General Assembly of the Organization of American States

Last updated
XXXVIII Regular Meeting - Medellin, 2008. XXXVIII Asamblea General cartel.jpg
XXXVIII Regular Meeting – Medellín, 2008.

The General Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Contents

The General Assembly came into being as a part of the restructuring of the OAS that took place following adoption of the Protocol of Buenos Aires (signed 27 February 1967; in force as of 12 March 1970), which contained extensive amendments to the Organization's Charter. Prior to these changes, the OAS's top body was the Inter-American Conference, which in turn was the successor to the International Conference of American States.

The Charter requires that the General Assembly convene once every year in a regular session. In special circumstances, and with the approval of two-thirds of the member states, the Permanent Council can convene special sessions.

The Organization's member states take turns hosting the General Assembly on a rotating basis. The states are represented at its sessions by their chosen delegates: generally, their ministers of foreign affairs, or their appointed deputies. Each state has one vote, and most matters – except for those for which the Charter or the General Assembly's own rules of procedure specifically require a two-thirds majority – are settled by a simple majority vote.

The General Assembly's powers include setting the OAS's general course and policies by means of resolutions and declarations; approving its budget and determining the contributions payable by the member states; approving the reports and previous year's actions of the OAS's specialized agencies; and electing members to serve on those agencies.

Regular sessions

RankHost cityHost countryDate
1st San José Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 14–23 April 1971
2nd Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States11–21 April 1972
3rd Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States4–15 April 1973
4th Atlanta Flag of the United States.svg United States19 April – 1 May 1974
5th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States8–19 May 1975
6th Santiago Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 4–18 June 1976
7th St. George's Flag of Grenada.svg  Grenada 14–22 June 1977
8th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States21 June – 1 July 1978
9th La Paz Flag of Bolivia.svg  Bolivia 22–31 October 1979
10th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States19–26 November 1980
11th Castries Flag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia 2–11 December 1981
12th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States15–21 December 1982
13th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States14–18 November 1983
14th Brasília Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 12–17 November 1984
15th Cartagena Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 5–9 December 1985
16th Guatemala City Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 11–15 November 1986
17th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States9–14 November 1987
18th San Salvador Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 14–19 November 1988
19th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States13–18 November 1989
20th Asunción Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay 4–8 June 1990
21st Santiago Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 3–8 June 1991
22nd Nassau Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 18–23 May 1992
23rd Managua Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua 7–11 June 1993
24th Belém Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 6–10 June 1994
25th Montrouis Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti 5–9 June 1995
26th Panama City Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 3–7 June 1996
27th Lima Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 1–5 June 1997
28th Caracas Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 1–3 June 1998
29th Guatemala City Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 6–8 June 1999
30th Windsor, Ontario Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4–6 June 2000
31st San José Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 3–5 June 2001
32nd Bridgetown Flag of Barbados.svg  Barbados 2–4 June 2002
33rd Santiago Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 8–10 June 2003
34th Quito Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador 6–8 June 2004
35th Fort Lauderdale Flag of the United States.svg United States5–7 June 2005
36th Santo Domingo Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 4–6 June 2006
37th Panama City Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 3–5 June 2007
38th Medellín Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 1–3 June 2008
39th San Pedro Sula Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 2–3 June 2009 [1]
40th Lima Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 6–8 June 2010
41st San Salvador Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 5–7 June 2011
42nd Cochabamba Flag of Bolivia.svg  Bolivia 3–5 June 2012 [2]
43rd La Antigua Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 4–6 June 2013 [3]
44th Asunción Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay 3–5 June 2014 [4]
45th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States15–16 June 2015 [5]
46th Santo Domingo Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 13–15 June 2016 [6]
47th Cancún Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 18–21 June 2017 [7]
48th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States4–5 June 2018 [8]
49th Medellín Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 26–28 June 2019 [9]
50th Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States20–21 October 2020 [10]
51st Guatemala City (Virtual)Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 10–12 November 2021 [11]
52nd Lima Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 5–7 October 2022 [12]
53rd Washington, D.C. Flag of the United States.svg United States21–23 June 2023 [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organization of American States</span> International organization of states in the Americas

The Organization of American States is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations General Assembly</span> One of the six principal organs of the UN

The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 79th session, its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Venezuela</span>

The foreign relations of Venezuela had since the early twentieth century been particularly strong with the United States. However, since the election of Hugo Chávez as President of Venezuela in 1998, Venezuela's foreign policy differed substantially from that of previous Venezuelan governments. This change in foreign policy direction continues under the current president Nicolás Maduro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Miguel Insulza</span> Chilean politician

José Miguel Insulza Salinas is a Chilean politician, lawyer, and academic serving as a senator for the Arica y Parinacota Region since 2018. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1999 and Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency from 1999 to 2000 under president Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, as Minister of the Interior from 2000 to 2005 under president Ricardo Lagos, and as Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 2005 to 2015.

The Organization of American States Secretary General election was a series of special sessions of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) held during 2005 in Washington, D.C., United States to elect a new Secretary General. The first special session, held on 11 April 2005 at the OAS headquarters, ended in a tie between Chile's Interior Minister José Miguel Insulza and Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez, and forced the Organization to schedule a second round of elections for 2 May 2005 to end the unprecedented stalemate. On 29 April 2005, Mexico withdrew its candidate, which allowed Chile's Insulza to be elected in the next special session as Secretary General, with 31 votes, two abstentions and one vote left blank.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 377 A, the "Uniting for Peace" resolution, states that in any cases where the Security Council, because of a lack of unanimity among its five permanent members (P5), fails to act as required to maintain international security and peace, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately and may issue appropriate recommendations to UN members for collective measures, including the use of armed force when necessary, in order to maintain or restore international security and peace. It was adopted 3 November 1950, after fourteen days of Assembly discussions, by a vote of 52 to 5, with 2 abstentions. The resolution was designed to provide the UN with an alternative avenue for action when at least one P5 member uses its veto to obstruct the Security Council from carrying out its functions mandated by the UN Charter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amateur radio international operation</span> Operating an amateur radio station in another country

Amateur radio international reciprocal operating agreements permit amateur radio operators (hams) from one country to operate a station whilst traveling in another without the need to obtain additional licenses or permits.

The Inter-American Democratic Charter was adopted on 11 September 2001 by a special session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, held in Lima, Peru. It is an inter-American instrument with the central aim of strengthening and upholding democratic institutions in the nations of the Americas. The Charter, which is binding on all 34 of the currently active OAS member states, spells out what democracy entails and specifies how it should be defended when it is under threat.

María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés is an Ecuadorian linguist, poet, politician, and diplomat. She served as an advisor on biodiversity and indigenous peoples (1999-2005) and was the regional director for South America (2005-2007) at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Espinosa Garcés was Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs twice, from 2007 to 2008 and then from 2017 to 2018. She also served as ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in New York (2008-2009) and Geneva (2014-2017), and as Ecuador's Minister of National Defense (2012-2014). In June 2018, she was elected President of the United Nations General Assembly for the 73rd session by a two-thirds vote of the member states. Espinosa Garcés became the fourth woman in the seventy-three-year history of the United Nations to be elected President of the General Assembly. Besides her political career, she is also a poet and essayist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Honduras</span> Fundamental law of Honduras

The Political Constitution of the Republic of Honduras was approved on 11 January 1982, published on 20 January 1982, amended by the National Congress of Honduras 26 times from 1984 to 2005, and 10 interpretations by Congress were made from 1982 to 2005. It is Honduras' twelfth constitution since independence in 1838. Previous charters were adopted in 1839, 1848, 1865, 1873, 1880, 1894, 1906, 1924, 1936, 1957 and 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Member states of the Organization of American States</span>

33 independent nations of the Americas are member states of the Organization of American States (OAS); Cuba and Nicaragua are the only exceptions, although they were both formerly member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Almagro</span> Uruguayan lawyer, diplomat, and politician

Luis Leonardo Almagro Lemes is a Uruguayan lawyer, diplomat, and politician who currently serves as the 10th Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) since 2015. A former member of the Broad Front, Almagro served as Minister of Foreign Relations of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 under president José Mujica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaime Aparicio Otero</span> Bolivian diplomat, lawyer, journalist (born 1955)

Jaime Aparicio Otero is the Bolivian Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States and was Bolivian Agent to the International Court of Justice, in the Hague, in the process against Chile related to the Silala waters. Ambassador Aparicio is a career diplomat, lawyer, journalist and a Washington-based legal and political advisor. He was also a political analyst working in international public and corporate affairs in Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. He has a Law Degree from the Higher University of San Andrés of La Paz, the Bolivian Diplomatic Academy and the Institute d’Etudes Politiques commonly referred as Sciences Po de Paris.

The secretariat for multidimensional security of the Organization of American States is a part of the General Secretariat, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. The Secretariat for Multidimensional Security has a mandate to promote cooperation between Organization's Member States, Inter-American and international organizations, as well as with entities such as the United Nations and its subsidiaries, in order to analyze, prevent, confront and respond to security threats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Sanders (diplomat)</span> Antiguan Barbudan diplomat

Sir Ronald Michael Sanders is an Antiguan Barbudan diplomat, academic, former broadcast-journalist, and the current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and to the Organization of American States (OAS) since 2015. He holds the unique distinction of being the first person, since the OAS enlarged its membership in 1962, to serve as Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OAS for an unprecedented three terms. He completed his highly successful third term on December 31, 2023, having played a widely recognized role in guiding the work of the Permanent Council in the peaceful transition of government in Guatemala on 14 January 2024.

Since Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, international recognition of Kosovo has been mixed, and the international community continues to be divided on the issue. The Republic of Kosovo is member of some international intergovernmental and international non-governmental organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bertha Zúñiga</span>

Bertha Zúñiga Cáceres is a Honduran social activist of Lenca descent. She is the daughter of social leader Berta Cáceres, murdered in 2016. Soon after assuming her mother's role of general coordinator of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) in May 2017, Zúñiga Cáceres survived an attempt on her own life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margarette May Macaulay</span>

Margarette May Macaulay is the Jamaican Commissioner and some time President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (OAS).

A Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly, or UNGASS, occurs when the United Nations General Assembly meets in order to discuss an important wide-ranging topic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisa Ruiz Díaz</span> Paraguayan diplomat (1964–2021)

Elisa Mercedes Ruiz Díaz Bareiro was a Paraguayan lawyer and diplomat. She was the Permanent Representative of Paraguay to the Organization of American States (OAS) from 2013 until her death. She served as the Chair of the OAS Permanent Council from 6 April 2021 to 19 May 2021.

References

  1. Palencia, Gustavo (May 28, 2009). "Big quake off Honduras kills 6, crumbles houses". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-05-30. The 39th General Assembly of the Organization of American States(OAS) will be held the week following a 7.3 Mw 2009 Honduras earthquake
  2. http://www.oas.org/en/42ga/
  3. http://www.oas.org/en/43ga/
  4. http://www.oas.org/en/44ga/
  5. http://www.oas.org/en/45ga/
  6. http://www.oas.org/en/46ga/
  7. "OEA :: 47 Período Ordinario de Sesiones de la Asamblea General de la OEA - 2017". oas.org. 2009-08-01. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  8. "48th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly - 2018". oas.org. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
  9. "49th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly - 2019". oas.org. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  10. "50th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly - 2020". oas.org. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  11. "51st Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly - 2021". oas.org. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  12. "52nd Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly - 2022". oas.org. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  13. "Information about the fifty-third regular session of the General Assembly". oas.org. Retrieved 2023-05-04.