HONDURAS RATIFIES THREE COUNTERTERRORISM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 002656

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT, L, IO, EB, INL, AND NP
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/USOAS, AND WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL KTIA AORC PARM EAIR EWWT KCRM HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAS RATIFIES THREE COUNTERTERRORISM
CONVENTIONS; TWO IMO AND TWO OAS CT CONVENTIONS REMAINING



1. Summary: The GOH has ratified three outstanding
counterterrorism (CT) conventions (two ICAO and one IAEA).
The GOH is now a party to 10 international CT conventions.
Post is pressing hard for the GOH to ratify the two IMO and
two OAS CT conventions still outstanding. Persistent efforts
by EmbOffs to urge GOH officials to sign/ratify all
outstanding CT conventions are bearing fruit. End Summary.


2. While a staunch ally in the War on Terrorism, Honduras has
been slow to sign and ratify outstanding counterterrorism
(CT) conventions. In late December 2002, the GOH completed
all necessary domestic steps to become party to two
outstanding conventions. Since then the Ambassador and DCM
have repeatedly raised the CT conventions with President
Ricardo Maduro, multiple senior MFA officials, and Minister
of the Presidency Luis Cosenza. PolOffs have met and spoken
repeatedly with officials in the MFA's Directorate General
for Treaties and Ricardo Montes, legal advisor to Cosenza.
Assistance from Embassy London, the U.S. Mission to ICAO, the
U.S. Mission in Vienna, IO/T, NP, WHA/OAS, and WHA/CEN in
obtaining official Spanish-language translations of the CT
conventions was also critical. After months with no
significant progress, this summer/fall the GOH finally acted
on three outstanding CT conventions.

GOH Ratifies Three CT Conventions
--------------


3. The GOH has now completed all necessary domestic steps to
becoming a party to the following three counterterrorism
conventions. The three were approved by Congress in July,
but it took until late October/early November for the decrees
to be signed by President Maduro and published in La Gaceta
(the Honduran equivalent of the Federal Register). The CT
conventions are:
-- 1980 Convention on the Physical Protection on Nuclear
Materials
-- 1988 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of
Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation
-- 1991 Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for
the Purpose of Detection (signed by the GOH March 26, 1991).

Honduras Now a Party to 10 CT Conventions
--------------


4. The GOH was already a party to the following seven
international counterterrorism conventions:
-- 1963 Tokyo Convention on Offenses and Certain Other Acts
Committed Onboard Aircraft
-- 1970 Hague Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful
Seizure of Aircraft
-- 1971 Montreal Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful
Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation
-- 1973 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes
Against Internationally Protected Persons
-- 1979 Convention Against the Taking of Hostages
-- 1997 Convention for the Suppression on Terrorist Bombings,
and
-- 1999 Convention on the Suppression of Financing of
Terrorism Crimes.


5. With the addition of the three aforementioned CT
conventions, the GOH is now a party to 10 CT conventions.
Note: The GOH ratified the 1997 and 1999 UN CT conventions
in late December 2002. End Note.

Four to Go: Two IMO and Two OAS
--------------


6. The GOH is still not a party to the following two
international maritime CT conventions:
-- 1988 Convention for the Suppression on Unlawful Acts
Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA Convention)
-- 1988 Protocol for the Suppression on Unlawful Acts Against
the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental
Shelf (SUA Protocol)


7. Nor is the GOH a party to the following two Organization
of American States (OAS) CT conventions:
-- 1971 OAS Convention to Prevent and Punish the Acts of
Terrorism Taking the Form of Crimes Against Persons and
Related Extortion that are of International Significance
(signed by the GOH February 2, 1971)
-- 2002 OAS Convention to Prevent and Punish Acts of
Terrorism (signed by the GOH June 3, 2002).


8. According to the MFA and the Presidential Palace, the two
IMO CT conventions are under review by the GOH. The 1971 OAS
CT convention was recently forwarded to Congress for
approval; the GOH claims it will do the same soon for the
2002 OAS CT convention.


9. Note: The GOH also recently ratified the UN Convention on
Organized Crime. End Note.
Palmer