Today, it is permissible to classify the OAS as the largest international organizations . The Association, called the Organization of American States, has clear goals and principles for its activities, an officially approved Charter, an extensive structure and an impressive number of Member States. Our task will be to get acquainted with the above in detail.
What is OAS
Organization of American States (English Organization of American states, French Organization des des États américains, Spanish Organización de los estados americanos, port Organização dos Estados Americanos) , OAS (OAS) refers to the international association of states, formed in 1948 at 9 Inter-American Conference in the Colombian city of Bogota. Its base was the Pan American Union (1889), an advisory association of several American republics.
The OAS has 35 (33 currently) 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 United States - 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 base for its institutions and provisions was prepared, and the foundation of this association was approved. The year of creation of the Organization of American States is considered 1948 - the year of signing of its Charter. It entered into force in 1951.
Most member countries were characterized by the practice of joining the OAS immediately after gaining or gaining 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 decided to exclude this state from its members in order to ensure the security of its members. The Organization of American Countries also ordered its members to sever all diplomatic relations with Cuba, although some of them voted against it. Only on July 3, 2009 the suspension of this country's participation in the OAS was canceled, however, the Cuban government was not in a hurry to decide to return to the union.
In 1971, it was decided to introduce the OAS observer institute. 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, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent a message to the OAS General Secretariat stating that his state would immediately leave the union.
Member countries
So, who is a member of the Organization of American States:
- USA;
- Dominica;
- Peru;
- Uruguay;
- Barbados
- Honduras;
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Mexico;
- Salvador;
- Paraguay;
- Guyana;
- Trinidad, Tobago;
- Saint Lucia;
- Colombia;
- Nicaragua;
- Bolivia;
- Suriname;
- Panama;
- Chile;
- Saint Vincent, the Grenadines;
- Costa Rica;
- Dominican Republic;
- Guatemala;
- Saint Kitts, Nevis;
- Bahamas
- Argentina;
- Belize
- Canada;
- Ecuador;
- Grenada;
- Mexico;
- Brazil;
- Jamaica.
Earlier, the union also included Cuba and Venezuela.
OAS goals
The objectives of the Organization of American States, based on the Charter, are as follows:
- Strengthening Peace and Security on Two American Continents.
- Priority observance of the principle of non-interference, strengthening of representative democratic power in the participating countries.
- Contribute to the peaceful resolution of disputes between member countries, as well as to prevent the possible brewing of conflicts.
- Join forces in case of external aggression.
- Contribute to solving a number of problems of the participating countries - economic, social, legal.
- Promote overall social, cultural and economic development.
- Make the direction of their development a limitation of the number of weapons, putting all resources to social and economic development.
The basic principles of the union
The creation of the Organization of American States implied the strict observance by its participants of a number of principles:
- The norm of interaction of participants is international law.
- The relations of the participating countries are built on respect for the rights of the sovereignty of states and the personalities of their citizens, as well as on the basis of strict observance of the obligations prescribed by international treaties.
- Relations between the OAS members are based on the principles of goodwill and mutual trust.
- Each state party should choose an effective representative democracy as its primary goal.
- The cooperation of the OAS countries is based on the principles of non-interference in each other’s policies and the independence of state systems.
- Participating countries oppose aggressive wars.
- Aggression against one member state is regarded as aggression against the entire OAS.
- All disputes between the parties should be resolved only peacefully.
- Economic cooperation should lead to the general welfare of citizens of member countries.
- The basis of the world 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 based 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.
OAS structure
The Organization of American States (OAS) accomplishes its goals with the following hierarchy of bodies:
- General Assembly;
- Consultative Advisory Body to Ministers of Foreign Affairs of States Parties;
- Advice;
- Inter-American Committee on Legal Affairs;
- Special Inter-American Commission on Human Rights;
- General Secretariat
- specialized agencies and conferences.
Additional creation on specific issues of subsidiary institutions and bodies is possible.
Charter of the Organization of American States
The OAS Charter was adopted 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.
- The principles of the OAS.
- Provisions relating to members of the organization.
- Disclosure of the concept of "comprehensive development" in the framework of this union of states.
- Part 2:
- Organization structure
- Provisions on the General Assembly.
- Principles of work of the Consultative Meeting of Ministers of the Interior.
- Organization Tips: General Provisions; articles on the work of the Permanent Council.
- Inter-American Social and Economic Council.
- Council on education, science and culture.
- Legal Committee of the Organization of American States.
- Human Rights Commission.
- General Secretariat
- Articles about specialized conferences.
- Items about specialized agencies.
- Part 3:
- Various provisions of the document.
- Ratification and duration.
- Enumeration of temporary provisions.
We will analyze the important provisions of the agreement in more detail below.
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:
- Defines the general vectors of activity and policies of the entire system.
- Considers all issues relating to the relationship between members.
- Coordinates the activities of all subordinate bodies and institutions.
- Strengthens and develops cooperation with the UN.
- Actively promote cooperation with other international organizations in the social, economic and cultural sphere, giving preference to alliances with similar goals.
- Approves the budget program of the Organization of American States, sets the size of quotas for participants.
- Listens to all annual reports and reports of controlled bodies and institutions.
- Adopts the general rules on which the General Secretariat works.
- Fully accepts its 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 the city, which is selected by the principle of alternation. All resolutions are approved by a large number of votes. An exception is the projects prescribed in the Charter, for the adoption of which it is necessary 2/3 "for".
About the members of the OAS
Here are the most significant provisions on the members of the Organization of American States:
- The entrance to 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 the vote of all participants - for a positive verdict, 2/3 of the votes are needed.
- All OAS member states have equal rights and obligations.
- Each of the participants should not be limited in an original way of development of their political, economic and social life.
- None of the members has the right even to indirectly interfere in the internal state affairs of another.
- The territory of each of the Member States 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 of the participating States is violated, then other members of the OAS must stand up for his / her sovereignty.
Disclosure of the concept of "comprehensive development" in the framework of the OAS
The comprehensive development of the Organization of American States (OAS) participants, as stipulated in its Charter, means the following:
- Constant increase in GDP, fair distribution of national income, adequate tax systems, modernization of agriculture, stable prices, fair salaries, the introduction of modern achievements in medicine, the 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 their citizens, providing them with economic stability, social security, freedom of spiritual development; creation of a legal system protecting the rights of every citizen, without exception; creation of trade unions; ensuring universal primary and secondary education and free access to higher education, etc.
OAS is one of the oldest American international associations. The organization unites today 33 countries, has an extensive structure, its own Charter with clearly defined goals and principles of activity.