Organization of American States (OAS)

By Megan Hussey

What is the OAS?

• Organization of 35 nations from North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean

• World’s oldest regional organization

• Four main pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development

Documents

• Charter of the OAS was signed by original 21 members in 1948

• Organization of American States was officially created under the signing of the charter

Age of Organization

• Created in 1948 (turning 64 years old)

Revisions:• Since Cold War ended, OAS has put more

emphasis on democracy & human rights

• Inter-American Democratic Charter

was adopted in 2001 to promote democracy

Purpose

• Keep independence of member states while promoting cooperative action in economic, social, and cultural development and speeding the process of economic integration

Goals

• Increase peace & security of continent

• Prevent conflicts & encourage peaceful settlement of disputes between member states

• Promote democracy• Limit poverty• Find solutions for political &

economic problems

Membership

• 35 countries currently belong to the OAS

• Original 21 member states signed the Charter of the OAS in 1948

• 14 member states have since joined

• All members have ratified the Charter of the OAS

Leadership

General Secretariat• Secretary General: José Miguel Insulza• Chief of Staff of the Secretary General: Hugo de Zela• Assistant Secretary General: Albert R. Ramdin• Chief of Staff of the Assistant Secretary General:

Carmen Lucía de la Pava

Permanent Representatives to the OAS• Chair of the Permanent Council: Duly Brutus• Vice Chair of the Permanent Council : Allan Culham

Advantages of Membership• Has helped ensure fair and free

elections in Latin America

• Promotes educational programs throughout the Americas

• Has numerous affiliated organizations

Disadvantages of Membership

• Since the OAS was created, it has been dominated by the United States

• During the Cold War Era, the main concern of the OAS was to limit communist influence on western hemisphere

• The United States violated the Charter of the OAS, which states that no state can intervene on the affairs of another state

International Impact

Mexico• Has been a member of the OAS since 1948• In October 2011, Mexico’s Supreme Court

and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a part of the OAS, signed an agreement where all Mexican federal judges on will receive training concerning human rights

Works Cited

• Hastedt, Glenn. "Organization of American States (OAS)." Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc.

• Schroeder, Michael J. "Organization of American States (OAS)." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The Contemporary World, 1950 to the Present, vol. 6. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc.

• Organization of American States. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.oas.org>.