Annually, the OAS helps to prepare a report for the Secretary General of the OAS to present to the secretary general of the United Nations (UN) on mine related activities. Col. McDonough commented that it is always a surprise, when attending UN functions, that the OAS is referred to as "the other International Organization involved in mine action." He goes on to point out that Article 1, paragraph 1 of the OAS charter states that within the UN, the OAS is actually a regional agency. Whether the UN ever finalized the adoption papers that formally incorporate the OAS into their organization is unknown. Either way, the OAS works very well with the UN in maintaining a dialogue not only at the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) level, but also at the highest level—between the Secretary General of the OAS and the Secretary General of the UN.

Col. McDonough goes on to recognize the collaboration that takes place in the series of States Parties meetings and the intercessional workgroups. He comments on the impressive dynamic that exists in these meetings, between the states parties and the mine affected countries in the region. These two partners really mobilize to support each other and mine action in the Americas. The leadership that has been taken in the mine-affected countries of the Americas, whether that be chairing or co-chairing important working groups or commissions, exemplifies the existing dynamic role of the Americas in the International forum. In the last four years, there has been an impressive sequence of regional seminars starting with Miami in 2001, Managua in 2002, we are here in Peru this year, and next year in Quito. The Americas can serve as a model to other regions in how to sustain dialogue within the region.

The UN came out with a portfolio of mine action projects that they circulate around the donor community. This hefty document includes about 39 different countries and about 100 different projects that are in need of funding. Col. McDonough explains that although he didn't think it was worth the fight to try to get the Americas' projects included, he did think it was a good idea to create a sort of companion document where each country in the Americas has the opportunity to present their financial needs. This way, the Americas can insure that the donor community knows the specific regional financial requirements. Some of the entries, such as those of countries who are just getting started in mine action, are very general, where as others who have been doing this for a while and know exactly how much mine action costs annually, are quite specific. It's been a very successful document because it does mobilize the donor community. It is not necessarily a contract where you must comply with the proposal, but it is very beneficial. When a donor expresses interest, we can look at the document and know that we already have a commitment from that government, if they got money, this is how it would be used.

Col. McDonough goes on to explain that beyond the portfolio, regional cooperation has a number of mechanisms. This includes "monitors and supervisors that are interchanged by regional military structures to ensure technical competence and satisfaction of International Mine Action Standards, the sharing of technical advice and assistance on stockpile destruction matters, sharing of materials and standardization on regional and national basis for mine risk education (MRE)." Col. McDonough went on to commend the excellent cooperation going on with UN International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in the area of MRE and expressed his interest in collaborating with other UN agencies and non-governmental agencies under the supervision of the National Mine Action Authorities so that all materials would comply with and have the blessing of the National Mine Action Authority.

Col. McDonough then went on to recognize the achievement of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). Great cooperation has been going on between the Americas and the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining for years. There has been such success that a technical representative is actually stationed in Managua, Nicaragua to ensure that the particular data base is the showcase for the region, in terms of information data bases. By the virtue of his presence in the region, all the different data basis in the region have benefited.

As far as extra regional cooperation goes, Col. McDonough expressed his wish that the America's model could be exportable. The Americas have realized so much success in their mine action efforts. Because there is no inter-African defense board and because the Organization of African Immunity doesn't have quite the same capacity as the OAS, trying to make a transplant into an Asian/African context is not quite possible. None the less, Col. McDonough stressed the importance of South/South cooperation. His view of this cooperation involves the Americas training a few Asian/African representatives. Having them come over to us and taking a look at our mechanisms such as IMSMA, and our rainbow coalition of Army engineers, demobilized ex-guerillas, volunteer firemen, international monitors and supervisors. If they can come here and understand how we function. If need be, after they come here, we could ask a donor to fund a few people to go over there, then on that very small level, a sort of cross fertilization would be possible. South/South cooperation is something that should be discussed on the margins and we can take that to Bangkok with us.