OEA - CP - Resolución CP CSH SA 407

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OEA/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CSH/SA.407/26 16 March 2026

COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY Original: Spanish Summary of the meeting held on March 5, 2026 1 / Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Place: Simón Bolívar Room The First Vice Chair of the Committee on Hemispheric Security, Ambassador Carlos Cherniak, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the OAS, presided over the first part of the meeting.

Subsequently, the meeting of the Committee was presided over by its chair, Ambassador Ana Irene Delgado, Permanent Representative of Panama to the OAS. A quorum was established with the presence of representatives of Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, and Uruguay. The audio recording of the meeting can be found at the following link: http://scm.oas.org/audios/2026/CSH-2384_03-05-2026.mp3

1. Adoption of the order of business The Committee adopted the order of business, document CP/CSH-2384/26 rev. 1 .

2. Progress and challenges in implementing programs and projects related to cyber defense.

The current context The invited expert, Mr. Heriberto Acosta, Cyber Research Fellow at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, referred to the current context of the topic. Progress and challenges Colonel Cristiano Rolim Pereira, Chief of the IADB Cyber Defense Section, then spoke about

progress and challenges in this area. The PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here. The report of the technical area on the subject and the concept note of the meeting were published as documents CP/CSH-2383/26 and CP/CSH-2381/26, respectively.

1 . The statements submitted by the delegations are linked in this document in their original language.- 2Dialogue on the topic The Committee held a dialogue with member state and permanent observer delegations on possible support mechanisms to make progress on the topic. The Chair read out the guiding questions contained in the concept note before offering the floor to delegations. The delegations of Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, Mexico, Panama, Perú,2 / the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago referred to the matter under consideration.. The statements received are linked to the name of each country. The Chair thanked the delegates in the room and the distinguished experts invited by the delegations for their valuable comments on the subject. The Committee took note of the presentations and the comments of delegations. Conclusions At the end of the dialogue, Lt. Col. Javier Maciel Hernández, IADB Cyberdefense Advisor, presented the following conclusions:  “After listening to the presentations and the remarks of the delegations, it is clear that the Hemisphere is at an inflection point. Digitalization is now the very foundation of our economies, our critical infrastructure, and our defense institutions. To quote Bruce Schneier, one of the world’s foremost cybersecurity experts, “Security is a process, not a product.” This process, in our hemisphere, requires strategic decisions, coordination, and a shared vision.  From the foregoing, several elements emerge clearly. The region is moving forward, but it is doing so while contending with significant gaps; threats are evolving faster than our capabilities; and the need to strengthen cooperation, preparedness, and resilience is a point of

agreement among all member states.  The current picture shows significant progress, but also inequalities. Gaps in critical infrastructure protection, cyber crisis management, and the availability of specialized talent are not merely technical challenges; they are vulnerabilities that can generate knock-on effects. As Mr. Heriberto Acosta pointed out, when cyber risk is not managed comprehensively, vulnerabilities arise that may compromise critical functions of the state.  The operational evidence presented today by the members of the cyber defense action line of the Inter-American Defense Board confirms that cooperation produces concrete results. Crisis management exercises, specialized workshops, and training aimed at strengthening critical infrastructure protection have proven to be high-impact, low-cost tools.  Colonel Cristiano clearly illustrated that these exercises have enabled countries to validate their national strategies, improve interagency coordination, and strengthen decision-making in crises.  The remarks of the delegations this morning reinforce that view. Brazil highlighted the importance of the Ejercicio Guardián Cibernético (Cyber Guardian Exercise); Mr. Juan

2 . After the meeting the delegation submitted its statement and requested its inclusion in the summary of the meeting.- 3Esparza of Panama pointed out the importance of improving the country’s resilience through a cooperation framework and the development of legislation; Ecuador referred to cooperation through exercises with the Joint Cyber Defense Command; and the delegation of the United States mentioned a 2026 Cyber Defense strategy with strengthened capabilities. The delegation of the Dominican Republic made clear that resilience is a collective task; the delegation of Chile noted that the development of cyber defense policies strengthens resilience and offered valuable suggestions for this year; Ms. Patricia, delegate of Canada, emphasized that joint efforts—through legislation and alliances among countries—can be effective in addressing cyber threats; the delegation of Colombia noted that the IADB supports member states through a cooperative approach; the delegation of Trinidad and Tobago highlighted the technical training provided by the IADB; and the delegation of Mexico, agreeing with others, stressed that resilience is a strategic priority.  The delegations offered different perspectives but converged on a key point: the need to strengthen capacities and deepen cooperation.  Although national contexts differ, the challenges we face are strikingly similar. Recent

technical training provided by the IADB; and the delegation of Mexico, agreeing with others, stressed that resilience is a strategic priority.  The delegations offered different perspectives but converged on a key point: the need to strengthen capacities and deepen cooperation.  Although national contexts differ, the challenges we face are strikingly similar. Recent experiences show that when we share practices, analyze scenarios, and exercise decisionmaking, all benefit. This collective learning is one of the Hemisphere’s most valuable assets today.  The interconnectedness of our networks means that a vulnerability in one country can become a risk for all. No state, regardless of how advanced it is, can face alone threats that evolve with the speed and sophistication we see today. As stated in the IADB Cyber Defense Guide, “Resilience is not built in isolation; it is built in a network.”  In our hemisphere, the OAS, through CICTE and its cybersecurity section, serves as the central pillar of regional cybersecurity efforts. The IADB, with its technical, educational, and consultative scope, contributes in a targeted manner in those areas where its experience adds value, particularly in crisis management exercises and the strengthening of defense-related capabilities. This alignment of efforts, each with its own mandate and scope, enables us to move forward with a more integrated and coherent vision.  In addition, the Inter-American Defense College plays a key role. Its academic and strategic training work has enabled the incorporation of the cyber dimension into high-level programs for civilian and military personnel across the Hemisphere. Its educational and analytical contributions complement operational and cooperation efforts, strengthening a comprehensive understanding of cyber risk in the region.  What we have heard today confirms that cybersecurity requires aligned action, sustained coordination, and shared objectives.”

3. Dialogue on the third edition of the Global Organized Crime Index prepared by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) The Committee held a dialogue on the third edition of the Global Organized Crime Index prepared by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), which is available at the following links: Spanish, English and French.- 4Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) The Committee held a dialogue on the third edition of the Global Organized Crime Index prepared by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), which is available at the following links: Spanish, English and French.- 4Initiating the dialogue, Mr. Ivan Marques, Secretary for Multidimensional Security, referred to the importance of the topic. The remarks of Secretary Marques can be accessed here.

Next, Mr. Felipe Botero Escobar, Director of the Andean Observatory of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, gave a presentation on the third edition of the Global Organized Crime Index. The PowerPoint presentation is available here. During the question-and-answer session, the delegations of Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico referred to various aspects of the presentation and asked Mr. Botero to share additional information on various topics. The Director of the Andean Observatory of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime provided additional information requested by the delegations. Subsequently, Secretary Marques highlighted the importance of the information presented by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and reaffirmed the commitment to concentrate efforts in the fight against transnational organized crime and to promote the use of better data and evidence to ensure that cooperation was based on accurate and effective diagnostics. Within that framework, he said that the technical teams of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security were available to work with each member state on identifying how these findings can be translated into concrete actions for institutional strengthening and cooperation aligned with their specific contexts. The remarks of Secretary Marques can be accessed here.

4. Other business The Chair referred to the substantive topics of the meetings of the Committee held on March 12 and 19, 2026: “violence and crime prevention,” and “women, peace and security,” respectively.

In addition, he noted that the brown-bag lunch to discuss possible ideas to optimize the new structure for the consideration of substantive issues would be held in the last week of March. He also indicated that an informative document inviting delegations to the lunch would be distributed shortly so that delegations might confirm their participation and the appropriate arrangements could be made, including lunch and beverages for all participants. The delegation of Canada invited delegations to participate in the Seminar on Civilian-Military Relations, scheduled for March 13, 2026. The Inter-American Defense College referred to the mentoring program it was implementing to connect students with delegates of member states.