oas

The Organization of American States (OAS) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 35 independent states from the Americas. It aims to promote democracy, human rights, security, development, and sustainable integration in the Western Hemisphere. It functions as a forum for political dialogue and a framework for joint action on common challenges.

The OAS traces its origins to the Pan-American Union and was established by the OAS Charter, signed in Bogotá on April 30, 1948, with the charter entering into force in 1951. Its creation reflected a commitment to collective security, peaceful settlement of disputes, and hemispheric cooperation in political and social matters.

Structure and organs: The General Assembly is the organization’s supreme decision-making body, meeting annually to set policy and approve programs. The General Secretariat carries out day-to-day work under the Secretary General, who is elected to a four-year term. The Permanent Council handles ongoing diplomatic work. The OAS also houses autonomous human rights bodies, notably the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR). Specialized programs address democracy, electoral integrity, development, security, and humanitarian issues.

Membership and activities: The OAS brings together nations of North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean; members include the United States, Canada, and most countries in the region. There are observers and partners that participate in various capacities. Core activities include democracy promotion and electoral observation, protection of human rights, conflict prevention and resolution, public security cooperation, anti-corruption efforts, disaster response, and social and economic development programs. The Inter-American Democratic Charter (2001) outlines commitments to democratic governance.

Note: OAS may also refer to other things, such as the OpenAPI Specification for describing RESTful APIs.