General assembly thirty-seventh regular session panama, republic of panama

1. 
   Consider adopting the applicable provisions of the Accessibility Standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or similar standards.
   

j. Promote the adoption of measures for the design and adaptation of workplaces to make them accessible to persons with disabilities.

3. 
   Political Participation:
   

1. 
   Ensure that persons with disabilities exercise their rights and duties as citizens and enjoy fundamental freedoms, by facilitating their registration and identification.
   

2. 
   Guarantee full participation by persons with disabilities in the voting process as voters or candidates, on an equal basis with other people, providing the necessary means of access, including the option of voting with the assistance of the person of one’s choice, and adapting electoral systems to that end.
   

3. 
   Promote participation by persons with disabilities in public office in their countries.
   

4. 
   Consider the contributions and views of persons or organizations of persons with disabilities in the design, implementation, and monitoring of government policies in this area, especially those that directly affect them.
   

5. 
   Promote coordination among the various associations of persons with disabilities so as to strengthen their participation in public policy debates at every level and consolidate the defense of their interests.
   

f. Promote training policies geared toward persons with disabilities in order to develop their leadership skills in public affairs.

3. 
   Entrust OAS organs, agencies, and entities, as well as other inter-American agencies, as required, with cooperating with the General Secretariat in all aspects of planning and implementation, since their cooperation will be essential for achievement of the Decade objectives.
   

4. 
   Encourage civil society organizations specializing in this field to support the General Secretariat and the member states in implementing the Program of Action of the Decade in accordance with the Guidelines for Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities.
   

V. STRATEGIES

1. 
   Assume the political commitment to implement this Program of Action, incorporating it into the corresponding national plans, for which they will allocate the necessary resources and ensure their timely and proper execution, follow-up, and evaluation.
   

2. 
   Without prejudice to the adoption of the necessary national measures, review, harmonize, update, and improve their legislation to bring it into line with a hemispheric perspective, in order to give effect to this Program of Action and make it compatible with international human rights instruments.
   

3. 
   Work in close collaboration with persons with disabilities and with civil society organizations specializing in this field in the preparation, development, and implementation of the appropriate legislative norms.
   

4. 
   Promote the strengthening of civil society organizations, in particular those involved in the issue of disability, in each country, in order to generate capacity for action to boost state initiatives and create optimal conditions for generating government policies guaranteeing the rights of persons with disabilities and their families and respect for their dignity.
   
5. 
   Promote the formation or, as appropriate, the strengthening of government agencies for protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.
   

6. 
   Promote regional unification of methods and standards for collecting disaggregated statistical data and the use of a standardized classification of classes, types, and subtypes of disabilities, taking into account the classification formulated by the World Health Organization, in order to establish national databases that are comparable and contain quality-of-life indicators for persons with disabilities.
   

7. 
   Guarantee confidentiality and the proper use of statistical data, which must never be used to the detriment of persons with disabilities; and ensure at all times that no one is subjected to medical or scientific experiments without his or her free and informed consent.
   

8. 
   Assign responsibility for coordinating execution of the program to a technical secretariat, the purpose of which, in accordance with the content of this Program of Action, will be to plan activities for the achievement of its objectives and specific actions and to provide technical support to the member states, to persons with disabilities and their organizations, and to OAS organs, agencies, and entities.
   

AG/RES. 2340 (XXXVII-O/07)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

1. 
   To urge all member states that have not already done so to give prompt consideration to ratifying or acceding to, as the case may be, the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), and to adopting all necessary measures for its effective implementation.
   

2. 
   To convene for February 20 and 21, 2008, at OAS headquarters, the Second Conference of the States Party to the CIFTA to examine its functioning and application, pursuant to Article XXVIII of the Convention, and also to support any related preparatory meetings.
   

3. 
   To convene for April 29 and 30, 2008, at OAS headquarters, the Ninth Regular Meeting of the Consultative Committee of the CIFTA, pursuant to Article XXI of the Convention, and also to support any related preparatory meetings.
   

4. 
   To convene, in the framework of the Consultative Committee of the CIFTA, the Third Meeting of the OAS Group of Experts to Prepare Model Legislation in the Areas to Which the CIFTA Refers, for October 15 and 16, 2007, to consider draft model legislation on legislative measures, pursuant to Article IV of the Convention.
   

5. 
   To adopt the model legislation on the marking and tracing of firearms, approved by the Consultative Committee at its eighth regular meeting, on April 19, 2007.
   

6. 
   To request the General Secretariat to continue its work with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-LiREC) and its partners, and the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) through the Inter-American Defense College, to prepare and offer specialized workshops on the destruction of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition, and on stockpile management.
   

7. 
   Also to request the General Secretariat to continue its work with UNODA and with UN-LiREC and its partners to develop and offer specialized courses in special investigation techniques for the authorities responsible for preventing and combating the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other related materials.
   

8. 
   To invite the Consultative Committee of the CIFTA to continue reporting periodically to the Committee on Hemispheric Security of the Permanent Council on progress in the implementation of the Declaration of Bogotá on the Functioning and Application of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (Declaration of Bogotá), so that said Committee may take such information into account when preparing coordinated strategies and integrated action plans in connection with the new threats, concerns, and other challenges to hemispheric security.
   

9. 
   To invite the states party to the CIFTA to make voluntary contributions in order to support the activities established in the Work Program for 2007-2008.
   

10. 
    To request OAS member states and permanent observers, and international, regional, and subregional organizations interested in the subject, as well as the international community, to consider the possibility of providing the Technical Secretariat of the CIFTA with technical, financial, and educational assistance to support the implementation of measures to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other related materials.
    

11. 
    To direct that the Second Conference of the States Party to the CIFTA and the meetings of the Consultative Committee, including the preparatory meetings for the Conference, be held within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources; and to request the General Secretariat to provide the necessary administrative and technical secretariat support for these purposes.
    

12. 
    To request the Secretary General to present a report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth regular session on the status of signatures and ratifications of the CIFTA.
    

13. To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

AG/RES. 2342 (XXXVII-O/07)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

AG/RES. 2343 (XXXVII-O/07)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

DEEPLY CONCERNED over the existence, in some countries, of armed groups related to drug trafficking, giving rise to situations that can destabilize the institutional order and undermine democratic governance;

1. 
   To thank the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) for its presentation to the General Assembly of its Annual Report for 2006 (CP/doc.4196/07) and to congratulate it on the progress made in all aspects of the control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
   

2. 
   To reiterate the recommendations made in resolution AG/RES. 2198 (XXXVI-O/06); and to urge member states to:
   

1. 
   Continue strengthening the various aspects of their national drug control systems, including the national drug commissions, national drug control strategies and plans, and, as appropriate, decentralization to local and municipal governments; and, in general, their framework of laws and regulations adapted to the current characteristics of the problem in each country;
   

2. 
   Comply with the international conventions on the control of drugs and psychotropic substances, including, among others, the 1961, 1971, and 1988 United Nations conventions; and strengthen national law for combating illicit drug abuse and trafficking, ensuring a common regional focus;
   

3. 
   Expand their long-term programs in prevention and treatment of psychotropic substance abuse and in rehabilitation and social reintegration for different age groups; and take steps to ensure adequate resources for such programs;
   

4. 
   Ensure adequate resources and the long-term operation of their programs for the prevention and treatment of psychotropic substance abuse, rehabilitation, and social reincorporation, for control of drug trafficking and related offenses, and, when pertinent, for their integral and sustainable alternative development programs;
   

5. 
   Continue to strengthen their national controls over chemical precursors that can be used to produce illicit drugs and, in this effort, make full use of the pre-export notification (PEN) mechanism;
   

6. 
   Promote the development of technologies that can be applied to improving the control of drug trafficking and diversion of chemical precursors and the control of pharmaceutical products; and strengthen the resources appropriated to national agencies involved in this work;
   

7. 
   Establish or strengthen their financial intelligence units to detect potential money laundering cases, particularly those related to drug trafficking;
   

8. 
   Seek to involve, as appropriate, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, community-service organizations, religious institutions, other civil society organizations, and the media in relevant aspects of their national drug programs;
   

9. 
   Consider the possibility of adopting measures that are geared to drug treatment as an alternative to prison or detention for cases of crimes of drug possession for personal use, in accordance with the legislation of each country;
   

10. 
    Strengthen horizontal cooperation among member states to further the work of CICAD in both demand reduction and supply reduction;
    

11. 
    Continue to work actively in the CICAD expert groups that address demand reduction, pharmaceuticals, chemical precursors, money laundering, and maritime drug trafficking, in order to facilitate and increase cooperation and coordination, as well as information exchange;
    

12. 
    Consider the use of specialized investigative techniques such as controlled deliveries and undercover operations, as part of their efforts to tackle drug trafficking and the diversion of chemical precursors used in the production of illegal drugs, in accordance with each country’s legislation;
    

13. 
    Endeavor to ensure that policies and projects for integral and sustainable alternative development, and for sustainable social development, including prevention policies, support in an integral manner the ongoing economic viability of communities and families in those countries most affected by the production of drugs and the presence of illicit crops, as well as those countries most vulnerable to the appearance of such crops;
    

14. 
    Provide, maintain, or increase, to the extent possible, their financial and in-kind contributions to CICAD, so that it can increase its assistance to member states in their national efforts to comply with the recommendations of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM). Thank those permanent observers and international financial institutions that have contributed to the work of CICAD; and
    

15. 
    Increase to the extent possible the resources devoted to all areas of the drug problem, introducing innovative financing initiatives.
    

3. 
   To invite member states to take into consideration the guide entitled “Drugs in Cyberspace: Understanding & Investigating Diversion & Distribution of Controlled Substances via the Internet” when examining whether adequate measures exist to regulate, investigate, and prosecute the illegal distribution of internationally controlled licit substances via the Internet;
   

4. 
   To urge member states to cooperate with governments that have requested training and technical assistance related to interdiction of drug trafficking, especially by sea, and money laundering; and to encourage the implementation of policies and programs in narcotics demand reduction according to the hemispheric guidelines adopted by the Organization of American States on the basis of CICAD’s work.
   

5. 
   To acknowledge the progress made by the countries of the Hemisphere in combating the drug problem and to urge them to continue their efforts.
   

6. 
   To urge the permanent observers and international financial institutions to initiate, maintain, or increase their contributions to CICAD’s activities.
   

7. 
   To instruct the CICAD Executive Secretariat to:
   

1. 
   Continue to support the work of the MEM and the expert groups dedicated to making progress in the following thematic areas: demand reduction; control of pharmaceuticals, chemical precursors, and money laundering; and maritime drug trafficking, each of which provides information to the Commission as a guide in its decision-making;
   

2. 
   In accordance with the Anti-Drug Strategy in the Hemisphere of 1996, to continue to support countries’ policies and programs corresponding to areas identified in the MEM, according to the needs of each country, in relation to its efforts to control the consumption of and trafficking in illicit drugs and related crimes;
   

3. 
   Continue to provide technical assistance to member countries for the development of their national anti-drug plans;
   

4. 
   Continue to strengthen different aspects of countries’ national anti-drug systems, specifically the national commissions, their legal and regulatory framework, their plans and strategies, their institutional development and strengthening, and the training of their human resources, at the request of member states;
   

5. 
   Through the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, continue to support member states in their efforts to develop and maintain uniform national data collection systems on the problem of the illicit production of, trafficking in, and use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related offenses, enabling them to measure the dimensions of the problem, update and improve demand reduction strategies, and track new trends in the demand for illicit substances and other psychoactive substances for pharmaceutical use;
   

6. 
   Develop and maintain drug-related information systems at the hemispheric level;
   

7. 
   Provide technical assistance and support for knowledge transfer and exchange related to drug issues between the Executive Secretariat of CICAD and member states;
   

8. 
   Continue to provide technical assistance and support to those member states wishing to adopt and use the CICAD Toolkit and Manual for the evaluation of their substance abuse prevention programs and to receive updates about the results of the evaluations;
   

9. 
   Continue to provide technical assistance and support to member states’ demand reduction programs, particularly in the areas of drug abuse prevention programs, in both schools and the workplace;
   

10. 
    Continue to provide training and other technical assistance to increase the capacity of member states to:
    

1. 
   Control illicit drugs, pharmaceutical products, chemical precursors, and synthetic drugs;
   
2. 
   Control the sale of drugs via the Internet, taking into consideration the guide approved by CICAD entitled “Drugs in Cyberspace: Understanding & Investigating Diversion & Distribution of Controlled Substances via the Internet”;
   
3. 
   Control maritime narcotrafficking and secure their borders, ports, and airports against the threat of illicit drugs and related contraband, such as chemical precursors;
   
4. 
   Gather information and develop anti-drug intelligence; and
   
5. 
   Reduce the cultivation and production of illicit drugs, and help identify and develop integral and sustainable alternatives to illicit drug cultivation and production;
   

11. 
    Continue to provide training and other technical assistance to promote the capacity of law enforcement, customs, and other officials of member states responsible for controlling drugs, the diversion of chemical precursors, and related contraband;
    

12. 
    Provide technical assistance and research training to health professionals to enable them to study and work on drug issues in the countries of the Hemisphere; and
    

13. 
    Continue its training and technical assistance programs in the area of money laundering.
    

AG/RES. 2344 (XXXVII-O/07)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

1. 
   To urge member states to promote and foster diverse forms of participation by citizens, the community, and civil society in decision-making on integral development, so that they may contribute to finding solutions to the issues that affect them, to ensuring that the benefits of democracy are shared by society as a whole, and to strengthening and consolidating democracy and human rights.
   

2. 
   To recommend to the member states that they develop and, as the case may be, expand networks of information on public policies and programs in order to enable citizens to play a much more effective role in decision-making in government.
   

3. 
   To request that the Permanent Council, with support from the Secretariat for Political Affairs, hold a special meeting, to which broad sectors of society will be invited, to share experiences on the diverse ways in which member states are promoting citizen participation in all activities of society.
   

4. 
   To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth regular session on the implementation of this resolution, which will be carried out within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.
   

AG/RES. 2345 (XXXVII-O/07)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,