OEA - CP - Resolución CP CSH SA 404

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OEA/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CSH/SA.404/26 16 March 2026

COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY Original: Spanish Summary of the meeting held on February 12, 20261 / Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Place: Simón Bolívar Room The Third Vice Chair of the Committee, Ms. Patricia D'Costa, Alternate Representative of Canada to the OAS, chaired the first part of the meeting. Subsequently, the Second Vice Chair of the Committee, Commander Kele-Ann Bourne Jessen, Alternate Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the OAS, chaired the meeting.

A quorum was established with the presence of representatives of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. The audio recording of the meeting can be found at the following link: http://scm.oas.org/audios/2026/CSH-2375_02-12-2026.mp3

1. Adoption of the order of business The Committee adopted the order of business, document CP/CSH-2375/26 rev. 1.

2. Progress and challenges in the implementation of programs and projects in relation to the Americas as an antipersonnel-landmine-free zone The current context The invited expert, Mr. Juan Carlos Ruan, Director of the Implementation Support Unit of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, referred to the current context of humanitarian demining.

Mr. Ruan's statement can be accessed here (available in English only). Progress and challenges Mr. Steven Griner, Director of the Department of Public Security (DPS), then spoke about progress and challenges in this area. The presentation of the DPS can be accessed at the following links: Spanish and English.

1 . The statements submitted by the delegations are linked in this document in their original language.- 2Mr. Steven Griner, Director of the Department of Public Security (DPS), then spoke about progress and challenges in this area. The presentation of the DPS can be accessed at the following links: Spanish and English.

1 . The statements submitted by the delegations are linked in this document in their original language.- 2The report of the technical area on the subject and the concept note of the meeting were published as documents CP/CSH-2372/26 and CP/CSH-2371/26, respectively. Subsequently, Major General Reinaldo Salgado Beato, Director General of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), followed by Colonel Fabio De Souza E. Silva, referred to the work carried out by the IADB on the subject. The PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here (available only in Spanish). Dialogue on the topic The delegations of Brazil, Chile, Colombia ( delegation, expert), Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Peru (delegation, expert 2 / ) referred to various aspects of the topic. The Committee took note of the presentations and of the delegations’ comments. Conclusions At the end of the dialogue, Ms. Pier Angelli De Luca, Chief of the Conventional Arms, Ammunition and Explosives Section of the DPS, presented the following general comments and conclusions to guide the formulation of mandates: General Comments  In their remarks, delegations emphasized their commitment to the Ottawa Convention and the importance of humanitarian demining as a tool for peacebuilding and development.  They highlighted comprehensive mine action as an area that demonstrates how civilian and military sectors can work hand in hand.  They also underscored the importance of the Convention in making a difference in people’s lives and protecting communities, particularly in the context of current challenges. Conclusions to guide mandate formulation

Importance of reaffirming the regional commitment  The Americas region should continue to consolidate itself as an anti-personnel mine-free zone, recognizing the progress made by member states and the need to ensure the sustainability of these achievements, as well as the role of demining and its importance in peacebuilding and development processes.  Special attention should be paid to the processes underway: the transition in Colombia, completion in Ecuador by 2027, and sustained progress in Peru by 2029.  To ensure these outcomes, it is essential to maintain international financial and technical support, considering the operational and budgetary challenges faced by these countries. Particularly in Colombia, given the current challenges, it is essential to secure resources for operators supporting the humanitarian demining process, including the IADB and the AICMA-OAS program, which will continue to provide logistical and operational support for the deployment of monitoring

2 . After the meeting the delegation submitted the statement of its expert and requested its inclusion in the summary of the meeting.- 3activities in support of the Government of Colombia, following national ownership of quality management coordination. Importance of promoting a comprehensive approach to mine action  Compliance with the Ottawa Convention requires a broader approach than clearing land. It includes risk education, victim assistance, and residual risk management, as well as regulatory and institutional strengthening. The sustainable management of these processes must be a priority if the effectiveness of actions is to be maintained.  This comprehensive approach particularly benefits communities affected by mines and other explosive devices, ensuring their full inclusion in society.  It was also recalled that member states not affected by extensive contamination must comply with other obligations contained in the Convention, especially in the areas of reporting, residual risk management, institutional strengthening, and regional cooperation. Need to evaluate the agenda on the subject to consider emerging risks  The omnibus resolution should reflect the evolution of the phenomenon by broadening its focus to

include other explosive devices, abandoned ordnance, and unexploded ordnance, particularly in light of new challenges faced by countries in the region, such as the increasing use of improvised explosive devices, the use of explosives in drones, and other advanced systems. However, there is a gap in the region’s capacity to monitor and determine the extent of these new risks.  In this context, it is particularly important to promote the sustainability of national mine action capacities, facilitating the transfer of knowledge, the systematization of good practices, and the regional exchange of experiences that can be applied to those new challenges. The role of the IADB, its importance for humanitarian demining work, and mutual confidence building among countries  Importance of the contribution by member states of military officers to the Group of International Monitors (GMI) and the Inter-American Technical Advisory Group (GATI) in Colombia. AICMA-OAS and the SMS  With respect to the support provided by the AICMA-OAS program, it is important that the necessary resources be secured to maintain the operational capacity to deploy operations and technical assistance to support the Government of Colombia while the State continues to move toward full ownership, as well as to consider additional resources for the program so that it can restore assistance in areas that are not being addressed due to a lack of resources, such as risk education, victim assistance, and operations in Peru and Ecuador.  Additional areas emerged from the dialogue, in which the SMS, through the DPS, can continue to support member states: o Adoption of geospatial tools, the promotion of information-sharing mechanisms and lessons learned, and secure interoperable platforms for the identification of emerging risks. o Facilitating and catalytic role of technical cooperation, particularly in cross-border contexts. o Exploration, together with the states, of mechanisms to monitor emerging contamination and adapt the capabilities of AICMA to these new challenges.- 4o Provision of technical and operational assistance to address risks associated with improvised explosive devices, lethal autonomous weapons with explosive charges, means of delivery, and related components. o Continued strengthening of normative, institutional, and operational capacities to respond to findings subsequent to the declaration of mine-free territories. International cooperation  In this regard, it is important that member states, observers, and partners continue to provide technical and financial support so that countries can complete their humanitarian demining processes and continue to develop capacities to address new threats and emerging contamination risks.

3. Progress and challenges in the implementation of programs and projects in relation to emergency systems The current context The invited expert, Dr. Manuel de Jesús Villarreal Romero, President of NENA México and Director General of C5i of Guanajuato, Mexico, referred to the current context in relation to the subject.

Progress and challenges Ms. Karen Bozicovich, Chief of the Information and Knowledge Section of the DPS, then spoke about the progress and challenges in this area. The presentation of the DPS can be accessed (in Spanish and English) here. The report of the technical area on the subject and the concept note of the meeting were published as documents CP/CSH-2374/26 and CP/CSH-2373/26, respectively. Dialogue on the topic The delegations of Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago referred to various aspects of the topic. The Committee took note of the presentations and of the delegations’ comments. Conclusions At the end of the dialogue, Ms. Karen Bozicovich, Chief of the Information and Knowledge Section of the DPS, presented the conclusions of the meeting. Subsequently, the DPS submitted the following general comments and a list of possible mandates arising from the meeting: General Comments  The countries of the region face a scenario characterized by multiple risks and threats, both natural and anthropogenic.  In this context, it is particularly important to have a single emergency number and integrated services capable of providing a rapid, coordinated, and efficient response.- 5 -  The integration of services rests on four fundamental components:

1. Clear legal foundations that define the system’s operating structure, as well as the roles and

 In this context, it is particularly important to have a single emergency number and integrated services capable of providing a rapid, coordinated, and efficient response.- 5 -  The integration of services rests on four fundamental components:

1. Clear legal foundations that define the system’s operating structure, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the institutions involved.

2. Modernization and interoperable technological tools that allow, among other aspects: o Reducing time and errors in the receipt and registration of calls and the dispatch of units. o Improving call location accuracy. o Providing real-time information on the situational context of the incident. o Optimizing arrival routes in the face of conditions such as vehicular traffic.

3. Unified protocols and the standardization of critical processes that guarantee consistent, highquality service, regardless of the type of emergency or the institution involved.

4. Training and preparation of personnel, with clear and standardized guidelines on content, duration, and theoretical and practical hours, regardless of the institution to which they belong.  It was emphasized that the integration of services and the ability to provide coordinated responses are especially crucial in the face of high-impact emergencies and cross-border events. In these cases, ensuring the continuity of operations, as well as the adequate management of alerts and communication with the population, is essential.  Among the pending challenges in the region, the need to reduce misuse of the emergency number was highlighted.  The strategic use of the data generated by the systems was also identified as an area of opportunity to improve operational planning, optimize resource allocation, and conduct predictive analysis to strengthen incident preparedness.  Lastly, the importance of protecting the mental health and well-being of call handlers and emergency responders was underscored as a key condition for the sustainability and quality of the service.

Possible mandates for the resolution “Advancing Hemispheric Security: A Multidimensional Approach” Strengthening emergency systems

 To encourage member states to consolidate or improve integrated emergency response systems and single numbers, with the objective of improving the speed, coordination, and effectiveness of agency responses to incidents and disasters.  To promote the development and updating of legal and institutional frameworks that clearly outline the responsibilities, functions, and coordination mechanisms among the agencies that participate in emergency systems.  To promote the technological modernization of emergency systems, including interoperable tools to improve call reception, incident location, information management, and the timely dispatch of response services.  To promote the adoption of standardized operational protocols for emergency management, ensuring coordinated and consistent responses among the different agencies involved.  To promote training and continuing education programs for personnel of emergency response centers and response agencies, contributing to their professionalization and strengthening the quality of service.- 6Regional cooperation and information management  To facilitate, through the Subsidiary Technical Group on Emergency and Security Systems, the exchange of experiences and lessons learned among member states on the operation of emergency systems, with special attention to integration and operational coordination schemes, continuous improvement and quality management models, technological innovation, and the development of standardized protocols and processes for different types of emergencies.  To promote the strategic use of data generated by emergency systems to improve operational planning, resource allocation, and trend analysis, strengthening incident prevention and preparedness. Operational continuity and resilience  To promote the integration of emergency systems into existing regional coordination mechanisms, including those promoted by the Inter-American Defense Board and the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, in order to ensure that response operations to address large-scale emergencies and disasters are coordinated in a coherent manner and leverage capabilities already developed at the national level.  To promote interconnection between the emergency systems of member states to ensure timely and effective responses to cross-border incidents that require interjurisdictional cooperation, streamlining the exchange of information and operational coordination.

 To strengthen the continuity of operations of member states’ emergency systems in the face of natural disasters, health crises, and cyberattacks, ensuring that essential services remain operational and effective in these situations.  To promote the implementation of comprehensive strategies to reduce the misuse of emergency numbers, including awareness campaigns, technological tools, and sanction systems, thus guaranteeing the efficiency and effectiveness of the service.  To encourage member states to incorporate measures aimed at protecting the mental health and well-being of personnel who operate emergency systems, recognizing their importance for the quality and sustainability of the service.

4. Other business The Chair informed that the next meeting of the Committee, scheduled for Thursday, February 19, at 10:00 a.m., would focus on progress and challenges in the implementation of programs and projects carried out by the Executive Secretariat of CICAD to collect and generate drug-related data and knowledge within the framework of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM).

The delegation of Brazil referred to the preparations for the next regular session of CICAD and informed that the schedule would be published soon.