Chairman's Conclusions Fourth Forum on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs)

Permanent Council of the Organization of American States
Committee On Hemispheric Security
Fourth Forum On Confidence- And Security-Building Measures
November 15-16, 2010
Lima, Peru

Confidence- and security-building measures developed and implemented within the inter-American system have helped enhance security, fostered cooperation and trust among the states of the Hemisphere, and strengthened relations among the armed forces and security forces in the region.

The OAS should consolidate the progress achieved to date by continuing to implement them and identifying new measures to address the pressing threats and challenges the states of the Hemisphere face.

The discussions held during the Fourth Meeting of the Forum on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures lead us to believe that the following measures are necessary:

• Urge the member states to fulfill their obligation to report on implementation of CSBMs established in OAS resolutions and other relevant international instruments.
• Continue to refine and implement CSBMs always in keeping with the provisions of the Declaration on Security in the Americas and the Consolidated List of Confidence- and Security-Building Measures, document CP/CSH-1043/08 rev. 1, based on the Declarations of San Salvador and Santiago on CSBMs and the Consensus of Miami.
• Use the Consolidated List of Confidence- and Security-Building Measures, document CP/CSH-1043/08 rev. 1 for the reports on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures.
• Recommend to the Committee on Hemispheric Security that it establish criteria and guidelines for selection of the list of experts on confidence- and security-building measures that includes a description of the experts’ profile and purpose.
• Continue proposing measures to foster increased transparency, trust, dialogue, and cooperation to address non-traditional threats, concerns, and other challenges to hemispheric security.
• Promote the universalization and full implementation of the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions.
• Participate in the two global CSBMs – the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and the United Nations Standardized Reporting of Military Expenditures, and encourage bilateral experiences in these areas.
• Share bilateral and sub-regional experiences relating to CSBMs through seminars, workshops, and in other hemispheric forums by which to divulge these initiatives, in order to preclude duplication of efforts and standardize reporting on CSBMs.
• Share and exchange any information requested by the General Assembly through its relevant resolutions with the OAS General Secretariat for incorporation in the OAS Database.
• Promote and enhance access to OAS websites and those of its entities devoted to confidence- and security-building measures, especially with respect to the major international instruments and member states’ reports on the subject.
• Encourage the OAS and its entities to coordinate their activities aimed at supporting implementation of CSBMs.
• Adopt the reporting format for the application of confidence- and security-building measures, presented by the Inter-American Defense Board.

The Fourth Forum recommends that these conclusions be submitted to the IX Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, to be held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, from November 22 to 25, 2010, as a contribution to its work.

Finally, the Chair recommends that the CSH convene the Fifth Meeting of the Forum on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures in 2012 to review and evaluate existing CSBMs and to discuss, consider, and propose new CSBMs.