Creation of the Organization of American States. The history of Venezuela's withdrawal from the Organization of American States
Name:
Organization of American States, OAS, OIS
Flag/Coat of Arms:
Status:
continental political organization
Structural units:
General Assembly,
Standing Council
Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers,
General Secretariat
Activity:
The goals of the organization are stated in the Charter in Article 1: “To maintain peace and justice, promote solidarity, strengthen cooperation and defend its sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and independence.”
Official languages:
Spanish, English, French, Portuguese
Participating countries:
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Haiti, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Grenada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, El Salvador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, USA, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, Jamaica
Story:
The Organization of American States is the oldest regional organization in the world, dating back to the First International Conference of American States held in Washington. At this meeting, the creation of the International Union of American Republics was approved, and the stage was set for the creation of a network of provisions and institutions that became known as the All-American System. The OAS was born in 1948 with the signing of the OAS Charter in Bogota, Colombia, which came into force in December 1951.
Countries that gained independence after 1948 were generally admitted to the OAS upon gaining independence, with the exception of Canada, which did not join the OAS until 1990, and Guyana, which was admitted in 1991 (25 years after independence; like Canada, Guyana is a member British Commonwealth). Guyana is currently the latest country to be admitted to the OAS.
Until 1962, Cuba, as a member of the OAS, took part in its work, but after Cuba transitioned to the socialist path of development, the OAS leadership considered this incompatible with America’s collective security system and suspended the Cuban government’s membership in the organization; Cuba and the Soviet bloc countries considered this decision illegal. In the 2000s, the Cuban leadership repeatedly came up with proposals to restore membership in the OAS. The decision to suspend Cuba's participation was reversed on June 3, 2009, but Cuba itself refused to return to the OAS.
The OAS General Assembly in April 1971 established the OAS Institute of Permanent Observers; at the end of 2009, the EU and 62 states had this status, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.
On July 4, 2009, the government of Honduras, which came as a result of a military coup, announced the denunciation of the OAS charter and the immediate withdrawal of its country from this organization. Earlier, on July 2, the leadership of the OAS demanded that power in the country be returned to President Manuel Zelaya within 72 hours, threatening otherwise to expel Honduras from the organization. On June 1, 2011, after Zelaya and the current President of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, concluded an agreement on national reconciliation, Honduras' membership in the OAS was restored.
Today it is possible to include the OAS. The association, called the Organization of American States, has clear goals and principles of its activities, an officially approved Charter, an extensive structure and an impressive number of member states. Our task will be to get to know the above in detail.
What is OAS
Organization of American States Organization of American states, fr. Organization des États américains, Spanish Organización de los estados americanos, port. Organização dos Estados Americanos), OAS (OAS) is an international association of states formed in 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference in the Colombian city of Bogota. Its base was the Pan American Union (1889), a consultative association of a number of American republics.
The OAS has 35 (currently 33) member countries. There are four working languages - English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. The governing body of the organization is the General Assembly. The headquarters of the association is located in the USA - Washington.
Formation of the Organization of American States. OAS: history
The OAS, in the form of the Pan American Union, began its work in 1889 with the First American International Conference held in Washington. It was then that the basis for its institutions and regulations was prepared, and the foundation of this association was approved. The year of creation of the Organization of American States is considered to be 1948 - the year of signing its Charter. It came into force in 1951.
Most member countries were characterized by the practice of joining the OAS immediately after gaining or winning independence. The exceptions were Canada (1990) and Guyana (1991). The second was the last country admitted to this American union today.
Until 1962, Cuba was considered a full member of the OAS, but after it chose the path of socialism, the General Assembly, in order to ensure the security of its members, decided to exclude this state from among its participants. The Organization of the Americas also ordered its members to sever all diplomatic relations with Cuba, although some of them voted against this. Only on July 3, 2009, the suspension of this country's participation in the OAS was lifted, but the Cuban government was in no hurry to decide to return to the union.
In 1971, it was decided to introduce the institution of OAS observers. In 2015, 70 states already have this status, including the Russian Federation. Currently, the authority and position of the Organization of American States has been significantly weakened by purely Latin American associations without the participation of the United States - UNASUR (Union of South American Nations), CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States).
In April 2017, Nicolás Maduro sent a message to the OAS General Secretariat saying that his state would immediately leave the union.
Member countries of the association
So who is in the Organization of American States:
- Dominica;
- Peru;
- Uruguay;
- Barbados;
- Honduras;
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Mexico;
- Salvador;
- Paraguay;
- Guyana;
- Trinidad, Tobago;
- Saint Lucia;
- Colombia;
- Nicaragua;
- Bolivia;
- Suriname;
- Panama;
- Chile;
- Saint Vincent, Grenadines;
- Costa Rica;
- Dominican Republic;
- Guatemala;
- Saint Kitts, Nevis;
- Bahamas;
- Argentina;
- Belize;
- Canada;
- Ecuador;
- Grenada;
- Mexico;
- Brazil;
- Jamaica.
Previously, the union also included Cuba and Venezuela.
Objectives of the OAS
The objectives of the Organization of American States, based on the Charter, are as follows:
- and security on the two American continents.
- Priority observance of the principle of non-interference, strengthening of representative democratic government in the participating countries.
- Promote the peaceful resolution of disputes between member countries, as well as prevent possible escalation of conflicts.
- Combine forces in case of external aggression.
- To contribute to solving a number of problems of the participating countries - economic, social, legal.
- Contribute to overall social, cultural and economic development.
- Make the direction of your development to limit the number of weapons, using all resources for social and economic development.
Basic principles of the union's activities
The creation of the Organization of American States implied strict adherence by its participants to a number of principles:
- The norm of interaction between participants is international law.
- Relations between the participating countries are built on respect for the rights of sovereignty of states and the individuals of their citizens, as well as on the basis of strict compliance with the obligations prescribed by international treaties.
- Relations between the OAS participants are based on the principles of goodwill and mutual trust.
- Each participating State should choose to establish an effective representative democracy as its primary goal.
- Cooperation between the OAS countries is based on the principles of non-interference in each other’s policies and the independence of state systems.
- The participating countries oppose wars of aggression.
- Aggression against one member state is regarded as aggression against the entire OAS.
- All disputes between participants must be resolved only peacefully.
- Economic cooperation must lead to the overall welfare of the citizens of member countries.
- The basis of peace is social security and justice.
- The personal rights of all citizens are equal - regardless of their gender, race or age.
- The spiritual unity of the OAS countries is built on mutual respect for each other's national cultures and the pursuit of high ideals of universal culture.
- The work of educational institutions of the OAS states should be based on the promotion of universal peace, freedom and equality.
Structure of the OAS
The Organization of American States (OAS) carries out its objectives through the following hierarchy of bodies:
- General Assembly;
- a consultative advisory body of the foreign ministers of the participating states;
- Adviсe;
- Inter-American Committee on Legal Affairs;
- ad hoc Inter-American Commission on Human Rights;
- General Secretariat;
- specialized institutions and conferences.
Additional creation of auxiliary institutions and bodies on specific issues is possible.
Charter of the Organization of American States
The OAS Charter was adopted on April 30, 1948 in Bogota (Colombia). It consists of 3 parts, 23 chapters and 151 articles. Its structure is as follows:
- Part 1:
- The nature of the document, listing the main goals of the organization.
- OAS principles.
- Provisions concerning members of the organization.
- Disclosure of the concept of “comprehensive development” within the framework of this union of states.
- Part 2:
- Organization structure.
- Regulations on the General Assembly.
- Principles of work of the Consultative Meeting of Ministers of Internal Affairs.
- Councils of the organization: general provisions; articles examining the work of the Permanent Council.
- Inter-American Social and Economic Council.
- Council for Education, Science and Culture.
- Judicial Committee of the Organization of American States.
- Human Rights Commission.
- General Secretariat.
- Articles about specialized conferences.
- Points about specialized institutions.
- Part 3:
- Various provisions of the document.
- Ratification and duration.
- Listing of temporary provisions.
About the General Assembly
The General Assembly is recognized as the highest governing body of the Organization of American States. It performs a number of important functions within the structure:
- Determines the general vectors of activity and policy of the entire system.
- Considers all issues relating to relationships between members.
- Coordinates the activities of all lower-level bodies and institutions.
- Strengthens and develops cooperation with the UN.
- Actively promote cooperation with other international organizations in the social, economic and cultural spheres, giving preference to alliances with similar goals.
- Approves the budget program of the Organization of American States and sets the size of participant quotas.
- Hears all annual reports and reports of controlled bodies and institutions.
- Adopts the general standards on which the General Secretariat operates.
- Adopts its entire regulations and 2/3 of the agenda.
Absolutely all OAS countries are represented in the General Assembly; each is entitled to only one vote. This supreme council meets annually in a city, which is selected on a rotating basis. All resolutions are approved by a large number of votes. The exception is projects prescribed in the Charter, the adoption of which requires 2/3 “for”.
About OAS members
Here are the most significant provisions regarding members of the Organization of American States:
- Entry into the association is open to any American country or union of states that agrees to accept all the obligations of the Charter and ratify it.
- The decision to accept a new member is determined by a vote of all participants - 2/3 of the vote is required for a positive verdict.
- All member states of the OAS have equal rights and responsibilities.
- Each of the participants should not be limited in the original path of development of their political, economic and social life.
- None of the members has the right to interfere, even indirectly, in the internal affairs of another.
- The territory of each member state is inviolable.
- All disputes are resolved only peacefully - this is arbitration, reconciliation, direct negotiations, judicial procedure, etc.
- If the integrity and integrity of one or more member states is violated, then other OAS members must stand up to defend his/their sovereignty.
Disclosure of the concept of “comprehensive development” within the framework of the OAS
The comprehensive development of the members of the Organization of American States (OAS), as stipulated in its Charter, means the following:
- Constant increase in GDP, fair distribution of national income, adequate tax systems, modernization of agriculture, stable price levels, fair salaries, introduction of modern advances in medicine, creation of a decent standard of living for the population, etc.
- Providing access to world markets to their regions, creating favorable conditions for concluding international business agreements, expanding export opportunities, etc.
- Respect for the personal rights of its citizens, providing them with economic stability, social security, freedom of spiritual development; creation of a legal system that protects the rights of every citizen without exception; creation of trade unions; ensuring universal primary and secondary education and free access to higher education, etc.
The OAS is one of the oldest American international associations. The organization today unites 33 countries, has an extensive structure, its own Charter with clearly defined goals and operating principles.
OAS- the first continental organization of the world, which began to take shape almost immediately after the Latin American countries gained independence. At its origins were the leaders of the Latin American Revolution led by Simon Bolivar. Back in 1826, the first congress of representatives of Latin America was held in Panama with the goal of achieving the unity of the peoples of the continent by creating a federation of Latin American republics. But then this idea did not receive support from the majority of congress participants.
The United States imagined the unity of the continent somewhat differently. President James Monroe, during the period of the struggle of the peoples of Latin America for independence, proclaimed the doctrine according to which the United States was to become the dominant force in the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, the leaders of the young Latin American states did not really trust their northern neighbor. " I think America is better off accepting the Koran rather than the United States form of government“- said S. Bolivar. Indeed, the true intentions of the United States on the continent were revealed very quickly by the example of its neighbor Mexico, from which they, through provocations and interventions, tore away a third of the territory.
Decades passed, new generations of people grew up, and ideas of continental solidarity based on the similarity of economic interests and cultures of peoples were born. In the name of their implementation, from October 1889 to April 1890, the first international congress of American states met in Washington, which established (April 14, 1890) International Union of American States and its secretariat - Commercial Bureau of the American Republics. In 1910 this organization was renamed Pan American Union.
The First and Second World Wars contributed to the growing role of Latin American states that stood far away from the war fronts in international life. In 1947, representatives of 18 American states signed the so-called “ Inter-American Pact » or « Inter-American Treaty on Mutual help" And on April 30, 1948, 20 states of the continent signed the Charter in the capital of Colombia, Bogota Organization of American States(OAS).
According to the Charter, the Organization is created to achieve peace and legality, strengthen solidarity, enhance cooperation, and protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of American states. The main objectives of the OAS, according to Article 2 of its Charter, are:
a) strengthening peace and security on the continent;
b) promoting and strengthening representative democracy with due respect for the principle of non-interference;
c) preventing possible causes of difficulties and ensuring the peaceful settlement of differences that may arise between the member states of the OAS;
d) organization of joint actions in case of aggression;
e) facilitating the search for solutions to political, legal and economic problems that may arise between the countries of the continent;
f) promoting, through joint action, their economic, social and cultural development;
g) overcoming extreme poverty, which is an obstacle to the democratic development of the peoples of the continent;
h) achieving an effective limitation of conventional weapons, which will allow more funds to be directed towards the economic and social development of Member States.
Relations between OAS members should be based on the principles of respect for human rights, the sovereignty of states, strict compliance with obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law, goodwill and solidarity in the effective implementation of representative democracy. The Charter recognizes that each state has the right to choose, without outside interference, a political, economic, and social system and to choose the most suitable path of development for itself, and to refrain from interfering in the affairs of other states.
American states undertake to cooperate fully with each other, regardless of the nature of their political, economic and social systems. Aggression is condemned; it is recognized that victory does not confer any rights. The spiritual unity of the continent must be based on respect for the cultural values of the Americas and therefore requires close cooperation. Article 9 of the OAS Charter provides that a member's right to participate in the activities of the OAS and its governing bodies may be suspended if its democratically elected government is overthrown by force.
The OAS Charter prohibits states from interfering in each other's affairs. " No state or group of states, says its Article 19, under any pretext has the right to directly or indirectly interfere in the internal or external affairs of any state. The above principle prohibits not only armed intervention, but also any other form of intervention aimed at attacking the state itself or its political, economic and cultural organs" The following article prohibits the use of coercive measures of an economic or political nature with the aim of influencing the sovereign will of another state and deriving any benefit from it.
The territory of the OAS member states is declared inviolable and cannot be occupied by anyone, even temporarily. Territorial acquisitions or advantages obtained by force or other means of coercion cannot be recognized. All disputes between members of the OAS shall be settled by such peaceful means as: direct negotiations, good offices, mediation, study and conciliation, judicial settlement, arbitration and others, which the parties may agree to at any time.
The OAS was created to jointly ensure collective security. " Aggression against one American State is aggression against all others“- says Article 3 of the Charter (clause h). In Article 28 this idea is further strengthened: “ Every act of aggression against the territorial integrity or inviolability of territory, against the sovereignty or political independence of any American state will be considered an act of aggression against other American states" In all circumstances where the integrity or integrity of the territory, sovereignty or political independence of any American state is threatened by armed attack or other act of foreign aggression, American states must take immediate action in accordance with the principles of continental solidarity and collective self-defense. The same is done in cases of conflicts between two or more American states, as well as in any other situations that endanger the peace of the continent.
The principles of inter-American solidarity and cooperation should also permeate the cooperation of the OAS member countries in the field of economic, social, educational, cultural, scientific and technological development. They undertake to refrain from policies and actions that could harm the development of other countries. Multinational enterprises in the countries of the continent must obey the laws of the countries in which they are located and international agreements to which these states are parties.
The Charter declares (Art. 45) that man can realize his aspirations only in an economically developed social order based on true peace. Based on this, Member States undertake to be guided in their daily activities by the following principles:
a) all people, without distinction as to race, sex, nationality, faith or social origin, have the right to material well-being and spiritual development in conditions of freedom, dignity, equality of opportunity and economic protection;
b) work is a right and a social duty, it must be carried out under conditions that include a system of fair pay that guarantees life, health and a decent standard of living for the worker and his family, both during work and in old age or when, for one or another for other reasons he is deprived of the opportunity to work;
c) employees and workers in both rural and urban areas have the right to free association to protect their interests, including the right to collective agreements, strikes, recognition of associations as legal entities with the protection of their freedom and independence in accordance with the law;
f) inclusion and increasing participation of marginalized sections of the population in the economic, social, civil, cultural and political life of the country in order to achieve full integration of society, accelerate the process of social mobility and consolidate the democratic system.
In their development plans, OAS member states should give priority to supporting education, science, technology and culture. The OAS member states pledged to pay special attention to the eradication of illiteracy, for which the opportunity to receive primary education at public expense will be provided not only to school-age children, but also to adults. It is planned to expand the system of secondary and higher education.
Governing bodies of the OAS.
According to Article 53 of the OAS Charter, its objectives will be achieved by the work of the following bodies:
a) the General Assembly;
b) Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers;
c) Soviets;
d) Inter-American Legal Committee;
e) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights;
f) General Secretariat;
g) Specialized Conferences and
h) Specialized Organizations.
Additionally, auxiliary bodies, agencies and other units may be established if the need arises.
General Assembly is the highest organ of the Organization of American States. Its powers are defined by Article 54 of the Charter. They are:
a) determining the general policy and actions of the organization, the structure and functions of its organs, considering any question relating to friendly relations between American states;
b) identifying arrangements for coordinating the activities of organs, agencies and departments of the organization;
c) strengthening and coordinating cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies;
d) strengthening cooperation with other international organizations of similar purposes in the economic, social and cultural fields;
e) approval of the OAS budget;
f) studying the materials of the Consultative Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council regarding reports submitted to it by other bodies in accordance with the Charter;
g) adoption of general standards for managing the activities of the General Secretariat, its own rules of procedure and agenda for sessions.
Each OAS member state has one vote. The General Assembly meets annually at a time determined by the rules of procedure and at a place chosen in accordance with the principle of priority. At each regular session, the date and place of the next session are determined. If for one reason or another the General Assembly cannot be held in the chosen location, the session may be held in a country that offers its services. And if there is no such proposal, then the place is determined by the General Secretariat with the consent of the OAS Permanent Council. In special cases, with the consent of two thirds of the Member States, special sessions of the General Assembly may be convened. The sessions are prepared by a Preparatory Committee, which includes representatives of all member states. Decisions of the General Assembly are taken by an absolute majority of votes, except in cases requiring a two-thirds vote.
Consultative meetings of foreign ministers are carried out by decision of the absolute majority of member states to consider problems of an urgent nature affecting the interests of all states. The agenda for such meetings is drawn up by the OAS Permanent Council. In cases where the Minister of Foreign Affairs is unable to attend a meeting, he must be represented by a special delegate. In the event of an armed attack on any American state or conflict on the continent, the Chairman of the Permanent Council shall immediately convene a meeting of the Council to consider the conflict from the standpoint of the OAS Charter.
For consultations on issues of military cooperation, there is Defense Advisory Committee, consisting of the highest military authorities of the American states. The Committee meets according to the same rules as the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers, and also when the General Assembly or the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers decides by a two-thirds vote.
Permanent Council of the OAS (PC) – one of the bodies through which the OAS carries out its objectives. It is directly responsible to the General Assembly and consists of representatives of all member states appointed by their respective governments with the rank of ambassador. The Permanent Council is responsible for any issues entrusted to it by the General Assembly or the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers. Under the terms of the Inter-American Mutual Assistance Agreement, the Permanent Council serves temporarily and as a consultative body for the parties to the agreement. All its members preside over the Council in turn in alphabetical order for a period of no more than 6 months. To assist the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen are elected in the same way, but starting from the end of the alphabet. The Permanent Council is called upon to promote the preservation of friendly relations between member states, to assist them in the peaceful settlement of disputes, while providing good offices (Art. 85). Carrying out its statutory functions and with the consent of the parties to disputes, the PS can establish permanent committees and study controversial issues locally.
In cases where one of the parties to a dispute does not accept the recommendations of the PC or the standing committee, the Permanent Council must inform the General Assembly about this and continue to seek ways of reconciliation. Decisions of the PS are made by a two-thirds majority vote without the participation of the parties to the conflict, with the exception of procedural ones, for which a simple majority is sufficient.
The Permanent Council must also implement such decisions of the General Assembly or the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers, the implementation of which was not entrusted to another body, and ensure compliance with the norms of the Charter in the period between sessions of the General Assembly. It performs the functions of the Preparatory Committee for the preparation of sessions of the GA, develops draft treaties and agreements between the member states of the OAS, between the OAS and the UN and other international institutions, considers reports of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, the Inter-American Legal Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the General Secretariat , specialized institutions and conferences, other bodies and agencies. The Permanent Council is located in the same place as the General Secretariat (in Washington).
Inter-American Council for Integral Development (MASIR) is an organ of the Organization of American States established by the Protocol of Managua, which entered into force on January 29, 1996. Accountable to the General Assembly, it is composed of representatives of all OAS member states of ministerial rank, appointed by their respective governments, and has the power to decide on matters associated with partnership for development. This Council may create such subsidiary bodies as it deems necessary for the proper performance of its functions. Its goal is to establish cooperation between American states in the name of integral development, eliminating poverty, and solving other problems in the economic, social, educational, cultural, scientific and technical fields. MASIR holds annual meetings at the ministerial level. They make recommendations to the General Assembly on strategic plans for policy formulation, program development and coordination of cooperation courses in the interests of integral development, as well as on the preparation of budgets for technical cooperation programs. Here the appointment of those responsible for the implementation of adopted programs and development projects takes place, and the results of the work done are summed up. Each Council, in cases of urgent need, may convene, after consultation with the member states, special conferences on matters within its competence and provide the necessary services to governments at their request.
Inter-American Judicial Committee (IAUC) is the legal advisory body of the OAS, dedicated to promoting progressive development, codifying international law, studying legal problems related to the integration of developing countries of the continent and, to the extent possible, achieving uniformity in relevant legislation. MAJK consists of eleven lawyers elected by the General Assembly for a term of four years from among candidates nominated by member states. The Committee cannot have more than one person from one country. MJUC organizes research on issues referred to it by the General Assembly and other governing bodies of the OAS, establishes cooperative relationships with universities and other centers of study, as well as with national and international committees engaged in the study of legal problems of an international nature and training. The Committee operates according to its own statute, approved by the GA. Its headquarters are in Rio de Janeiro, but in special cases it may meet in other places agreed upon with member states.
An important body of the OAS is Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, whose main function is to promote respect for and protection of human rights. The Commission acts as the main advisory body of the OAS in these matters. The structure, competence and operating procedures of this Commission and its departments are determined by the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights.
The central and permanent administrative body of the Organization of American States is General Secretariat. It is called upon to perform the functions assigned to it by the Charter of the OAS and other inter-American treaties and agreements, as well as by the General Assembly, the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers and the Councils of the OAS. Secretary General, who directs the activities of the Secretariat, and his assistant are elected by the General Assembly for a five-year term and are responsible to it. The Secretary General can only be re-elected once or replaced by a citizen of the same state. When the position of Secretary General becomes vacant, the Assistant Secretary General (according to the Charter, he is the secretary of the Permanent Council) performs his duties until the General Assembly elects a new Secretary General. The Secretary General and his assistant must not be citizens of the same country.
The Secretary-General or his representative may participate in all meetings of the OAS “with a voice but without the right to vote” (Art. 110). It may bring to the attention of the General Assembly and the Permanent Council any matter which, in its opinion, may threaten the peace and security of the continent or the development of member states. The location of the General Secretariat is the city of Washington.
The OAS has its own network of specialized organizations. Inter-American specialized organizations- These are intergovernmental structures established in accordance with multilateral agreements to resolve issues common to American states. They enjoy the broadest autonomy in their activities, but are obliged to be guided by the recommendations of the General Assembly and Councils of the OAS. There are currently six specialized OAS organizations.
Pan American Health Organization established in 1902 by the Second International Conference of American States (Mexico) and functions as the regional branch of the World Health Organization (for the Western Hemisphere). Its mission is to establish cooperation with OAS member states in order to combat disease and preserve healthy environments, promoting sustainable development. The headquarters of the Organization is located in Washington.
Inter-American Children's Institute created in 1924–1927. and aims to guide public policy in the area of child protection, articulate the relationship between state and civil society and develop a critical understanding of childhood issues. Located in Montevideo (Uruguay).
Inter-American Commission of Women established at the International Conference of American States (Havana, 1929) as an advisory body on the status and living conditions of women on the continent. Located in Washington.
Pan American Institute of Geography and History formed by the decision of the sixth international conference of American states in 1928 and is designed to establish cooperation between states in the fields of cartography, geography, history and geophysics. It is located in Mexico City.
Inter-American Indian Institute Organized under a 1940 agreement to promote cooperation and policy coordination among member states and to assist in community development research and training. The institute is located in Mexico City.
M American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture founded in 1942 as the Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Sciences, designed to stimulate, promote and support the efforts of the countries of the continent in the development of agriculture and improving the welfare of the rural population. The headquarters of the institute is located in San Jose (Costa Rica).
Specialized organizations must establish cooperative relationships with other international institutions of the same competence in order to coordinate their actions, while maintaining their autonomy as OAS institutions. In accordance with Articles 90 and 130 of the Charter, they submit annual reports to the General Assembly on their activities and financial expenditures.
The validity of the OAS Charter is unlimited, but member states wishing to leave the organization must notify the General Secretariat in writing of their desire two years in advance, which will bring this information to the attention of all members.
The OAS Charter came into force in December 1951. Since then it has been amended in accordance with the protocols:
Buenos Aires (signed in 1967 and entered into force in February 1970);
Cartagena de Indias (signed in 1985 and entered into force in November 1988);
Washington (signed in 1992 and will enter into force after ratification by two-thirds of member states);
The Buenos Aires Protocol changed the structure of the Organization of American States and included in the Charter new conditions for cooperation in the economic, social, educational, scientific and cultural fields. The Cartagena de Indias Protocol provided for additional measures to consolidate representative democracy on the principles of non-intervention and outlined the strengthening of the powers of the Permanent Council and the Secretary General of the OAS. Washington Protocol provides that an OAS member state whose democratically elected government has been overthrown by force suspends its right to participate in the councils of the Organization. The Protocol proclaims the eradication of poverty as one of the main goals of the OAS. The Managua Protocol created the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, whose purpose is to promote cooperation among American states to eliminate extreme poverty.
Currently, 35 states of the continent are members of the OAS. Another 39 countries of the world and the European Union have permanent observer status. Russia has been a permanent observer since April 1992. Permanent observers have the right to participate in all public discussions of OAS problems, and, upon invitation, in private, confidential discussions, and receive all official documents and materials of sessions, conferences, meetings and meetings. They can also make their contribution (material and other) to the implementation of OAS programs. States in the Western Hemisphere may change their status in the OAS. Thus, Canada, Belize and Guyana were initially observers of the OAS, and since January 1991 they became its full members.
Issues of trade and economic relations have always remained at the center of attention of the OAS. Even during the creation of the Organization, it was planned to form, as soon as possible, a Latin American common market designed to promote the economic integration of the countries of the continent. In 1993, the Select Committee on Trade was established. Its goal is to liberalize trade between countries in the hemisphere.
The policy document “Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action”, adopted by the leaders of thirty-four countries of the continent (Miami December 7–8, 1996), announced the establishment American Free Trade Area. States have expressed their desire to gradually eliminate existing trade and investment barriers. According to the Action Plan, the OAS should play a primary role in implementing the decisions of the summits, helping to strengthen democracy, promoting and protecting human rights, and eliminating the threat of national and international terrorism. It should strive to strengthen mutual trust, free trade in the Western Hemisphere, promote the development of television and other information infrastructures, the fight against drug trafficking and related crimes, and cooperation in the fields of science and technology.
It must be said that this is not the first time that such goals have been proclaimed by the OAS. They were declared the main ones in the Declaration of Punta del Este (Uruguay) of 1961. Their practical implementation should have been facilitated by the objectives proclaimed in the “Union for Progress” document, aimed at strengthening representative democracy, achieving rapid economic development and greater social justice.
In 1959, it was established in Santiago (Chile) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, designed to monitor the implementation of human rights proclaimed in the OAS Charter, in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (1948) and in the American Convention on Human Rights (signed in 1969 and entered into force in 1978). Following the entry into force of this Convention, a Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
In the face of the growing threat of drug trafficking, the OAS General Assembly established in 1986 Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission. It is mandated to promote and facilitate cooperation among Member States in the fight against the illicit production, use and trade of narcotic drugs.
In the last decades of the twentieth century. A prominent place in the activities of the OAS was occupied by monitoring the progress of the formation of representative bodies of power in the countries of the continent. In June 1991, the General Assembly in Santiago adopted “ Commitment to democracy and renewal of the inter-American system”, in which OAS member states undertake to fully support democracy as a system of government. At the same time, a resolution was approved entitled “ Representative democracy”, establishing procedures for protecting democracy where its implementation has been interrupted. These procedures have since been applied in Haiti (1991), Peru (1992) and Guatemala (1993). A special session of the OAS General Assembly, held in Peru, adopted on September 11, 2001. "Inter-American Democratic Charter". Its 28 articles set out the modern understanding of democracy in the spirit of the UDHR and the IPU “Declaration of Democracy”, as well as the obligations of member states of the Organization to strictly follow the norms of the Charter.
In the report of the OAS Secretary General for 2002 -2003. The functions of the OAS are defined as those of the “technical secretariat and institutional memory” of the Meetings of the Heads of State and Government of the continent. Such meetings within the entire OAS occur quite rarely. They took place in 1956 in Panama, in 1967 in Punta del Este, in 1994 in Miami, in 1996 in Santa Cruz del Sierra. At the first of these meetings, participants agreed to begin developing joint development programs and establish the Inter-American Development Bank. At the summit meeting in 1967, the issue of developing and implementing regional educational, scientific, technological and cultural development programs was discussed. The heads of state and government of the countries of the continent declared regional integration one of the most important goals of the inter-American system. The Miami Summit in December 1994 stated that "... The strengthening, effective implementation and consolidation of democracy is a central political priority." continent, and the OAS is "the main institution for the protection of democratic institutions" The summit meeting in 1998 was devoted to the problems of sustainable development of the continent. Meetings of heads of state of individual regions of the continent take place quite often (over the 50 years of the existence of the OAS, 10 summit meetings of the RIO group countries and 6 meetings of Ibero-American countries took place).
Real relations between the countries of the American continent are fundamentally different from those prescribed by the OAS Charter. US interventions in Cuba, Panama, Grenada and other countries that were members of the OAS have nothing to do with mutual trust, solidarity and non-interference in each other's affairs. " Aggression against one of the American states is aggression against all the others» , says one of the paragraphs of Article 5 of the Charter. And during the conflict between OAS member Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, the United States not only openly took anti-Argentine positions, but also placed its airfields at the disposal of the enemy of its “ally” in the OAS. However, most of the countries of the continent supported and support Argentina in its quest to restore its sovereignty over these islands. The XXXII session of the OAS General Assembly (June 2002) adopted a special “Declaration on the Malvinas Issue,” which declared support for Argentina’s desire to resolve the issue of the islands peacefully.
« Economic cooperation is the basis for the general well-being and prosperity of the peoples of the continent“, says another paragraph of the same Article 5 of the Charter. The economic boycott and economic blockade that has continued, against the will of many OAS member countries, for more than 40 years in relation to Cuba is a reality of the same American continent. A de facto boycott was also declared against Chile after the election of socialist Salvador Allende as president of that country.
The United States has repeatedly attempted to remove some of the above provisions from the OAS charter, but the majority of OAS members have opposed these attempts. The United States refuses to cooperate with the OAS in matters of joint implementation of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights, and refuses to take into account the decisions of the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. This includes the words of Senator Helms, quoted in the first chapter, that in America there is only one right and one Court - the Constitution and the Supreme Court of the United States. The diseases of the UN are thus the diseases of a number of other international institutions.
On the American continent there are almost 1.5 dozen more regional institutions of varying competence. The most active of them are:
Central American Common Market (CACM);
Latin American Integration Association (LAI);
Caribbean Free Trade Association (Caricom), later transformed into the Caribbean Common Market;
Andean group;
Argentine-Brazilian Common Market;
North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA).
As you can see, the degree of integration of the countries of the Western Hemisphere is not the same. North American countries are better integrated than South American countries. It must be assumed that socio-economic and political progress on the continent will certainly lead to new institutions of cooperation between the peoples living there.
The Organization of American States (OAS) is an international regional organization that unites more than 30 states of the Western Hemisphere of the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. In its current form, the inter-American system took shape in the first post-war years. In 1947, in Rio de Janeiro, the states of the Western Hemisphere signed the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance (“Rio Pact”), and a year later, in 1948, in Bogota, the Charter of the OAS. The American Declaration of Human Rights was also adopted there. In Bogota, the Pact for the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes was signed, which, although not ratified by any of the participants, retains political weight to this day. Abdulfattah Amb. The OAS and its role in coordinating the foreign policy of Latin American states. M.: International Relations, 1999, p. 12.
By creating the organization, Latin American states sought to secure legal equality, based on the principle of “one country, one vote.” Initially, relations within the Organization were built on the principle of “USA + 20 other countries.” Today the situation has changed: all subjects of the OAS have equal rights and responsibilities.
Another motive for creating the organization was the expectation that allied relations with the United States would make it easier for Latin American states to enter big politics and create favorable conditions for economic growth. This was evidenced by the persistent efforts of Latin American states to fix the special status of the inter-American system in the UN Charter. The OAS should be represented in the Security Council as a permanent member, and its Secretary-General should take part in UN sessions as a representative of the inter-American system. The OAS was supposed to carry out at the regional level the tasks that the UN performs at the global level. Abdulfattah Amb. The OAS and its role in coordinating the foreign policy of Latin American states. M.: International Relations, 1999, p. 16.
Since then, the main declared principles of the OAS have been commitment to international law, respect for sovereignty and independence, democracy, social justice, respect for human rights, regardless of race and political beliefs. In turn, the declared goals of the organization are strengthening peace and security, preventing complications and peaceful resolution of disputes, joint action in the event of aggression, joint efforts for economic, social and cultural development.
One of the main factors of cooperation within a single organization remains the issue of collective security. Currently, despite the decrease in the share of military spending, the total defense budget of Latin American countries is increasing.
The highest body of the OAS is the General Assembly (the 36th session was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in June 2006). The main body is the Permanent Council, consisting of representatives (ambassadors) of the participating countries. Its structure includes standing commissions (on continental security, political, legal, administrative and budgetary issues) and working groups. The administrative body is the General Secretariat. In 2005, José Miguel Insulza, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Interior of Chile, was elected Secretary General of the OAS.
Since 1971, the institution of permanent observers has been operating at the OAS. Currently, the EU and 51 states have this status, incl. Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Maslov A.L. Organization of American States. http://www.mid.ru/organizations/oas 04/14/2007
In modern conditions, OAS member countries are striving to find new directions and forms of activity of this organization, optimally adapted to domestic political and international realities. Progress towards these goals was facilitated, in particular, by the holding of inter-American summits in Miami (USA, 1994), Santiago (Chile, 1998), Quebec (Canada, 2001), and Mar del Plata (Argentina , November 2005), the Extraordinary Summit in Monterrey (Mexico, 2004), and the Inter-American Summit on Sustainable Development (Bolivia, 1996).
The Inter-American Council for Integrated Development (CIDI), created in 1996, is intended to contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the OAS activities in the socio-economic sphere.
An important area of the OAS's activities is strengthening democracy and ensuring human rights. The main mechanisms in this area are OAS General Assembly Resolution 1080, which establishes the procedure for responding to violations of the constitutional order in the countries of the continent, and the Washington Protocol, which introduced the “democratic article”, which provides for the suspension of the participation of states in the OAS in the event of unconstitutional changes to the democratic order. At the 28th extraordinary session of the OAS General Assembly (Lima, 2001), the Inter-American Democratic Charter was adopted, establishing the mechanisms for applying the “democratic article”. The OAS provides practical assistance to the countries of the continent by sending observer missions to monitor the implementation of peace agreements and elections. Recently, special attention has been paid to Haiti and Venezuela.
The OAS's attention to continental security issues is increasing. The motivation for this was, on the one hand, the understanding that the Rio de Janeiro Pact (1947) as a legal basis for ensuring security in the region does not meet modern realities, and on the other hand, the desire of the United States to form a new model of military political cooperation between the countries of the continent. The process of rethinking the concept of continental security, its reorientation from the tasks of protecting against external threats to countering new challenges, is gaining momentum. An important step towards the formation of a new regional security architecture that takes into account modern world realities was the Special Inter-American Security Conference (Mexico, 2003).
Changing approaches to understanding security should entail the development of new mechanisms for ensuring it. The Mexicans have taken the initiative to accelerate progress in this direction.
In 2004, Mexico withdrew from the Rio Pact. Latin American countries (Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, etc.) are not interested in revising the leading role of the OAS in the inter-American security system or in creating alternative decision-making forums on issues of military cooperation. Under the auspices of the OAS, two regional conferences on confidence- and security-building measures in the Western Hemisphere were held (Chile, 1995, El Salvador, 1998).
Among the main topics on the OAS agenda are the problems of combating drug trafficking, terrorism, illicit arms trafficking, corruption and other new challenges. Inter-American conventions have been adopted: on the fight against corruption, on the prohibition of the illicit production and trafficking of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and on transparency in the acquisition of conventional weapons. It is planned to conclude a convention on the prevention and mitigation of the consequences of natural disasters.
After the terrorist attacks in the United States, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (ICTE) intensified its activities. At the 32nd session of the OAS General Assembly (2002), the Inter-American Convention on Combating Terrorism was adopted. The Inter-American Commission on Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) is active.
At the 31st extraordinary session of the OAS General Assembly, held in January 2006, a decision was made to increase the Organization's budget in 2007-2008. and a temporary realignment of the scale of assessments for this transition period. The Permanent Council was instructed to develop a new system of quotas and principles of budget indexation by the 37th regular session of the General Assembly (June 2007). The compromise reached to increase the budget from $76.3 to $81.5 million is important as the first step towards full-scale financial reform of the OAS.
During the 32nd extraordinary session of the OAS General Assembly (March 2006), a resolution was adopted on the status of the Inter-American Defense Council (IDC), as well as its legal and institutional relationship with the OAS. It clearly states that the MCO is one of the organs of the OAS. It enjoys technical autonomy, but is obliged to implement, within its competence, the decisions of the General Assembly and the Permanent Council of the OAS, as well as consultative meetings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Any OAS member country can become a member of the ICO (there are currently 26 of them). Observer states under the OAS automatically receive a similar status under the MCO.
Year of foundation: 1948.
Number of members-35*.
Location of governing bodies- Washington (USA).
Working languages- English, French, Portuguese, Spanish.
The Organization of American States (OAS) was formed on April 30, 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference in Bogota (Colombia) on the basis of the Pan American Union, which existed since 1889. The OAS includes 35 countries of the New World: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas , Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Haiti, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Grenada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, El Salvador, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, USA, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, Jamaica. In 1962, under US pressure, Cuba's membership in the organization was suspended, but some Latin American countries maintained diplomatic relations with Havana. At the moment, only the United States consistently supports the economic and political boycott of Cuba from the OAS countries.
The highest body of the OAS is the General Assembly. Its 38th session took place in Medellin, Colombia at the beginning of June 2008. The permanent body is a council consisting of representatives of the participating countries with the rank of ambassadors. The structure of the council includes commissions (on continental security, political and legal, administrative and budgetary issues, etc.) and working groups. The administrative body of the OAS is the General Secretariat. In 2005, José Miguel Insulza (Chile) was elected Secretary General.
The main declared direction of the OAS activity - strengthening democracy and ensuring human rights in the Americas - shows the active participation of US diplomacy. The main “democratizer” here, of course, is the United States. Washington’s desire to resolve internal political conflicts in its part of the world is no longer seen as a desire for a better life for Latin Americans, but as concern for the fate of the pro-American"Pax Americana"
Other main topics on the OAS agenda include problems of combating drug trafficking, terrorism, illicit arms trafficking, corruption, and the consequences of natural disasters. After the terrorist attacks in the United States in September 2001, the activities of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism intensified.
The OAS's attention to continental security issues is increasing. The basis of military cooperation was the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance, also known as the Rio Pact, signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1947. However, in recent years, Latin American countries have called on the United States to reconsider the outdated agreements of the Pact; they rightly point out the excessive role of their northern neighbor in the support mechanisms security. Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and other US opponents are not interested in revising the leading role of the OAS in the inter-American security system and replacing it with a power bloc. In 2004, Mexico withdrew from the Rio Pact.
Prospects : In the future, it is possible for Cuba to return to the OAS as a full member. This could happen both as a result of pressure on the United States from Latin American countries, and as a result of the transformation of the Cuban regime itself into a more right-wing one. Subject to the conquest of full sovereignty, the OAS may include the overseas possessions of France (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guiana, etc.), Great Britain (Bermuda, Montserrat, etc.), the Netherlands (Aruba, Curacao, etc.), the USA (Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands).