Interim U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS Kevin K. Sullivan (center) and Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Foote from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) (left) are joined by OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro in a ceremony to announce a U.S. government contribution to OAS REMJA for continued programming of cybercrime training workshops. Specifically, the program will support delivery of OAS cybercrime regional training workshops for legislators, judges, and prosecutors and to help facilitate participation by developing countries at meetings of the OAS Working Group on Cyber-Crime. REMJA is the process of Meetings of Ministers of Justice or Other Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas and is the premier policy and technical forum at the hemispheric level on matters related to justice and international legal cooperation.
Remarks by Interim Permanent Representative Sullivan
September 26, 2017
Good afternoon and many thanks to Secretary General Almagro and colleagues from the OAS for your warm reception today. I am here with my colleague, Deputy Assistant Secretary of our Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Daniel Foote. We are very pleased to announce our continued support for the commendable progress the OAS has achieved in combating cybercrime and transnational organized crime in the Western Hemisphere.
The United States has enjoyed a long-time partnership with the OAS to build regional capacity to enhance security and safety for the hemisphere’s citizens. For over a decade, we have worked closely with OAS REMJA to support delivery of regional training workshops to reduce cybercrime and combat Internet-facilitated crime. Since 2015 alone, over 240 judges, investigators, and prosecutors from around the Western Hemisphere have participated in five of these regional workshops.
Today I am very pleased to share that the United States government is contributing $736,000 dollars to enable REMJA to continue delivering these essential workshops in 2018 and 2019.
Combating cybercrime and transnational organized crime in the Western Hemisphere is a key security goal of the United States, and the OAS is one of our most important partners in this mission.
REMJA has a proven track record of success in building regional capacity to combat cybercrime, and we are very enthusiastic to continue supporting REMJA’s important work. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the OAS as we strive to ensure a safer and more secure hemisphere for all of our citizens. Thank you.
