment methods, and the implementation of robust maritime inspection procedures. At the regional level, approximately 43 specialists from the region participated in four courses —one national and three regionals—for trainers on the inspection of intermodal containers and commercial vessels, conducted in Trinidad and Tobago (May), Mexico (August), Security of crowded spaces, including tourist destinations and major events During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat implemented the following technical cooperation project on security of crowded spaces: - Improve regional preparedness and resilience practices for the protection of crowded spaces and vulnerable targets (2024-2027). Donor: Canada The CICTE Secretariat continued its efforts to support the strengthening of existing capacities,

During 2025, the CICTE Secretariat implemented the following technical cooperation project on security of crowded spaces: - Improve regional preparedness and resilience practices for the protection of crowded spaces and vulnerable targets (2024-2027). Donor: Canada The CICTE Secretariat continued its efforts to support the strengthening of existing capacities, inter-agency coordination, and hemispheric cooperation for the protection of vulnerable targets and crowded spaces, including tourist destinations and major events, from potential terrorist threats. More than 100 public sector participants from 15 OAS Member States took part in various activities organized in cooperation with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) during 2025. On tourism security, from March 18 to 20, 2025, with the support of the Tourism Police (POLITUR), a National Workshop on