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- (OAS) was created in 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference in Bogota. 35 Latino members American states, USA and Canada (1994). The highest organ of the OAS, the General Assembly of Foreign Ministers, executive agency Permanent Council of the OAS (in... ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary
The OAS was created in 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference in Bogota. 35 members of Latin American states, USA and Canada (1994). The highest body of the OAS is the General Assembly of Foreign Ministers, the executive body of the Permanent Council of the OAS (in... ... Political science. Dictionary.
- (OAS; Organizacion de los estados americanos, Organization of American States), founded in 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference in Bogota. The OAS has 35 members: Latin American states, the USA and Canada (1994). The main goals are maintaining... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (OAS; Spanish Organización de los estados americanos, English Organization of American states, French Organization des États américains, port Organização dos Estados Americanos), created on April 30, 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference in Bogota... ... Wikipedia
Organization of American States- (OAS; Spanish Organización de los Estados Americanos, English Organization of American States), a regional international organization uniting countries Latin America, Caribbean and the USA. Created on April 30, 1948 at the 9th Inter-American... ... Encyclopedic reference book"Latin America"
- (OAS; Organización de los estados americanos) was created on April 30, 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference (See Inter-American Conference) in Bogotá (Colombia) on the basis of the Pan American Union (See Pan American Union), which existed since ... ... Big Soviet encyclopedia
- (OAS). Created Apr 30 1948 at the 9th Interim. conference in Bogota (Colombia). Member The OAS are (1966) USA and 19 Latin America. state in (all except Cuba, Barbados, Guiana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago). The United States is using the OAS as a weapon to fight against national... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia
- (OAS) a regional intergovernmental organization created in 1948 and including most countries of the Western Hemisphere. The OAS operates on the basis of its charter as amended in 1970, etc. Inter-American Mutual Defense Treaty of 1947 Members... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Economics and Law
Organization of American States- (OAS) (Organization of Amercan States, OAS)Organization of Amercan StatesOAS, a regional organization of 35 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Originally founded in 1890 largely for the purpose of developing economic and... Countries of the world. Dictionary
Books
- Modern international law on environmental protection and environmental human rights, A. M. Solntsev. The monograph examines the emergence and development of the system of environmental human rights, identifies individual species environmental human rights, international legal and...
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 American States, which establishes (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) warning possible reasons difficulties and ensuring a peaceful settlement of disagreements that may arise between OAS member states;
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 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 that will allow more funds to economic and social development member states.
Relations between members of the OAS should be built on the principles of respect for human rights, the sovereignty of states, strict fulfillment of obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law, goodwill and solidarity in effective implementation 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 fully cooperate 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 continental countries must be subject to 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' rights legal entities with the protection of their freedom and independence in accordance with the law;
f) involvement and increasing participation marginal layers population in economic, social, civil, cultural and political life countries 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. OAS member states pledged to pay special attention to the eradication of illiteracy, for which the opportunity to receive primary education will be provided at state expense not only to children school age, but also for 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 supreme body 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) acceptance common standards management of the activities of the General Secretariat, its own rules of procedure and agenda of 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. The Council is presided over by all its members in turn. 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 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 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 develop recommendations to the General Assembly on strategic plans policy formation, program development and coordination of cooperation courses in the interests of integral development, as well as the preparation of the budget for technical cooperation programs. Here the appointment of those responsible for the implementation takes place. accepted programs and development projects, 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 an advisory body of the OAS on legal matters designed to promote progressive development, codify international law, study legal issues related to integration developing countries continent and, to the extent possible, seek 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. MAYUC will organize a study of issues referred to it by the General Assembly and other governing bodies OAS, establishes cooperative relationships with universities and other centers of learning, 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 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” (Article 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 a regional branch World Organization health care (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 development efforts of the countries of the continent Agriculture and improving well-being 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 additional measures to consolidate representative democracy on the principles of non-interference, 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 European Union have the status of permanent observers. 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, they 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.
Trade issues 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 a possible short term Latin American Common Market, designed to promote economic integration countries of the continent. In 1993, the Select Committee on Trade was established. Its goal is to liberalize trade between countries in the hemisphere.
IN policy document The Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action, adopted by the leaders of thirty-four countries on 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 meetings at top level, help strengthen democracy, promote and protect human rights, eliminate the threat to 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 tasks proclaimed in the document “Union for Progress”, 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 last decades XX 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 programs development. 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. States North America better integrated than countries South America. 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.
) on the basis of the Pan American Union, which existed since 1889.
| Organization of American States (OAS) | |
|---|---|
| Organization of American states (OAS) | |
| Emblem |
|
 |
|
| Membership | 35 member states |
| Headquarters | Washington, USA |
| Type of organization | international organization |
| official languages | Spanish, English, French, Portuguese |
| Base | |
| Date of foundation | |
| oas.org (English) | |
| Organization of American States (OAS) at Wikimedia Commons | |
The headquarters is located in Washington. Working languages are Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.
The highest bodies are the General Assembly, the Permanent Council, the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers, the General Secretariat.
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 from October 1889 to April 1890. 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 regulations and institutions that became known as the All-American System. The OAS came into being 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 only joined the OAS in 1990, and Guyana, admitted in 1991 (25 years after independence; like Canada, Guyana is a member Commonwealth of Nations). Guyana is currently the latest country to be admitted to the OAS.
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; Cuba welcomed the gesture, but refused to return to the OAS.
The OAS General Assembly in April 1971 established the OAS Institute of Permanent Observers; at the beginning of 2015, 70 states have this status, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.
In the 21st century, the position of the OAS has been greatly shaken due to the emergence of new regional organizations, uniting purely Latin American states, without the participation of the United States - such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (CELAC) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).
At the end of April 2017, the Secretary General of the OAS received a letter from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stating that Venezuela would immediately withdraw from this organization.
Goals and directions
The Organization was created for the purpose of achieving peace among its member states, as provided for in Article 1 of the Charter:
Maintain peace and justice, promote solidarity, strengthen cooperation and defend our sovereignty, our territorial integrity, and independence.
Today, the OAS unites 34 states of the Americas (except Cuba) and is the main political, legal and social force in the hemisphere. [ ]
The organization uses four directions to effectively implement its main goal, based on its core principles: democracy, human rights, security and development.
General Assembly
The highest governing body in the OAS is the General Assembly. Every year, the OAS convenes a scheduled session of the assembly; in special cases, with the approval of two-thirds of the organization’s members, the Permanent Council can announce the convening of an extraordinary session.
Sessions meet in participating states, one by one. Countries are represented by elected delegates, usually foreign ministers or their deputies. Each member state has one vote in the Assembly. Solutions for individual important issues, determined by the rules of the assembly, are adopted by a two-thirds majority of the member states; In most cases, a simple majority vote is sufficient.
The powers of the General Assembly include determining general policy through resolutions and declarations, approving the budget, determining the amounts of contributions from member states, hearing reports and reports of special bodies of the OAS for the past year and electing members to these institutions.
) on the basis of the Pan American Union, which existed since 1889.
| Organization of American States (OAS) | |
|---|---|
| Organization of American states (OAS) | |
| Emblem |
|
|
|
|
| Membership | 35 member states |
| Headquarters | Washington, USA |
| Type of organization | international organization |
| official languages | Spanish, English, French, Portuguese |
| Base | |
| Date of foundation | |
| oas.org (English) | |
| Organization of American States (OAS) at Wikimedia Commons | |
The headquarters is located in Washington. Working languages are Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.
The highest bodies are the General Assembly, the Permanent Council, the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers, the General Secretariat.
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 from October 1889 to April 1890. 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 regulations and institutions that became known as the All-American System. The OAS came into being 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 only joined the OAS in 1990, and Guyana, admitted in 1991 (25 years after independence; like Canada, Guyana is a member Commonwealth of Nations). Guyana is currently the latest country to be admitted to the OAS.
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; Cuba welcomed the gesture, but refused to return to the OAS.
The OAS General Assembly in April 1971 established the OAS Institute of Permanent Observers; at the beginning of 2015, 70 states have this status, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.
In the 21st century, the position of the OAS was greatly shaken due to the emergence of new regional organizations uniting purely Latin American states, without the participation of the United States - such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (CELAC) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).
At the end of April 2017, the Secretary General of the OAS received a letter from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stating that Venezuela would immediately withdraw from this organization.
Goals and directions
The Organization was created for the purpose of achieving peace among its member states, as provided for in Article 1 of the Charter:
Maintain peace and justice, promote solidarity, strengthen cooperation and defend our sovereignty, our territorial integrity, and independence.
Today, the OAS unites 34 states of the Americas (except Cuba) and is the main political, legal and social force in the hemisphere. [ ]
The organization uses four directions to effectively implement its main goal, based on its core principles: democracy, human rights, security and development.
General Assembly
The highest governing body in the OAS is the General Assembly. Every year, the OAS convenes a scheduled session of the assembly; in special cases, with the approval of two-thirds of the organization’s members, the Permanent Council can announce the convening of an extraordinary session.
Sessions meet in participating states, one by one. Countries are represented by elected delegates, usually foreign ministers or their deputies. Each member state has one vote in the Assembly. Decisions on certain important issues determined by the rules of the assembly are taken by a two-thirds majority of the member states; In most cases, a simple majority vote is sufficient.
The powers of the General Assembly include determining general policy through resolutions and declarations, approving the budget, determining the amounts of contributions from member states, hearing reports and reports of special bodies of the OAS for the past year and electing members to these institutions.
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 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 a barrier to democratic development 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 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 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” (Article 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 is designed to determine public policy in the field of child protection, clearly formulate the relationship between the 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 come into force after ratification by two-thirds of the 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 zone free trade. 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 relationships 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 Supreme Court USA. 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 the socio-economic and political progress on the continent will certainly bring to life new institutions of cooperation between the peoples living there.
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