TERRORIST THREAT TO THE AMERICAS

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session, held on September 21, 2001subject to review by the Style Committee)

THE TWENTY-FOURTH MEETING OF CONSULTATION OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ACTING AS ORGAN OF CONSULTATION IN APPLICATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN TREATY OF RECIPROCAL ASSISTANCE,

CONSIDERING the terrorist attacks perpetrated in the United States of America on September 11, 2001, against innocent people from many nations;

RECALLING the inherent right of states to act in the exercise of the right of individual and collective self-defense in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and with the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty);

EMPHASIZING that Article 2 of the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) (note) proclaims as essential purposes of the Organization to strengthen the peace and security of the continent and to provide for common action on the part of member states in the event of aggression;

CONSIDERING that the obligation of mutual assistance and common defense of the American republics is essentially related to their democratic ideals and to their will to cooperate permanently in the fulfillment of the principles and purposes of a policy of peace; and

TAKING NOTE of resolution CP/RES. 797 (1293/01), dated September 19, 2001, of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States acting as Provisional Organ of Consultation of the Rio Treaty, which called for a Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to serve as the Organ of Consultation under the Rio Treaty, in connection with the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States,

RESOLVES:

That these terrorist attacks against the United States of America are attacks against all American states and that in accordance with all the relevant provisions of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty) and the principle of continental solidarity, all States Parties to the Rio Treaty shall provide effective reciprocal assistance to address such attacks and the threat of any similar attacks against any American state, and to maintain the peace and security of the continent.

That, if a State Party has reason to believe that persons in its territory may have been involved in or in any way assisted the September 11, 2001 attacks, are harboring the perpetrators, or may otherwise be involved in terrorist activities, such State Party shall use all legally available measures to pursue, capture, extradite, and punish those individuals.

That the States Parties shall render additional assistance and support to the United States and to each other, as appropriate, to address the September 11 attacks, and also to prevent future terrorist acts.

That the States Parties shall keep the Organ of Consultation duly informed of all measures that they take in accordance with this resolution.

That this Meeting of Foreign Ministers in its capacity as Organ of Consultation shall remain open for the purpose of ensuring the prompt and effective implementation of this resolution and, if necessary, of taking appropriate additional measures to address this matter.

That we hereby designate a committee, to be composed of the representatives to the OAS Permanent Council of each State Party to the Rio Treaty, for the purpose of engaging in additional consultations and of taking measures in furtherance of the foregoing.

That we hereby request that all of the American Governments and the Organization of American States lend their full cooperation in the implementation of this resolution.

That the Permanent Council be entrusted with taking appropriate measures for implementing resolution RC.23/doc.7/01, adopted by the Twenty-third Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

That the Security Council of the United Nations shall be informed promptly of the text of the present resolution and of any decisions that may be taken in connection with this matter.

Notes:

1. This appears to be an error. It is Article 4 of the OAS Charter which "proclaims as essential purposes of the Organization to strengthen the peace and security of the continent and to provide for common action on the part of member states in the event of aggression". Note added by the Avalon Project. Back