Ambassador Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Secretary for Foreign Relations of Mexico,
Honorable Jakob Kellenberger, President, International Committee of the Red Cross,
Madame Sylvie Junod, Regional Delegate for ICRC Mexico, Central America and Spanish Caribbean,
Ambassador Juan Manuel Gomez Robledo, Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights,
Honorable Nicholas Frederick, Minister of Justice, Santa Lucia,
His Excellency, Miguel Pichardo, Assistant Secretary of Foreign Relations, Dominican Republic,
Distinguished Representatives of the National Commissions on International Humanitarian Law,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me, first, to thank and congratulate the Mexican Government and the ICRC for co-sponsoring this regional meeting, together with the OAS, in this dynamic and historic capital city. In the name of the OAS and its Member States, I would like to express our most sincere appreciation to the Mexican Secretariat for Foreign Relations and to the ICRC for their relentless dedication to the promotion and respect of International Humanitarian Law in the Americas, as well as for their professionalism and competence in the organization of this meeting.

Second, I want to thank Ambassador Maurtua for delivering these opening remarks on my behalf. Although other official obligations have precluded my participation, I will be following the deliberations of this important conference with great interest.

Our participation in this event is the product of the increasingly cooperative and productive relationship between the ICRC and the OAS – a partnership begun in 1994 with the firm backing of our General Assembly – and which has produced important activities.

All of these activities serve to underscore the value and respect that the OAS assigns to its relationship with the ICRC. The ICRC has been working with the OAS in the promotion, dissemination and respect of international humanitarian law through a variety of substantive initiatives as guided by the 1996 cooperation agreement and a 2003 memorandum of understanding, signed by the ICRC President, and the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretary General, respectively.

Over the last year, the respective Chairs of the Permanent Council and I have met on many occasions with key ICRC representatives and, more recently, ICRC President Kellenberger visited OAS Secretary General Insulza to discuss strengthening relations between both organizations.

Through this message, I would like to express my particular satisfaction with the continued success of the partnership between the two institutions and more importantly, the excellent progress of the National Commissions for the Application of International Humanitarian Law in the Americas.

Our participation in this event is the product of the increasingly cooperative and productive relationship between the ICRC and the OAS – a partnership begun in 1994 with the firm backing of our General Assembly – and which has produced important activities. Chief among these are: Special Sessions on IHL of the OAS Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs, held annually since 2002; the Conference of Governmental Experts on the Application of IHL, held in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 2001; what has become an annual course on IHL for OAS missions; and even the precursor to this event, the inaugural meeting of the National Commissions, held in Antigua, Guatemala, in 2003.

Madame Foreign Secretary, Mr. President, Distinguished Ministers, National Representatives, the promulgation of and adherence to the treaties and customs of IHL in the Hemisphere have been a staple of the OAS – the spirit of which stems from our Charter and the operation of which flows from our General Assembly Resolutions, political meetings, special sessions and courses. The Member States, through the Inter-American Democratic Charter, have stood firm for the consolidation of peace and the promotion of democracy via this collective expression of the enshrined principles and ideals of the Americas.

This unwavering stance is particularly important in periods of challenge when the importance of upholding these key principles becomes even more critical. That is why, in pursuing our raison d’être of promoting and strengthening democracy and upholding the rights and freedoms of all citizens, our Member States must continue to promote and maintain our commitment to human rights, an essential pillar for self governance and the rule of law, including the protection of the universal rights enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and its Protocols.

Today, in the Western Hemisphere, threats to democratic order and the rule of law originate not as much from international armed conflict, but instead emanate from other serious threats committed by State and non-State actors.

The Inter-American system has responded resolutely and consistently to a broad range of threats. Most recently, this was evidenced in the June 2007 Regular Session of the General Assembly, held in Panama City, which approved Resolutions for combating a range of challenges confronting citizens across the Americas today.

On the issue of war crimes and disappeared persons, the first two components of your deliberations today and tomorrow, the General Assembly approved Resolutions 2295 and 2271 condemning and penalizing practices of disappearances and terrorism in the Hemisphere, while also calling for the domestic implementation of the Rome Statute and the extension of jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in Resolution 2279.

In relation to the issue of arms, the third component of your work at this regional meeting, OAS Member States stand firm in favor of transparency in the purchase of conventional weapons, under the Inter-American treaty on that matter, and have passed essential resolutions on the devastating impacts of anti-personnel mines and cluster-munitions as well as the need for post conflict reconstruction.

There are numerous other resolutions and programs on issues highlighting our proactive approach toward universal adherence to IHL treaties and customary law. And it is in this endeavor that the National Commissions can, and have, played a critical role. I am confident that this meeting will be as productive as in years past and that the exchange of information on the developments and experiences associated with the implementation, promotion and respect for IHL will be a “call to action” to serve as a model throughout the region and, indeed, across the globe.

I firmly believe that respect for, and the protection of, human rights are basic prerequisites for the strengthening and maintenance of our democracies, promotion of sustained and sustainable development in our Member States, and the safeguarding of the basic security of the citizens of the Americas and throughout the world.

It is in this context that I pledge the full support of the OAS to continue to assist and support your initiatives through joint efforts with the ICRC and with the Governments of our Member States.

I wish you all a productive series of deliberations and a successful conference.

Thank You.