Juan Daniel Aleman, Secretary General of SICA,
Paola Porras, Embassy of Costa Rica, Chair Pro Tempore of SICA
Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Security,
Ambassadors and Permanent Observers to the OAS,
Representatives of international organizations and of the Group of Friends,
Colleagues from the OAS,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am indeed delighted to welcome you to the OAS. We are pleased to facilitate the hosting of this important meeting, which highlights both the close collaboration among Central American countries on a priority issue for the region and the close partnership between the OAS General Secretariat and the SICA Secretariat. Under the leadership of Secretary General Juan Daniel Aleman, we have seen this relationship grow from strength to strength as one of the priorities of the OAS is to build strong relations with sub-regional institutions.

The work of the Central American countries on security, with the support of the SICA Secretariat and the Group of Friends, is an example of partnership for the Americas and the world, and I commend you and the IADB for this decision. It also recognizes the reality that security is a cross border problem that requires multilateral and inter-governmental cooperation. No country on its own can effectively resolve its security challenges. We must work together through existing multilateral mechanisms to address our common security challenges.

I am convinced that one of the greatest test of leadership in the 21st century will be defined by the ability of our leaders and countries to work collectively to meet today’s security challenges with joint policies, aligning identified priorities with resources and technical assistance, and facilitating inter-agency coordination. All with the objective to create a more peaceful and prosperous society.

Security is at the core of the OAS agenda. Next June, the Government of Guatemala will host the OAS General Assembly under the theme "Alternative Strategies for Combating Drugs." This theme is in line with the mandate by Heads of State and Government of the Americas during the Sixth Summit of the Americas in 2012, which urged the OAS to analyze the results of drug policies in the Americas and to explore new approaches to strengthen these efforts and make them more effective. The resulting report, developed under the supervision of Secretary General Insulza, will be presented in a couple of weeks.

In 2011, the Government of El Salvador hosted the OAS General Assembly and selected the theme ¨Citizen Security in the Americas¨ to focus the attention of the international community to the need to work together to address the high levels of insecurity, crime and violence in the Americas.

In my view, we need an integral approach to address the many facets of security challenges faced by countries. Security does not stand on its own. It is often a consequence of the absence of political stability, deep institutional and law enforcement weaknesses, ineffective governance and limited economic opportunities, in both rural and urban areas. Lucrative illegal drug demand makes it a high risk-high reward business.

Our collective response to security need to be one of immediacy, with short term actions to mitigate the impact of security threats on our communities, which indeed entails more and targeted training of law enforcement personnel, strengthening the judiciary, including updating legislation, higher sentences, improving domestic, sub-regional and international cooperation to exchange information, interdiction, extradition and possibly joint action.

We also have to consider security from a more structural approach, which will require investments and budgetary allocation in areas of social and economic development, including more investments in rural development and education, facilitating job creation, affordable housing, health, and business ownership, among others. We also need to analyze the underlying causes of insecurity and the manner in which it manifests itself in our societies and we need to quantify the social and economic cost of crime and violence by country.


Only then we will be able to find the most appropriate answer and action towards resolving the security threats and building a more peaceful and prosperous society.

As you know, for the past few years, the OAS has supported the SICA Secretariat and has committed to its institutional strengthening. We value the participation of our Secretariat of Multidimensional Security in the Regional Security Strategy and pledge to continue to support it.

More recently, we have worked with the Canadian Government to provide the funding of a SICA 1540 coordinator. We are aware of the importance of this position and pledge to continue this support.

Again, we at the OAS are delighted and honored to host you and this important meeting. Feel free to come back. I wish you success in your deliberations.

I thank you for your attention.