DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON OAS CICTE VI

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000267 SIPDIS WHA/OAS WHA/AND WHA/BSC WHA/PPC S/CT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER GY OAS SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON OAS CICTE VI PREPARATION REF: STATE 31112 ¶1. PolOff delivered demarche March 20 per reftel to Audrey Waddell, Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director of Americas and Asia Department. Waddell will be Guyana's head of delegation to the OAS Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) sixth regular session in Bogota. No one else from the GoG will attend. Although Guyana's involvement in CICTE has been limited to date, the GoG hopes Waddell's assistance will demonstrate its strong interest and commitment to CICTE. As with most multi-lateral intiatives, Guyana's ability to participate constructively in CICTE is severely hampered by resource constraints. She was unfamiliar with the specifics of the Declaration, but was encouraged that it draws on language already adopted in UN and OAS resolutions. She said the GoG agrees that there is a connection between terrorism and illicit transnational activity. ¶2. Waddell said that ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism is now before the GoG cabinet. She said that there is some GoG hesitation about the Convention because so few CARICOM states have ratified it. Waddell said that the GoG wants to determine if this delay is because other CARICOM states have substantive concerns about the Convention. THOMAS