On February 12, the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) participated in the tenth ordinary meeting of the Commission on Hemispheric Security (CSH) of the Organization of American States (OAS), held under the central theme “Commitments to peace, disarmament and non-proliferation”.
The IADB was represented by its Secretary General, Major General Reinaldo Salgado Beato, accompanied by Colonel Fabio De Souza e Silva, advisor and Head of the Humanitarian Demining Section.
During his remarks, General Salgado emphasized the importance of strengthening humanitarian demining efforts in the region, highlighting the valuable contribution of the Intergovernmental Panel on Mines (IADM) in supporting countries affected by antipersonnel mines. For his part, Colonel De Souza presented an executive report on the progress and challenges in implementing demining programs, outlining significant metrics achieved through joint work between the IADM and the OAS.
The main objective of this session was to analyze the progress and challenges for the implementation of initiatives that consolidate the Americas as a zone free of anti-personnel landmines.
The meeting included the participation of experts from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, who shared national experiences in humanitarian demining, fostering a constructive dialogue between OAS member states and observer countries.
As a result, conclusions were presented aimed at strengthening the formulation of mandates for the omnibus resolution project, in line with hemispheric commitments to peace, security and cooperation.
The session was chaired by Ms. Patricia D'Costa, Third Vice President of the CSH, along with Ambassador Laura Gil, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS; Steven Griner, Director of the OAS Department of Public Security; Pier De Luca, Head of the Conventional Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives Section; and José Gabriel Salazar, Secretary of the CSH.
The meeting took place in the Simón Bolívar Hall at the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC
The Commission on Hemispheric Security is a permanent body of the Permanent Council of the OAS in which member states analyze, debate and coordinate policies and cooperation mechanisms on regional security matters.
