Lima Convention

The Inter-American Convention on Amateur Service was adopted in Lima, Peru, in 1987, at the Fifth Inter-American Telecommunication Conference [CITEL/RES. 130 (V-87)], and amended in 1988, at the First Special Meeting of CITEL [CITEL/RES. 141 (I/E-88)] to permit and facilitate full participation by Member States of CITEL.  This Convention provides for the use of amateur radio service by nationals of a Member State in the territory of another Member State.

This Convention came into force on February 21, 1990.  The OAS General Secretariat is the depository for the original instrument and for the Convention’s instruments of ratification and accession.

Signatures that are not subject to ratification, approval, or acceptance (under Articles 7.a and 10 of the Convention, these countries are Parties to the Convention) are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Haiti, Peru, and Suriname.  

The signatures subject to ratification, approval, or acceptance (under Article 7.b of the Convention) are: United States of America and Uruguay.

Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP)

This Convention was adopted at the Second Meeting of CITEL’s Permanent Executive Committee, held in December 1994 [COM/CITEL RES. 5 (II-94)].  It was subsequently adopted in Montrouis, Haiti at the twenty-fifth regular session of the General Assembly [AG/RES. 1316 (XXV-O/95)].  

This Convention provides for temporary operation of amateur radio stations in a Member State by persons holding IARP permits issued by another Member State without need for further review.  Any Member State may issue permits to its citizens to operate in another Member State.  The IARP Convention came into force on February 23, 1996.  The OAS General Secretariat is the depository for its instruments of RA, AC, and AD.

Protocol of Amendment to the Inter-American Convention on the International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP)

At its thirty-third regular session, the OAS General Assembly, in resolution AG/RES. 1947 (XXXIII-O/03), adopted the Protocol of Amendment to the Inter-American Convention on the Amateur Radio Permit, intended to grant holders of the Radio Amateur License of the member countries of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) that have implemented CEPT’s Recommendation T/R 61-01, “CEPT Radio Amateur License” the same rights and privileges granted to IARP holders of CITEL Member States that become States Parties to the Protocol, while CEPT extends to holders of IARPs the same privileges and exemptions granted to holders of CEPT Radio Amateur Licenses of the member countries of CEPT that have implemented the aforementioned Recommendation. 

This new procedure will reduce the countries’ workload and, therefore, the costs involved, and will be of fundamental importance, particularly in emergencies.  The OAS General Secretariat is the depository for instruments of RA, AC, and AD. 

This Protocol came into force on the thirtieth day after the date on which the two States became Parties to it.

The Member States are urged to sign the Convention and the Protocol of Amendment, in view of the importance of this method of communication in disasters.