HONDURAS HAS SIGNED BUT NOT YET RATIFIED 2002

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001274

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR WHA/USOAS, WHA/CAR, AND WHA/CEN
STATE FOR L/WHA, L/T, AND S/CT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL KTIA AORC HO OAS
SUBJECT: HONDURAS HAS SIGNED BUT NOT YET RATIFIED 2002
INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST TERRORISM

REF: A. STATE 118495


B. STATE 112939

C. TEGUCIGAPA 862 AND PREVIOUS


1. (U) The Government of Honduras has signed but not yet
ratified both the 2002 Inter-American Convention Against
Terrorism (ref A),as well as the 1971 Convention to Prevent
and Punish the Acts of Terrorism Taking the Forms of Crimes
Against Persons and Related Extortion that are of
International Significance. USG officials, from the
Secretary to the Ambassador to PolOff, have repeatedly urged

SIPDIS
senior GOH officials, including President Ricardo Maduro and
Foreign Minister Guillermo Perez-Cadalso Arias, to ratify
these two conventions, as well as five UN counterterrorism
conventions/protocols that the GOH has yet to sign and/or
ratify (refs B and C).


2. (SBU) Senior GOH officials have told EmbOffs that they
will soon submit the two OAS conventions to the Congress for
approval, but they have yet to do so. No GOH official has
voiced any concern to EmbOffs that ratifying the two
conventions would be problematic for Honduras. Neither the
GOH nor Post believe that congressional approval would be
difficult or controversial. Once Congress has approved the
conventions and the congressional resolution has been
published in La Gaceta (akin to the Federal Register),the
GOH would then need to deposit its instruments of
ratification with the OAS. Post notes that the Honduran
Congress is currently on recess until early July.


3. (U) Post recommends that the U.S. delegation to the OAS
Assembly in Santiago urge the Honduran delegation to move
promptly to ratify the two OAS counterterrorism conventions
without further delay.
Pierce