Counter-Terrorism Technical Assistance Programmes

Organization of American States. Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism

 

 

Technical Assistance Programme Description	CICTE and its it executive agent the CICTE Secretariat execute programs in accordance with its annual Work Plan and with direction provided by the OAS General Assembly. The Work Plan 2006-2007 calls for the development of programs to improve border controls practices and improving financial controls. Specific programs are in development to address port security, aviation security, cyber security, terrorist financing and legislation improvement. CICTE is also the executive agent for monitoring and assisting the OAS Member States in implementing the OAS Convention Against Terrorism. Specific training is in progress for Member States that have ratified the convention in order to insure domestic implementation. The OAS convention builds upon the 12 UN conventions and is the means of effecting enactment of UNSCR 1373. The Secretariat is specifically charged to: - Enhance the exchange of information via the competent national authorities, including the establishment of an Inter-American database on terrorism issues - Formulate proposal to assist member states in drafting appropriate counterterrorism legislation in all states - Compile bilateral, sub regional, regional and multilateral treaties and agreements signed by member states and promote universal adherence to international counterterrorism conventions - Enhance border cooperation and travel documentation security measures - Develop activities for training and crisis management. The Secretariat has not made specific assessments of the capacity of member states in regards to counter-terrorism. The Secretariat has provided self-assessment tools on a limited basis (migration controls for example) to the member states for their use. Those states that have requested assistance based on the results of self-assessments have been placed in contact with appropriate agencies for follow on assistance. The Secretariat remains at the disposition of the states for providing expertise on a request basis. (They have arranged specific assistance visit using indigenous assets, international partners, and other governments.) CICTE can initiate a program based on its Work Plan, a request from a Member State or group of states, or an offer of assistance from a donor state or organization. The secretariat discusses potential programs with its national points of contact on a routine basis and with the specific countries involved. Assistance programs are geared to the Member States. CICTE will provide materials developed for its training programs to other organizations and non-member states for their use. The CICTE On-Line Database is available to all via the internet.
Technical Assistance Methodology	CICTE has a number of area programs with corresponding objectives and methods of assistance: 1. Port Security a. This program, actually concentrated within the Caribbean Area and delivered on a country-by-country basis, has two parts: b. An assessment of port security practices of OAS Member States' selected ports, to evaluate access control to the port facilities and to restricted areas within the port facilities, handling of cargo, ship stores, unaccompanied baggage, law enforcement procedures, customs an immigration performance and capabilities, port police and national police responsibilities and procedures, knowledge and expertise of Port Facility Security Officers (PFSO), and training needs. c. The delivery of tailored training to mitigate the aforementioned needs. Such training specifically deals with basic aspects of port facility security, law enforcement procedures and best practices, prioritising hands-on and field training and drills over theoretical classes, pursuing a direct impact on strengthening port security and law enforcement capabilities and performance within the Hemisphere. d. The program also includes joint sub regional/national port security training courses or workshops, with emphasis in field training, train the trainers, Quality of Task Performance and exchange of best practices, in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD). 2. Airport Security a. Capacity-building programs on basic and selected topics of air transport security based on mandatory ICAO standards. The project relies on trainers from selected organizations: TSA and ICAO. Actually (2006) delivering National Development Workshops for the Caribbean basin area and Central America through TSA instructors, and providing scholarships to OAS Member States to receive training through ICAO Aviation Security course and workshops. Planning Crisis Management Workshops on a country-by-country basis, to start Nov 2006. 3. Customs and Border Protection a. Program is a combination of on-site visits, capacity-building workshops, and technical assistance in partnership with international partners such as Interpol, IOM, and the Government of Spain. Site visits, initially to the US-Canadian and US-Mexican borders - expose participants to best practices in security and cross-border coordination. Workshops for customs and immigration officials focus on developing and maintaining professional integrity assurance programs to reduce the likelihood of hostile elements misusing port facilities or evading immigration controls, and building risk analysis capabilities to better identify suspicious shipments. IOM conducting comprehensive border control practices assessments in selected countries. Technical assistance elements concentrate on extending the Interpol data base of lost and stolen passports (some 6 million items) from national police headquarters to national points of entry, 4. Travel and Identity Document Security a. This program intends to: b. Improve the ability of target countries' law enforcement personnel to detect fraudulent travel documents and thereby improve border security. c. Enhance communication and institutional links between the Customs and Border Security agencies in order to promote cooperation and collaboration in the control against document fraud. d. Improve and standardize travel document handling, issuance, delivery and accountability of issuing authority, to meet the security standards in view of the Cricket World Championships in 2007. 5. Inter-American Tourism and Recreational Facility Security a. This program is designed to improve security in the tourism and recreational industry by implementing a set of security standards for security and law enforcement training, security infrastructure and standard operational security procedures b. It involves the delivery of specialised security training to public and private law enforcement and security officials, the establishment and implementation of an infrastructural code as well as the establishment of internationally recognised security practices and procedures at all visitor accommodation, tourist venues as well as recreational and sporting facilities. 6. Cyber Security a. The program consists of aid to Member States to help them implement the requirements of the OAS Comprehensive Cyber Security strategy. The specific area in CICTE's mandate is to establish a network of CSIRTS in the region. 7. Terrorist Financing a. Terrorist Financing legislation objectives feature prominently in the CICTE Legislation programs. The project also includes advocacy of issues within the FATF and a linkage for non FATF member States within the OAS to FATF discussions. CICTE has financed translation of FATF documents into other OAS languages for distribution to member states and regional FATF bodies. b. CICTE is developing a terrorist financing specific training module for use by FIU's and other interested parties and had ensured inclusion of terrorist financing training material in CICAD courses. Module contents will be: information on methodologies of terrorist financing; sanitized typologies examples and alternative systems of remittance, best practices and learning what to look for, how to establish mechanisms that may allow bank authorities to detect and how to track legal money that might be diverted to fund terrorist activities 8. Terrorist Policy Engagement Exercises a. An annual table-top exercise bringing together senior policy-makers from a selected Member State with counter-terrorism specialists, to play through a specially constructed terrorism scenario. Each scenario highlights specific potential terrorist threats and challenges the government players to devise real time solutions to the problems presented to them. An after-action discussion provides policy-makers with both professional critiques and opportunity to begin national contingency planning. 9. Legislation against terrorism a. A series of regional and national workshops with legislation drafters from the Executive and Legislative branches, held in coordination with the OAS Legal Office, OAS/UPD, UNODC, FATF, IMF, and UNHCHR as appropriate, along with outreach programs to civil society in support of the international conventions. Experts work with local drafters to effectively incorporate provisions of conventions into new or revised national legislation. CICTE can initiate a program based on its Work Plan, a request from a Member State or group of states, or an offer of assistance from a donor state or organization. The Secretariat discusses potential programs with its national points of contact on a routine basis and with the specific countries involved.
Technical Assistance Eligibility	Assistance programs are geared to the Member States. CICTE will provide materials developed for its training programs to other organizations and non-member states for their use. The CICTE On-Line Database is available to all via the internet. As all programs are currently funded by specific contributions, use of funds for non-member states would have to be approved by the donor state.
Organization's Member States	Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas. Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela.

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