The origins of this historic international effort are rooted in an existing regional agreement. In just over a year, it was transformed from a drawing board concept into a regionally agreed convention. Soon after its signing in November 1997, the OAS Convention was pushed to center stage as states both inside and outside the hemisphere began consultations on using it as a prototype for global control. The agreement is now being used as the template for the Firearms Protocol. It is expected that the Crime Convention will be signed in the year 2000.
Many governments are eager to conclude agreement at the earliest possible date.
Although leading advocates such as Canada and the United States champion the OAS model internationally, they have yet to ratify or implement the OAS agreement domestically. 3 Objectives of this report With the unusual prospect of rapid diplomatic action it is critical that governments and NGOs are aware of the policy choices that need to be made. The introduction highlights the problems posed by illicit trafficking and provides some historical background on current control efforts. The second chapter attempts to shed some light on the strengths and weaknesses of the OAS Convention. Such analysis is necessary to understand how it works and gauge its suitability as the prototype for an international instrument.