The Organization of American States

What is the OAS? World’s oldest regional organization It serves to promote: Human Rights Peace Security Development

Goals of the OAS To strengthen the peace and security of the continent; b. To promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention; c. To prevent possible causes of difficulties and to ensure the pacific settlement of disputes that may arise among the Member States;

Goals of the OAS (continued) d. To provide for common action on the part of those States in the event of aggression; e. To seek the solution of political, juridical, and economic problems that may arise among them; f. To promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social, and cultural development;

Goals of the OAS (continued) g. To eradicate extreme poverty, which constitutes an obstacle to the full democratic development of the peoples of the hemisphere; and h. To achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons that will make it possible to devote the largest amount of resources to the economic and social development of the Member States."

Important Documents The Charter of the OAS: 1948 in Bogota, Columbia Amendments: Protocol of Buenos Aires: 1967 Protocol of Cartegena de Indias: 1985 Protocol of Managua: 1993 Protocol of Washington: 1992

35 INDEPENDENT MEMBER STATES OAS Members Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba1, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago (1967); Jamaica (1969); Grenada (1975); Suriname (1977); Dominica (Commonwealth of), Saint Lucia (1979); Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1981); The Bahamas (Commonwealth of) (1982); St. Kitts & Nevis (1984); Canada (1990); Belize and Guyana (1991). 35 INDEPENDENT MEMBER STATES

Structure General Assembly: supreme organ of the OAS; it convenes once a year. Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs: held in order to consider problems of an urgent nature and to serve as the Organ of Consultation on such matters. Permanent Council: shall keep vigilance over the maintenance of friendly relations among the member states and assist them in the peaceful settlements of their disputes.

The Inter-American Council for Integral Development: reports directly to the General Assembly. The Inter-American Juridical Committee: promotes the codification of international law, and studies juridical problems related to the integration of the developing countries of the Hemisphere the possibility of attaining uniformity in their legislation.

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: promoting and protecting human rights. General Secretariat: central and permanent organ. It shall perform the functions assigned to it in the Charter.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Membership Strengthens bond between member states. Aides in eliminating poverty. Because an act of aggression against one American state is an act of aggression against all American states, violence perpetuates itself. The OAS is based on democratic principles; therefore, membership requires all countries to govern as such even if they may not necessarily agree.

International Impact Cuba excluded from the OAS after claiming a Marxist-Leninist government and incompatibility with inter-American ideals 66 Observer Countries Working to prevent the illegal drug trade in Mexico In the process of forming an anti-terrorist front