[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 73 (Tuesday, June 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S5998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 105-49

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous 
consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following 
treaty transmitted to the Senate on June 9, 1998 by the President of 
the United States: Inter-American Convention Against Illicit 
Manufacturing and Trafficking of Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and 
Other Related Materials (Treaty Document No. 105-49); I further ask 
that the treaty be considered as having been read the first time; that 
it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's message 
be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The message of the President is as follows:

To the Senate of the United States:
  With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification, I transmit herewith the Inter-American Convention Against 
the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, 
Explosives, and Other Related Materials (the ``Convention''), adopted 
at the Special Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of 
American States (OAS) at Washington on November 13, 1997. The 
Convention was signed by the United States and 28 other OAS Member 
States on November 14, 1997, at the OAS Headquarters in Washington. So 
far, 31 States have signed the Convention and one (Belize) has ratified 
it. In addition, for the information of the Senate, I transmit the 
report of the Department of State with respect to the Convention.
  The Convention is the first multilateral treaty of its kind in the 
world. The provisions of the Convention are explained in the 
accompanying report of the Department of State. The Convention should 
be an effective tool to assist in the hemispheric effort to combat the 
illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, 
explosives, and other related materials, and could also enhance the law 
enforcement efforts of the States Parties in other areas, given the 
links that often exist between those offenses and organized criminal 
activity, such as drug trafficking and terrorism.
  The Convention provides for a broad range of cooperation, including 
extradition, mutual legal assistance, technical assistance, and 
exchanges of information, experiences, and training, in relation to the 
offenses covered under the treaty. The Convention also imposes on the 
Parties an obligation to criminalize the offenses set forth in the 
treaty if they have not already done so. The Convention will not 
require implementing legislation for the United States.
  This treaty would advance important U.S. Government interests, and 
would enhance hemispheric security by obstructing the illicit flow of 
weapons to criminals such as terrorists and drug traffickers. In 
addition, ratification of this Convention by the United States would be 
consistent with, and give impetus to, the active work being done by the 
United States Government on this subject in other fora, such as the 
United Nations, the P-8 Group, and the OAS Inter-American Drug Abuse 
Control Commission (CICAD).
  I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to 
the Convention, and that it give its advice and consent to 
ratification.
                                                  William J. Clinton.  
  The White House, June 9, 1998.

                          ____________________