Securing cooperation on security.

• Author: Conaway, Janelle
• Position: OAS

WHAT IS THE GREATEST security threat in the Americas today? Some night say terrorism, while others see drug trafficking on organized crime as a more immediate danger.

The OAS Special Conference on Security, which will take place in Mexico City at the end of October, will bring together foreign ministers and other high-level officials to define a broad new agenda for confronting security challenges in the hemisphere.

"The result will be an up-to-date, holistic vision of security that takes into account the concerns of all the countries in the region and better prepares US to cooperate in facing new security threats," says Ambassador Miguel Ruiz-Cabanas of Mexico, who chairs a Permanent Council subcommittee preparing for the conference.

In recent months, he says, the OAS member countries have been negotiating a political declaration that recognizes security as a "multidimensional" issue, not simply a military concern. For example, in some small Caribbean island states, the greatest threat to people's survival may come from HIV/AIDS or natural disasters. A hurricane may not only lead to loss of life, but also create devastating economic problems, political instability, and increased vulnerability. Other countries may face destabilizing threats from extreme poverty, entrenched corruption, or cyber-crime.

Each sovereign country defines its own security priorities, but it's important to have a hemispheric perspective to strengthen cooperation, Ruiz-Cabanas says. For example, his own...