September 14, 2021
On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) of the Organization of American States (OAS) remembers the victims and those injured in the attacks suffered by the United States. It also honors the work carried out by national authorities, emergency personnel as well as all those who were in the first line of response to the tragedy.
The 9/11 attacks marked a critical juncture in the fight against terrorism at the international level. Among the efforts promoted in response to the events of that day, the OAS member states approved the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, a key instrument to strengthen hemispheric cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms.
Although twenty years later the OAS member states are better prepared, no country is exempt from the threat of terrorism and its various manifestations.
“Two decades have passed, but the attacks of September 11 are still alive in our memory. We must always remember those who died, those who were injured and their families, and embrace and support them. And we must remember that unity is a force against terrorism,” said the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro.
Ambassador Josué Fiallo, Permanent Representative to the OAS of the Dominican Republic , a country that currently holds the Chair of CICTE, said “The attacks of September 11, 2001 changed our world forever. We have learned enormously from the events of that day, but sadly the threat persists and is constantly evolving. It is imperative to continue working together through forums such as CICTE, to keep our hemisphere safe, protected, and free from terrorism and violent extremism.”
For his part, Ambassador Samuel Hinds, Permanent Representative to the OAS of Guyana, a country that currently holds the Vice Chair of CICTE, said that “As a hemisphere we must recommit to working comprehensively towards reducing the incidence of terrorism in our world.”
CICTE, the only regional entity in the Western Hemisphere whose purpose is to prevent and counter terrorism in the Americas, fosters cooperation and dialogue among OAS member states on this issue, consistent with the OAS Charter, with the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, and with full respect for the sovereignty of the countries, the rule of law and international law.