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CHARTER
Organization of American States*

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* Signed in Bogotá on April 30, 1948, entered into force on December 13, 1951, and amended by the Protocol of Amendments ("Buenos Aires Protocol"), adopted on February 22, 1967 and entered into force on February 27, 1970, and by the Protocol of Amendments ("Cartagena Protocol") "), adopted on December 5, 1985 and entered into force on November 16, 1988.

Translation from Spanish by O.G. Karpovich.

On behalf of their peoples, the states represented at the IX Inter-American Conference,

Convinced that the historical mission of America is to provide man with freedom and favorable conditions for the development of his personality and the fulfillment of his just aspirations;

aware that this mission has already inspired the signing of many agreements and treaties, the core value of which is the ardent desire to live in peace and to promote, through mutual understanding and mutual respect for sovereignty, the common good in conditions of independence, equality and law;

Convinced that representative democracy is an indispensable condition for stability, peace and development of the region;

Convinced that the true meaning of American solidarity and good neighborliness lies in the strengthening on the continent, within the framework of democratic institutions, of a regime of individual freedom and social justice based on respect for fundamental human rights;

Convinced that the general welfare of the peoples represented at the Conference, as well as their contribution to the cause of progress and world civilization, will require every day closer cooperation on the continent;

Determined to pursue the noble tasks which humanity has entrusted to the United Nations, the principles and purposes of which they solemnly affirm;

Convinced that legal organization is a necessary condition for security and peace based on moral order and justice, and

in accordance with the IX resolution of the conference on issues of war and peace, held in Mexico City,

agreed to sign the Charter of the Organization of American States.

Part one

Nature and purposes

Article 1

The American States establish by this Charter an international organization for the purpose of achieving peace and justice, strengthening their solidarity and cooperation, and protecting their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. Within the United Nations, the Organization of American States is a regional body.

The Organization of American States has only such powers as are granted to it by this Charter; it has no powers allowing it to intervene in matters within the internal competence of member states.

Article 2

The Organization of American States, in order to realize the principles on which it is founded and to fulfill its regional obligations in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, establishes the following main objectives:

a) strengthen peace and security on the continent;

b) promote the strengthening of representative democracy based on respect for the principle of non-interference;

c) prevent the occurrence of problems and ensure the peaceful resolution of disputes that may arise between Member States;

d) organize joint actions in case of aggression;

f) contribute to the resolution of political, legal and economic problems that may arise between them;

f) contribute through joint action to their economic, social and cultural development, And

g) achieve an effective limit common species weapons, which will allow large amounts of funds to be spent on the economic and social development of member states.

Principles

Article 3

American states affirm the following principles:

a) international law is the norm of conduct of states in their mutual relations;

b) international order is based on respect for individual rights, the sovereignty and independence of states, as well as the strict implementation of obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law;

c) mutual trust should determine the relations of states among themselves; relations between states must be based on the principles of goodwill;

d) the solidarity of the American states and the lofty goals they pursue require them political organization based effective execution representative democracy;

f) each state has the right to choose its own political, economic and social system without outside interference, and the right to adopt such a form of organization as suits it to the greatest extent, as well as the obligation not to interfere in the affairs of another state, in accordance with the above, American states will cooperate widely with each other, while maintaining the independence of the foundations of their political, economic and social systems;

f) American states condemn aggressive war, victory does not give rights;

g) aggression against one of the American states is aggression against all the others;

h) disputes of an international character which may arise between two or more American States shall be settled through a peaceful procedure;

i) social justice and security are the basis of lasting peace;

j) economic cooperation is the basis for the common well-being and prosperity of the peoples living on the continent;

k) American states proclaim the fundamental rights of the human person regardless of race, religion or gender;

l) the spiritual unity of the continent is based on respect for the cultural characteristics of the American states and requires their close cooperation in fulfilling the high goals of human culture;

m) The education of peoples should be aimed at justice, freedom and peace.

Members of the Organization

Article 4

All American states that have ratified this Charter are Members of the Organization.

Article 5

The Organization shall be open to any new political association which may arise from the union of several Member States and which, as such, ratifies this Charter. The entry into the Organization of a new political association will mean for each of the states that join it the loss of membership of the Organization.

Article 6

Any other independent American state wishing to become a member of the Organization must communicate by note to the Secretary General its desire to sign and ratify the Charter of the Organization, as well as to accept all the obligations that are imposed on members of the Organization, and especially obligations on issues of collective security, specifically formulated in Articles 27 and 28 of the Charter.

Article 7

The General Assembly, on the basis of the preliminary recommendation of the Permanent Council of the Organization, shall determine whether the Secretary-General should be authorized to authorize the applicant State to sign the Charter and to deposit the corresponding instrument of ratification. Both a recommendation by the Permanent Council and a decision by the General Assembly require a two-thirds vote of member states to support the decision.

Article 8

Admission to membership in the Organization will be limited for independent states of the continent that will be members of the UN before December 10, 1985, and for non-independent territories, a list of which is given in document OEA/Ser. P AG/doc. 1939/85 of November 5, 1985, until they achieve independence.

Article 9

States are legally equal, enjoy equal rights and equal opportunities to exercise these rights, and also have equal responsibilities.

The rights of a state do not depend on the power it has to exercise them, but arise from the fact of the existence of the state as a subject of international law.

Article 10

Every American state must respect the rights of other states in relation to international law.

Article 11

Fundamental rights of states cannot be infringed in any form.

Article 12

The political existence of a state does not depend on its recognition by other states. Even before its recognition, the State has the right to protect its integrity and independence, to ensure its security and prosperity and, based on this, the right to organize itself as it deems necessary, to legislate on matters affecting it and to direct its various bodies, as well as to determine jurisdiction and competence their ships. The exercise of these rights is subject to no restrictions other than respect for the rights of other states in accordance with international law.

Article 13

Recognition means that the recognizing state recognizes the new state as a subject of international law with all the rights and obligations that, for one or the other, flow from international law.

Article 14

The right that every state has to protect its existence and development does not give it grounds to commit unjust acts against other states.

Article 15

The jurisdiction of states within the boundaries of their territory extends equally to all residents, whether they are citizens of these states or foreigners.

Article 16

Each state has the right to free and independent development of its cultural, political and economic life. In this free development, the state will respect the rights of the human person and the principles of universal morality.

Article 17

Respect and conscientious implementation of treaties are the norms for the development of peaceful relations between states. International treaties and agreements must be made public.

Article 18

No state or group of states under any circumstances has the right to interfere directly or indirectly in the internal or external affairs of any other state. The above principle applies not only to armed intervention, but also to any other form of intervention or attempt thereof deliberately intended to attack the personality of the State or its political, economic and cultural organs.

Article 19

No state may take or contribute to the use of coercive measures of an economic or political nature for the purpose of exerting pressure on the sovereign will of another state in order to derive any benefit from it.

Article 20

The territory of a state is inviolable and cannot under any circumstances be the object of military occupation or other violent actions directly or indirectly taken by other states, even if these actions are temporary. Territorial acquisitions or other special benefits obtained by force or through the use of any other coercive measure will not be recognized.

Article 21

American states undertake in their international relations not to resort to the use of force except in cases of legitimate defense in accordance with or in furtherance of existing treaties.

Article 22

Measures that, in accordance with existing treaties, will be taken to maintain peace and security do not constitute a violation of the principles specified in Articles 18 and 20.

Peaceful Dispute Resolution

Article 23

All international disputes between Member States will be resolved through the peaceful procedure provided for in this Charter.

This provision shall not be interpreted as impairing the rights and obligations of Member States under Art. 34 and art. 35 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Article 24

The peaceful means of resolving disputes are direct negotiations, good offices, mediation, investigation and conciliation, judicial procedure, arbitration and those that will be specifically agreed upon by the parties at any time.

Article 25

When a dispute arises between two or more American states which, in the opinion of one of them, cannot be resolved by conventional diplomatic means, the parties must agree on any other peaceful means that would resolve the dispute.

Article 26

A special treaty will establish appropriate means of settling disputes and determine the procedure for each of the peaceful methods so that no dispute between American states will remain unresolved within a reasonable time.

Collective Security

Article 27

Any aggression by any state against the integrity and inviolability of territory or against the sovereignty or political independence of an American state will be considered an act of aggression against all other American states.

Article 28

If the inviolability or integrity of territory or the sovereignty or political independence of any American State is violated by an armed attack or an act of aggression not constituting an armed attack, or as a result of an extracontinental conflict, or as a result of a conflict between two or more American States, or as a result of any other fact or situation that may endanger the peace of America, the American states, in furtherance of the principles of continental solidarity and legitimate collective self-defense, shall apply the measures and procedure provided for in special treaties on this issue.

Comprehensive development

Article 29

Member States, inspired by the principles of solidarity and inter-American cooperation, pledge to join forces to achieve justice in international relations, and comprehensive development their peoples, which is an indispensable condition for peace and security.

Comprehensive development includes economic, social spheres, as well as education, culture, science and technology.

In these areas, states must achieve their goals.

Article 30

Inter-American cooperation for comprehensive development is the shared responsibility of Member States within the framework of democratic principles and the institutions of the Inter-American system. The Inter-American system should include the economic, social, educational, cultural, scientific and technological spheres, as well as support member states in achieving their goals and respect the priorities that each state enshrines in its national development plans, without imposing political conditions on them .

Article 31

Inter-American cooperation for the purpose of comprehensive development should be continuous and primarily carried out within the framework of international organizations, without prejudice to the bilateral relations established between the Member States.

Member states make their contribution to inter-American cooperation for the purpose of comprehensive development in accordance with available capabilities and means, as well as on the basis of national legislation.

Article 32

Development is the fundamental task of every country, and it must be comprehensive and continuous in order to create a just economic and social order that would promote the fullest realization of human personality.

Article 33

Member States recognize that equality of opportunity and fair distribution of wealth and income, as well as the full participation of their people in decisions relating to their own development, are, among other things, the main goals of comprehensive development. To achieve these objectives, States also recognize that maximum efforts must be made to achieve the following main objectives:

a) a significant and constant increase in the gross national product per capita;

b) fair distribution of national income;

c) fair and adequate tax systems;

d) modernization of rural life and reforms that will lead to fair and effective use land resources, greater labor productivity, diversification of agricultural production, as well as the creation of better systems for processing and selling agricultural products; strengthening and expanding the means to achieve these goals;

e) accelerated re-equipment and diversification, primarily of fixed assets and working capital;

f) stabilization of the level of domestic prices in accordance with continuous economic development and the achievement of social justice;

g) fair wages, opportunities to work and acceptable working conditions;

h) speedily eradicating illiteracy and expanding educational opportunities;

i) protecting human potential through the dissemination and application of modern advances in medicine;

j) proper nutrition achieved primarily through national efforts through increased production and availability of food products;

k) decent housing for all categories of citizens;

l) creating conditions for a decent, healthy and productive life in the city;

m) promoting private initiative and investment, which must be combined with the reality of the public sector, and

n) increasing and diversifying exports.

Article 34

Member States must refrain from policies, actions and measures that could lead to serious adverse consequences for the development of other States.

Article 35

The activities of transnational corporations and overseas foreign investments are regulated by national legislation and are also subject to the jurisdiction of local courts; international treaties and agreements apply to states parties to such treaties and agreements. The activities of transnational corporations must be combined with the national development policies of states.

Article 36

Member States agree to jointly seek solutions to serious and urgent problems that threaten the economic development and stability of any of the Member States and which cannot be resolved by them alone.

Article 37

Member states disseminate the achievements of science and technology among themselves, promoting, in accordance with existing treaties and national laws, the exchange and use of scientific and technical knowledge.

Article 38

Member States, recognizing the close interdependence that exists between foreign trade and economic and social development, shall make collective as well as individual efforts to achieve:

a) favorable conditions for access to world product markets developing countries region, in particular through the reduction or abolition by importing states of customs and non-customs barriers that impede the exports of member states of the Organization, with the exception of such customs and non-customs barriers that are used to diversify the economic structure, as well as to accelerate the development of less developed member states , as well as to intensify the process of economic integration, or when their existence is related to national security and the need for economic balance;

b) further economic and social development through:

i. creating favorable conditions for trade in raw materials with
assistance in concluding international treaties, when this will be
necessary; streamlining trade, which will avoid
shocks in the markets, as well as the use of other measures,
contributing to the expansion of markets and obtaining guaranteed
income by producers, as well as timely and

guaranteed supplies to consumers; stable prices, which
would be fair for both producers and consumers;

ii. improving international cooperation in
financial area and taking measures to reduce
adverse consequences of sharp fluctuations in exchange rates,
caused by export revenues in countries exporting raw materials;

iii. diversification of exports and expansion of opportunities for
export finished products and semi-finished products from developing
countries, and

iv. creating favorable conditions for the growth of real incomes
from exports to member states, especially developing ones
states of the region, as well as for their wider participation in international trade.

Article 39

Member States reiterate that those economically more developed countries that, in accordance with international treaties, make concessions in favor of developing countries, expressed in the reduction and elimination of tariffs and other restrictions on foreign trade, should not demand mutual concessions that are incompatible with the level of economic development, as well as the financial and trade capabilities of less developed countries.

Article 40

Member States, in order to accelerate economic development, regional integration, expand and improve conditions for trade, will promote the coordination of transport, modernization of communications in developing countries and between members of the Organization.

Article 41

Member States recognize that the integration of the developing countries of the continent is one of the goals of the Inter-American system and will direct their efforts accordingly and take all necessary measures to accelerate the integration process with a view to creating a common Latin American market as soon as possible.

Article 42

With a view to strengthening and accelerating integration in all areas, Member States undertake the responsibility of preparing and implementing interstate projects, as well as their financial support, as well as stimulating the economic and financial institutions of the Inter-American system so that they continue to provide the broadest support to institutions and programs regional integration.

Article 43

Member States recognize that financial and technical cooperation promoting the development of economic integration processes should be based on the principle of comprehensive development, balance and efficiency, with special attention to the least developed countries; This cooperation should be a decisive factor that will allow these countries to develop infrastructure, create new industries and diversify exports on their own.

Article 44

The Member States, convinced that man can achieve the full realization of his aspirations only in a just society, in an environment of genuine peace and economic development, agree to direct maximum efforts to implement the following principles and mechanisms:

a) all people, without distinction of race, sex, nationality, religion or social status, have the right to material well-being and spiritual development in conditions of freedom, respect for human dignity, equality of opportunity and economic stability;

b) work is a right and a social responsibility that allows a person to feel his own dignity; At the same time, conditions must be created under which there would be a fair wage system that guarantees a decent life, health and material conditions for the worker and his family both during work and in old age, as well as in circumstances when he is not at work. able to work;

c) employers and workers in the city and rural areas have the right to organize to protect and defend their interests, including the right to conclude a collective agreement and the right to strike for workers; the associations created must be recognized as legal entities, and their freedom and independence must be recognized in accordance with the law;

d) creating fair and effective systems, as well as procedures for consultation and cooperation between different industries, taking into account the interests of the whole society;

e) the public administration system, the banking and credit systems, the implementation of the distribution system and trade must operate in a manner that is compatible with the functioning of the private sector and meets the requirements and interests of society;

f) inclusion and increasing participation of the poor sections of society in the economic, social, civil, cultural and political life of the state in order to achieve broad integration of the population, accelerating the process social mobility, as well as strengthening the democratic system; support for popular initiatives aimed at the development and progress of the community of states;

g) recognition of the importance of contribution to the life of society and to the development process of trade unions, cooperatives, cultural, industrial, housing and municipal societies, entrepreneurs' organizations;

h) developing an effective social insurance policy, and

i) creation of a legal system in which every citizen could take advantage of legal protection to assert his legal rights.

Article 45

Member States recognize that in order to ensure the process of regional Latin American integration, it is necessary to harmonize the legislation of developing countries in the region, especially in the field labor legislation and in the field of social insurance, so that workers' rights are equally protected; maximum conditions must be taken to achieve this goal.

Article 46

Member States recognize the paramount importance, within the framework of their development programmes, of the promotion of science, education, technology and culture, which are aimed at the full improvement of the human person and are the basis of democracy, social justice and progress.

Article 47

Member States shall cooperate among themselves to meet their needs in the fields of education, scientific research and the development of new technologies with a view to comprehensive development; Member States undertake to make individual and collective efforts to preserve and enhance the cultural heritage of the American peoples.

Article 48

Member States will make every effort, in accordance with their constitutional provisions, to implement the right to education on the following grounds:

a) primary education is compulsory for children of school age, and it is also possible for people of all other ages; public education is free;

b) secondary education should gradually cover a large part of the population as a kind of criterion for social development; it may be different, but depending on the development needs of each country it should not cause harm general education students, and

c) higher education is open to everyone, provided that a high level is maintained and the relevant provisions of the statutes of educational institutions and academic requirements are met.

Article 49

Member States pay particular attention to the eradication of illiteracy; strengthening the adult education system and its vocational training; provide access to cultural values of the entire population and use the media to achieve these goals.

Article 50

Member States promote the development of science and technology through education, scientific research and technological development, as well as through various programs for the dissemination and popularization of knowledge; encourage research in the field of technologies with a view to their application for the needs of comprehensive development, focus joint efforts in these areas; significantly expand the exchange of knowledge in accordance with the goals of comprehensive development, as well as national legislation and existing international treaties.

Article 51

The Member States agree, without prejudice to the identity of each State, to encourage cultural exchanges as a kind of effective remedy to enhance inter-American understanding and recognize that regional integration programs must be supported by close cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture.

Part two

Article 52

The Organization of American States carries out its purposes through 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 institutions.

In addition to those provided for in the Charter and in accordance with the provisions of the Charter, subsidiary bodies, organizations and other institutions may be created as deemed necessary.

General Assembly

Article 53

The General Assembly is the highest organ of the Organization of American States. Its main functions, in addition to those provided for in the Charter, are the following:

a) determine general activities and the policies of the Organization, the structure and functions of its organs and to consider any questions concerning mutual relations between American states;

b) decide on the coordination of activities between the organs, organizations and institutions of the Organization, as well as between them and other institutions of the Inter-American system;

d) promote cooperation, especially in the economic, social and cultural fields, with other international organizations pursuing the same objectives as the Organization of American States;

e) approve the program-budget of the Organization and establish quotas for Member States;

f) consider annual and special reports submitted by bodies, organizations and institutions of the Inter-American system;

g) adopt general rules on the basis of which the General Secretariat will function, and

h) adopt its regulations and, by two-thirds, its agenda.

The General Assembly carries out its activities in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Organization and other American treaties.

Article 54

The General Assembly shall establish principles for determining the quota to be contributed by each government to the maintenance of the Organization, taking into account the ability of the countries concerned to pay and the willingness of those countries to contribute as much as they can. Decisions on budgetary matters require the approval of two-thirds of member states.

Article 55

All member states have the right to be represented in the General Assembly. Each state is entitled to one vote.

Article 56

The General Assembly meets annually during the period determined by its regulations, in a place elected on the basis of rotation. During each regular session, the location of the next regular session is determined, in accordance with the regulations.

If for any reason a session of the General Assembly cannot be held at the appointed place, then it will meet at the seat of the General Secretariat, but it is possible that if any of the Member States offers their territory in a timely manner for holding the session, then the Permanent Council An organization may decide to have the General Assembly meet for a session at a designated location.

Article 57

Under special circumstances and with the approval of two-thirds of the Member States, the Permanent Council will convene extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly.

Article 58

Resolutions of the General Assembly are adopted by a majority vote of the Member States, except in cases where a two-thirds vote is required in accordance with the provisions of the Charter and in cases determined by the General Assembly in accordance with its rules of procedure.

Article 59

A preparatory committee for the General Assembly will be created, consisting of representatives of all member states, which will have the following functions:

a) drawing up draft agendas for each session of the General Assembly;

b) reviewing draft budgets and draft decisions regarding quotas, and submitting a report thereon to the General Assembly with recommendations as it deems necessary, and

c) carry out other functions that the General Assembly entrusts to it.

The draft agenda and report will be communicated to member governments in a timely manner.

Foreign Ministers' Consultative Meeting

Article 60

The Foreign Ministers' Consultative Meeting shall be held for the purpose of considering problems of a pressing nature and common interest to the American States and shall serve as an advisory body.

Article 61

Any Member State may request the convening of a Consultative Meeting. The request must be sent to the Permanent Council of the Organization, which will decide by an absolute majority whether a meeting should be convened.

Article 62

The agenda and rules of the Consultative Meeting are prepared by the Permanent Council of the Organization and submitted to the Member States for consideration.

Article 63

If, in exceptional cases, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of a country is unable to take part in the meeting, then that country is represented by a special delegate.

Article 64

In the event of an armed attack on the territory of any American state or within the security zone, the boundaries of which are determined by existing treaties, the Chairman of the Permanent Council of the Organization shall immediately convene a council to determine the need for convening a Consultative Conference, without violating the provisions of the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance.

Article 65

A Defense Advisory Committee is established to assist the Advisory Body on issues of military cooperation that may arise in connection with the application of existing special treaties on the subject of collective security.

Article 66

The Defense Advisory Committee is composed of the highest military representatives of the American states who participate in the Consultative Meeting. In exceptional cases, governments may appoint other persons to replace them. Each state has one vote.

Article 67

The Defense Advisory Committee shall be convened at the same time as the convening of the Consultative Body, when the latter will be obliged to discuss questions relating to defense against aggression.

Article 68

The Defense Advisory Committee is convened when the General Assembly, the Consultative Meeting, or governments, by a two-thirds majority vote of the Member States, entrust the Defense Advisory Committee with technical study or preparation of reports on special topics.

Councils of the Organization

General provisions

Article 69

The Permanent Council of the Organization, the Inter-American Economic and Social Council and the Inter-American Educational, Scientific and Cultural Council report directly to the General Assembly and are responsible for the matters provided for for each of them by the Charter and other inter-American documents, as well as the functions headed by the General Assembly. and the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers.

Article 70

All member states have the right to be represented on each of these councils. Each state is entitled to one vote.

Article 71

Article 72

The Councils, on matters within their competence, submit to the General Assembly studies and proposals, draft international documents and proposals relating to the holding of specialized conferences, the creation, improvement or abolition of specialized bodies and other inter-American institutions, as well as regarding the coordination of their activities. Councils may also submit studies, proposals and draft international documents to specialized conferences.

Article 73

If necessary, each Council may convene specialized conferences on matters within its competence, after first consulting the Member States and without resorting to the procedure provided for in Article 127.

Article 74

The Councils, to the best of their ability and in cooperation with the General Secretariat, shall provide special services to governments at their request.

Article 75

Each council has the power to require other councils and the subsidiary bodies and organizations subordinate to it to provide it with information and assistance within the limits of their competence. Councils may also request similar services from other organizations in the Inter-American system.

Article 76

With the prior approval of the General Assembly, the councils may create such subsidiary bodies and organizations as they deem necessary for the better performance of their functions. If the General Assembly is not convened, then the specified bodies and organizations may be created by the relevant councils as temporary bodies.

In establishing these organizations, councils should, whenever possible, respect the principles of priority and equitable geographical representation.

Article 77

The Councils may hold their meetings in the territory of any Member State if they consider it appropriate, with the prior consent of the government concerned.

Article 78

Each council develops its own charter, submits it for approval to the General Assembly and adopts its own regulations and the regulations of its subsidiary bodies, organizations and commissions.

Article 79

The Permanent Council includes one representative from each member state, specially appointed by the respective government with the rank of ambassador.

Each state may appoint a temporary representative, as well as additional personnel and advisers, if it deems necessary.

Standing Council

Article 80

The Presidency of the Permanent Council is carried out by representatives of Member States in alphabetical order of the names of the representatives on Spanish, and the vice-chairmanship in the same way, but in reverse order.

The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall serve for a period not exceeding six months, as stipulated in the regulations of the Permanent Council.

Article 81

Within the framework of the Charter of the Organization of American States, inter-American treaties and agreements, the Permanent Council is competent to decide any issues submitted to it for consideration by the General Assembly and the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers.

Article 82

The Permanent Council acts as an advisory body as set out in a special treaty on this matter.

Article 83

The Permanent Council shall ensure the maintenance of friendly relations between the Member States and, in this regard, promote the peaceful settlement of disputes between them in accordance with the provisions set out below.

Article 84

Subject to the provisions of the Charter, any party to a dispute which cannot be resolved by the peaceful means provided for in this Charter may appeal to the Permanent Council and benefit from its good offices. The Permanent Council, in accordance with the previous article, will come to the assistance of the parties and recommend procedures which it considers appropriate for the peaceful settlement of the dispute.

Article 85

The Permanent Council, with the consent of the disputing parties, within the framework of the exercise of its powers, can create ad hoc commissions. Ad hoc commissions have powers that are agreed upon in each special case Constant consultation with disputing parties.

Article 86

The Permanent Council may, on its own initiative, by such means as it deems necessary, investigate the facts connected with the dispute in the territory of any of the parties to the dispute, but with the prior consent of the government concerned.

Article 87

In the event that the procedure for the peaceful resolution of a dispute recommended by the Permanent Council or developed by the relevant ad hoc commission is not accepted by one of the parties within the time limit allotted to it or any of them declares that the procedure did not resolve the differences, then in this case the Permanent Council informs the General Assembly of this, without stopping efforts to resolve the dispute or to renew relations between the parties.

Article 88

The Permanent Council, exercising these powers, makes decisions by a two-thirds vote of the members, while the disputing parties do not participate in voting. This list does not include decisions for which the regulations require a simple majority vote.

Article 89

In carrying out its functions for the peaceful settlement of disputes, the Permanent Council and the corresponding ad hoc commission must comply with the provisions of the Charter of the Organization, the principles and norms of international law, as well as existing international treaties.

Article 90

The functions of the Permanent Council also include:

a) execution of those decisions of the General Assembly or the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers, the implementation of which has not been entrusted to another body;

b) monitoring compliance with the rules governing the work of the General Secretariat and adopting regulatory provisions authorizing the General Secretariat to perform administrative functions between regular sessions of the General Assembly;

c) performing the functions of the preparatory commission of the General Assembly, subject to the conditions specified in Article 59 of the Charter, unless the General Assembly decides otherwise;

d) preparing, at the request of Member States and with the assistance of other organs of the Organization, draft agreements for the purpose of promoting and facilitating cooperation between the Organization of American States and the United Nations, as well as between the former and other American organizations of international recognition; draft agreements must be approved by the General Assembly;

f) considering the reports of other councils, the Inter-American Legal Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the General Secretariat, specialized organizations and conferences, as well as other bodies and institutions, and submitting to the General Assembly comments and recommendations deemed necessary, and

g) exercise of other powers that are enshrined in the Charter.

Article 91

The Permanent Council and the General Secretariat are located in one place.

Inter-American Economic and Social Council

Article 92

The Inter-American Economic and Social Council is composed of senior members representing member states. officials, specifically designated by the respective governments.

Article 93

The Inter-American Economic and Social Council promotes cooperation among American states in order to achieve accelerated economic and social development, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VII.

Article 94

To achieve these goals, the Inter-American Economic and Social Council must:

b) act as the initiator and coordinating body for all activities of an economic and social nature within the Organization;

c) coordinate its own activities with the activities of other councils of the Organization of American States;

d) establish cooperation with relevant United Nations bodies and other national and international organizations in the coordination of inter-American technical assistance programs, and

f) contribute to the resolution of issues provided for in Article 6 of the Charter and establish appropriate procedures.

Article 95

The Inter-American Economic and Social Council meets at ministerial level at least once a year. It may also be convened at the initiative of the General Assembly, the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers to consider issues provided for in Article 36 of the Charter.

Article 96

Within the framework of the Inter-American Economic and Social Council, there is a Standing Executive Commission, consisting of a chairman and at least seven members elected by this council for the period specified in this Charter. Each commission member has one vote. When electing members of the commission, the principle of priority and the principle of equitable geographical representation should be respected whenever possible. The Standing Executive Commission represents the totality of member states of the Organization.

Article 97

The Permanent Executive Commission acts on behalf of the Inter-American Economic and Social Council in accordance with the general rules established by the latter.

Inter-American Council on Education, Science and Culture

Article 98

The Inter-American Educational, Scientific and Cultural Council is composed of senior officials representing member states specifically appointed by their respective governments.

Article 99

The Inter-American Educational, Scientific and Cultural Council promotes friendly relations and mutual understanding among the peoples of the Americas through cooperation, educational, scientific and cultural exchanges between member states with the aim of raising the cultural level of their citizens, and also promotes their awareness of their dignity, preparation for the tasks of progressive development and strengthening of peace-loving sentiments, democracy and social justice that characterize progressive development.

Article 100

To achieve its intended goals, the Inter-American Educational, Scientific and Cultural Council must:

a) promote and coordinate the activities of the Organization related to education, science and culture;

(c) to support the individual and collective efforts of Member States to improve and expand education at its various levels, with particular emphasis on efforts aimed at community development;

e) stimulate and support education and scientific and technological research related to national development plans;

f) stimulate the exchange of teachers, scientists, specialists and students, as well as educational materials, as well as the conclusion of bilateral and multilateral agreements in order to harmonize curricula at all educational levels and recognize scientific degrees and titles;

g) promote the education of the American people for the purpose of international cooperation and obtaining more complete knowledge about the historical and cultural sources of America in order to emphasize and preserve the spiritual unity and community of destinies;

h) to continually stimulate scientific and artistic creativity, the exchange of cultural property and folk art, as well as bilateral relations between the various American cultural regions;

i) promote cooperation as well as technical assistance for the protection, preservation and enhancement of the cultural heritage of the continent;

j) coordinate its activities with the activities of other councils; together with the Inter-American Economic and Social Council, link programs for the development of education, science and culture with programs of national development and regional integration;

k) establish cooperation with relevant UN bodies, as well as other national and international institutions;

l) promote the strengthening of the civic consciousness of the American people as the basis for the effectiveness of democracy, as well as respect for the rights and responsibilities of the human person;

n) periodically review and evaluate the efforts made by Member States in the fields of education, science and culture.

Article 101

The Inter-American Educational, Scientific and Cultural Council meets at ministerial level at least once a year. It can also be convened at the initiative of the General Assembly and the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers.

Article 102

Within the framework of the Inter-American Council of Education, Science and Culture, there is a Permanent Executive Commission, consisting of a chairman and at least seven members elected by this council for the period provided for by this Charter. Each commission member has one vote. When electing commission members, the principle of priority and equitable geographical representation should be respected whenever possible. The Standing Executive Commission is a collection of member states.

Article 103

The Permanent Executive Commission acts on behalf of the Inter-American Educational, Scientific and Cultural Council in accordance with the general rules established by the latter.

Inter-American Judicial Committee

Article 104

The Inter-American Judicial Committee has as its mission to serve as an advisory body to the Organization in legal matters, to promote the progressive development of international law and to study legal problems concerning the integration of the developing countries of the continent and the possibility of unifying their legislation, as far as practical.

Article 105

The Inter-American Judicial Committee studies and prepares cases entrusted to it by the General Assembly, the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers or the Council of the Organization. In addition, he may, on his own initiative, carry out activities that he deems appropriate and make proposals for the holding of specialized legal conferences on legal issues.

Article 106

The Inter-American Judicial Committee is composed of eleven jurists who are citizens of member states, elected for a term of four years from among three candidates proposed by said states. The General Assembly carries out elections on the basis of a procedure that provides for partial renewal of membership and, as far as possible, equitable geographical representation. The committee cannot include more than one representative from each state.

Vacancies caused by the expiration of the terms of office of members of the Inter-American Judicial Committee shall be filled on the basis of decisions of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States and in accordance with the provisions set forth in the previous paragraph.

Article 107

The Inter-American Judicial Committee represents the body of member states of the Organization and has the broadest technical autonomy.

Article 108

The Inter-American Judicial Committee establishes cooperation with universities, institutes and other educational institutions, as well as with national and international commissions and organizations engaged in the study, research or popularization of legal issues of an international nature.

Article 109

The Inter-American Legal Committee develops its statute, which is submitted to the General Assembly for approval.
The Committee adopts its regulations.

Article 110

The seat of the Inter-American Legal Committee shall be established in the city of Rio de Janeiro, but in special cases it may hold meetings at any other location determined in good time after prior consultation with the Member State concerned.

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Article 111

An Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will be created whose main function is to promote respect and protection of human rights and to serve as an advisory body to the Organization in this field.

The structure, competence and work procedure of this commission, as well as all other bodies dealing with the same issues, are determined by the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights.

General Secretariat

Article 112

The General Secretariat is the central organ of the Organization of American States. It performs the functions assigned to it by the Charter and other inter-American treaties and agreements; carries out instructions from the General Assembly, the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers, and councils.

Article 113

The Secretary General of the Organization is elected by the General Assembly for a term of five years and cannot be re-elected more than once, or replaced by a person of the same nationality. In the event that the position of the Secretary-General remains vacant, his functions shall be assigned to the Deputy Secretary-General until the General Assembly elects a new Secretary-General for a full term.

Article 114

The Secretary General directs the General Secretariat and is its official representative and, not in violation of Article 90, paragraph b, be responsible to the General Assembly for the proper performance by the General Secretariat of its duties and functions.

Article 115

The Secretary General or his representative takes part in all meetings of the Organization with an advisory vote.

The Secretary-General shall bring to the attention of the General Assembly or the Permanent Council any matter which, in his opinion, may threaten the peace and security of the continent or the development of the Member States.

The powers listed in the previous paragraph are exercised in accordance with this Charter.

Article 116

In accordance with the activities and policies determined by the General Assembly, as well as in accordance with the resolutions of the Council, the General Secretariat promotes the development of economic, social, legal, educational, scientific and cultural relations between all member states of the Organization.

Article 117

The functions of the General Secretariat also include the following:

a) communicate to Member States on the convening of the General Assembly, the Consultative Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Inter-American Educational, Scientific and Cultural Council and specialized conferences;

b) assist other bodies, as appropriate, in preparing the agenda and regulations;

(c) prepare a draft program-budget for the Organization on the basis of the programs adopted by the councils, bodies and organizations whose expenditures are to be included in the program-budget and, after prior consultation with these councils or their standing committees, submit this draft to the preparatory committee of the General Assembly, and then to the General Assembly itself;

d) provide permanent services to the General Assembly and other bodies consistent with the functions of the secretariat, and carry out its decisions and instructions. To the best of their ability, provide services to other meetings of the Organization;

f) maintain the documents and archives of the Inter-American Conferences, the General Assembly, Consultative Meetings of Foreign Ministers, Councils and Specialized Conferences;

f) accept inter-American treaties and agreements, as well as the corresponding instruments of ratification;

g) submit to the General Assembly at each regular session an annual report on the activities and financial position of the Organization;

h) establish, in accordance with decisions of the General Assembly or Councils, cooperation with specialized agencies and other national and international organizations.

Article 118

The responsibility of the Secretary General includes:

a) the creation of the departments of the General Secretariat necessary for the implementation of its purposes, and

b) determination of the quantitative composition of officials and employees of the General Secretariat, their appointment, regulation of their rights and obligations and the establishment of salaries.

The Secretary General shall exercise his powers in accordance with the general rules and budgetary provisions established by the General Assembly.

Article 119

The Deputy Secretary-General is elected by the General Assembly for a five-year term and cannot be re-elected more than once or replaced by a person of the same nationality. In the event that the position of Under-Secretary-General remains vacant, the Permanent Council shall elect a replacement to serve in that capacity until the General Assembly elects a new Under-Secretary-General for a full term.

Article 120

The Deputy Secretary General is the secretary of the Permanent Council. Serves as an adviser to the Secretary General and acts as his representative in all matters assigned to him by the Secretary General. In the event of the temporary absence of the Secretary General or his inability to perform his duties, the Deputy Secretary General shall perform his functions.

The Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General must be persons of different nationalities.

Article 121

The General Assembly, by a two-thirds majority vote of the Member States, may remove the Secretary General or the Deputy Secretary General, or both, if the interests of the work of the Organization so require.

Article 122

The Secretary General, with the approval of the relevant council, shall appoint an executive secretary for economic and social affairs and an executive secretary for educational, scientific and cultural affairs, who will also serve as secretaries of the respective councils.

Article 123

In the performance of their duties, the Secretary-General and the staff of the Secretariat shall not seek or receive any instructions from any government or any authority outside the Organization and will refrain from any activity inconsistent with their position as international officials responsible only before the Organization.

Article 124

Member States undertake to respect the exclusive international character of the responsibility of the Secretary-General and the staff of the General Secretariat and may not attempt to influence them in the performance of their functions.

Article 125

In staffing the General Secretariat, business acumen and integrity are the primary consideration, but at the same time, emphasis is placed on the need to select staff at all ranks, taking into account a wider geographical representation.

Article 126

The location of the General Secretariat is the city of Washington.

Chapter XVIII

Specialized conferences

Article 127

Specialized conferences are intergovernmental meetings to discuss special technical issues or to discuss certain aspects of inter-American cooperation and are held by decision of the General Assembly or the Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers, at the initiative or request of any of the councils or specialized organizations.

Article 128

The agenda and regulations of specialized conferences will be prepared by the relevant councils or specialized agencies concerned and submitted to the governments of member states.

Specialized institutions

Article 129

According to the Charter, specialized inter-American institutions are intergovernmental organizations created on the basis of multilateral agreements and having certain functions in technical matters of common interest to all American states.

Article 130

The General Secretariat maintains a register of organizations meeting the conditions of the previous article, in accordance with the decision of the General Assembly on the basis of preliminary information from the relevant council.

Article 131

The specialized agencies enjoy the widest technical autonomy, but must take into account the recommendations of the General Assembly and Councils in accordance with the provisions of the Charter.

Article 132

The specialized agencies submit annual reports to the General Assembly on their activities, as well as on their budgets and annual reports.

Article 133

Relations between the specialized agencies and the Organization are regulated by concluding agreements between each of the agencies and Secretary General with the permission of the General Assembly.

Article 134

Specialized agencies should establish cooperative relations with international organizations of a similar nature in order to coordinate their activities. When concluding agreements with international organizations, the Inter-American specialized agencies must maintain their identity and position as an integral part of the Organization of American States, even when they perform regional functions of international bodies.

Article 135

When locating specialized agencies, the interests of all Member States must be taken into account and it is advisable that the location of these agencies be chosen on the basis of the most equitable geographical distribution.

Part three

Article 136

Nothing in this Charter may be construed as impairing the rights and obligations of Member States under the Charter of the United Nations.

Various positions

Article 137

Facilitation of meetings of the permanent organs of the Organization of American States or conferences and meetings provided for in the Charter or held under the auspices of the Organization is carried out in accordance with the multinational character of these bodies, conferences and meetings and is independent of the bilateral relations between the government of any member state and the government of the country where it is held meeting.

Article 138

The Organization of American States shall enjoy in the territory of each of its members such legal capacity, privileges and immunities as shall be necessary for the performance of its functions and the accomplishment of its purposes.

Article 139

Representatives of Member States in the organs of the Organization, staff of missions, the Secretary General and his Deputy enjoy privileges and immunities corresponding to their positions and necessary for the independent performance of their functions.

Article 140

The legal status of the specialized agencies, the privileges and immunities to be granted to them and their staff, as well as to the employees of the General Secretariat, are determined by multilateral agreement. The foregoing does not prevent the conclusion of bilateral agreements when deemed necessary.

Article 141

Correspondence of the Organization of American States, including printed publications and packages, with the appropriate stamp of the Organization, is exempt from postage at the postal institutions of member states.

Article 142

The Organization of American States does not permit any qualifications on the basis of race, creed, or gender in the consideration of merit in holding positions in the Organization or participating in its activities.

Article 143

The relevant bodies of the Organization shall ensure, within the framework of the provisions of this Charter, cooperation with states that are not members of the Organization in the field of cooperation for development.

Ratification and duration

Article 144

This Charter remains open to signature by the American States and will be ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional procedures. The original Charter, the texts of which are authentic in Spanish, French and Portuguese, will be kept by the General Secretariat, which will send certified copies to governments for the purpose of ratification. The instruments of ratification will be kept by the General Secretariat and it must inform the signatory governments of the Charter.

Article 145

This Charter will enter into force between the states that ratify it when two thirds of the signatory states have deposited their instruments of ratification. For the remaining states it will come into force as soon as they deposit their instruments of ratification.

Article 146

This Charter will be registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations through the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States.

Article 147

This Charter may be amended only by the General Assembly convened for this purpose. The changes will come into force within the time limits and in accordance with the procedure established in Article 145.

Article 148

The validity of this Charter is not limited in time, but it may be denounced by any of the Member States by written notification to the General Secretariat, which will inform the other Members of the notification received. After the expiration of two years from the date of receipt by the Council of the notification, this Charter shall cease to have force in relation to the denouncing State, and it shall become unconnected with the Organization upon fulfillment of the obligations arising from this Charter.

Chapter XXIII

Temporary provisions

Article 149

The Inter-American Committee for the Alliance for Progress acts as a permanent executive commission of the Inter-American Economic and Social Council throughout the existence of the Alliance.

Article 150

Until the entry into force of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights, referred to in Chapter XVI, the current Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will monitor compliance with these rights.

Article 151

The Permanent Council does not make recommendations, and the General Assembly does not decide on admission to membership of the Organization from a state whose territory is in whole or in part the subject of a dispute between an extra-continental state and one or more member states of the Organization of American States. This provision applies to disputes arising before December 18, 1964, and continues until they are peacefully resolved. This article remains in force until December 10, 1990.

The text of the document is verified according to:
Current international law
vol. 2, in 3 vols., M.: MNIMP, 1996
Unofficial translation

International organization- an organization established by an agreement of member states giving it the status of an international organization. The term “international organizations” is used in relation to both interstate (intergovernmental) and non-governmental organizations. Their legal nature is different.

International intergovernmental organization- an association of states established on the basis of a treaty to achieve common goals, having permanent bodies and acting in the common interests of the member states while respecting their sovereignty. International intergovernmental organizations can be classified:

a) by subject of activity - political, economic, credit and financial, trade, health, etc.;
b) according to the range of participants - universal and regional;
c) according to the procedure for admitting new members - open or closed;
d) by field of activity - with general or special competence;
e) according to the goals and principles of activity - legal or illegal;
f) by the number of members - worldwide or group.

Signs of international intergovernmental organizations.

Membership of at least three states.
Permanent bodies and headquarters.
Availability of a constituent agreement.
Respect for the sovereignty of member states.
Non-interference in internal affairs.
Established order decision making.

International non-governmental organizations are not created on the basis of an interstate agreement and unite individuals and/or legal entities. International non-governmental organizations are:

a) political, ideological, socio-economic, trade union;
b) women's, for the protection of family and childhood;
c) youth, sports, scientific, cultural and educational;
d) in the field of print, cinema, radio, television, etc.

International organizations are secondary or derivative subjects of international law and are created by states. The process of creating an international organization includes three stages:

adoption of the organization’s constituent documents;
creation of its material structure;
convening of the main bodies - the beginning of functioning.

The structure of an international organization is made up of the bodies of the international organization - its structural link, which is created on the basis of the constituent or other acts of the international organization. The body is endowed with certain competence, powers and functions, has an internal structure and a procedure for making decisions. The most important body of an international organization is the intergovernmental body, to which member states send representatives to act on their behalf. Based on the nature of their membership, bodies are divided into:

intergovernmental;
interparliamentary (typical of the European Union, consisting of parliamentary delegates elected in proportion to the population);
administrative (from international officials serving in an international organization);
consisting of persons in a personal capacity, etc.

United Nations: history of creation, goals and principles. Structure and content of the UN Charter

United Nations was created during the Second World War, when humanity was seriously thinking about how to prevent such terrible wars in the future.

Structure and content UN Charter: goals and principles of the UN; members of the organization; authorities, peaceful resolution of disputes; action regarding threats to peace; self-governing territories; regional agreements; international guardianship system.

UN General Assembly. UN Security Council. UN Economic and Social Council

General Assembly- the most representative body of the UN, has the broadest competence. The General Assembly is a democratic body. Each member, regardless of the size of the territory, population, economic and military power has one vote. Decisions on important issues are made by a 2/3 majority of the members of the General Assembly present and voting. States that are not members of the UN, those with permanent observers at the UN (Vatican City, Switzerland) and those without, can take part in the work of the General Assembly. The General Assembly is headed by the Secretary General.

Competence of the General Assembly.

Discusses any issues or matters within the limits of the Charter.
Makes recommendations to UN members in its bodies (with the exception of issues falling under the jurisdiction of the Security Council).
Considers general principles cooperation in maintaining peace, including the principle of disarmament, and makes recommendations accordingly.
Considers any issues related to maintaining peace.
Recommends measures for the peaceful settlement of any situation that might disturb the general welfare or friendly relations between states.
Promotes international cooperation in the political field and the progressive development of international law and its codification.
Forms UN bodies and receives reports from them on their activities.
On the recommendation of the Security Council, it admits and expels UN members.
Jointly with the Security Council, elects a member of the International Court of Justice.

Security Council consists of 15 members: 5 permanent - Russia, China, France, Great Britain, USA - and 10 non-permanent - elected by the General Assembly for a period of 2 years. He has primary responsibility for maintaining peace and security. The Council acts on behalf of the UN member states and is the main executive body of the UN; it has a major role in the peaceful resolution of disputes. Decisions on procedural issues in the Council are made by a majority of 9 votes. For other issues, a majority of 9 votes is required, but this number must include the votes of permanent members.

Competence of the Security Council.

Monitoring the implementation by states of UN principles.
Preparation of arms regulation plans.
Determining whether there is a threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression.
Makes a recommendation or takes coercive measures against the offender.

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)- bears responsibility for the performance of the functions set forth in Chapter IX of the UN Charter. Consists of 5 members elected annually by the General Assembly for a period of three years.

Competence of the Economic and Social Council.

Conducts research and writes reports on international issues in economics, social sphere, culture, education, healthcare and similar areas.
Makes recommendations to the UN on the above issues.
Concludes agreements with specialized agencies and coordinates their activities, receives reports from them.
Liaises with non-governmental international organizations.

Brief description of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization of American States (OAS) as regional international organizations under the UN Charter

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). States' concern for their security led to the creation of military-political organizations, one of which was NATO. NATO's primary purpose is to ensure the freedom and security of all members through political and military means in accordance with UN principles. NATO is called upon to ensure lasting peace in Europe and maintain strategic balance throughout Europe.

NATO members undertake to resolve all international disputes by peaceful means so that international peace, security and justice are not jeopardized. They shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.

The governing bodies of NATO are the North Atlantic Council, the Defense Planning Committee, the Nuclear Planning Group, other committees, and the Secretary General. Military structure NATO consists of military committees, a permanent military committee and an international military headquarters. Currently, NATO includes 16 states. But every year the organization plans to expand, in particular, in the future it is planned to accept a number of states of Eastern Europe and some republics former USSR. NATO is currently playing very important role. This organization takes an active part in resolving international conflicts. Often NATO replaces the UN and its decisions.

Organization of American States. It includes more than 30 Latin American countries, Caribbean and USA.

The founding documents of the Organization of American States are three acts:

Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance 1947;
Charter of the Organization of American States (adopted April 30, 1948, entered into force December 13, 1951);
Inter-American Treaty for the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes 1948

In accordance with the Charter, the goals of the Organization of American States are to maintain peace and security in the Western Hemisphere, resolve disputes between member states, organize joint actions against aggression, and develop cooperation in the political, economic, social, scientific, technical and cultural fields.

The highest body of the Organization of American States is the General Assembly, in which all member states are represented.

The Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers is authorized to consider problems of an urgent nature, including those related to an armed attack on member states of the Organization of American States. A Defense Advisory Committee was established under him.

Under the direction of General Assembly There are three councils: the Permanent Council, the Inter-American Economic and Social Council, and the Inter-American Council on Education, Science and Culture, which are executive bodies vested with very broad powers.

The administrative body of the Organization of American States is the General Secretariat, headed by the Secretary General.

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe: formation and development, sources, bodies

In 1975, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe was formed, which in 1994, by the decision of the Budapest Meeting, was transformed into an organization (OSCE). Thus, the OSCE turned from a conference into an organization.

Currently, the OSCE is an emerging international regional organization. Its constituent documents are Final Act, adopted in Helsinki in 1975, the Charter for a New Europe and its Additional Document, adopted in Paris in 1990, the Declaration “The Challenge of the Time of Change” and a package of decisions on the structure and main directions of the OSCE activities, adopted in Helsinki in 1992 These documents define the main goals of the OSCE: to resolutely use norms and standards to create a society of common security; ensure the implementation of all OSCE commitments; serve as a forum for consultations and decision-making on cooperation; strengthen preventive diplomacy; enhance the ability to resolve disputes and conflicts and carry out peace operations; strengthen security through arms control and disarmament; develop activities in the field of human rights.

The principles of the OSCE were enshrined in the Declaration of Principles, which is an integral part of the Helsinki Final Act.

Since 1990, the formation and development of the OSCE structure has been taking place. It was determined that meetings of heads of state and government should be held regularly every two years. They set priorities and provide guidelines at the highest political level.

The highest organ of the OSCE is the Conference of Heads of State and Government.

The organization is managed and decisions are made by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the participating states. The OSCE Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE. It consists of foreign ministers and must meet at least once a year to consider issues related to the OSCE and make appropriate decisions. The Chairman of each meeting of the OSCE Council must be a representative of the host country.

The Governing Council discusses and shapes policies and decides general budget issues.

The Permanent Council is a permanent operating body for political consultation and decision-making.

The Chairman of the Permanent Council is the main executive officer. He has a “troika” of representatives with him.

The OSCE Secretary General is the chief administrative officer.

The OSCE has the position of High Commissioner on National Minorities, Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The OSCE has all the features of an international organization, except for one thing: it was formed not by a treaty of states, but by a political agreement. It is a purely political entity that does not have international legal personality. At the moment, the OSCE as an international organization is in the process of formation.

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 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 on 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 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 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) 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 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 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 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 aims to guide public policy in the area of child protection, articulate the relationship between state and civil society and develop a critical understanding of childhood issues. Located in Montevideo (Uruguay).

Inter-American Commission of Women established at the International Conference of American States (Havana, 1929) as an advisory body on the status and living conditions of women on the continent. Located in Washington.

Pan American Institute of Geography and History formed by the decision of the sixth international conference of American states in 1928 and is designed to establish cooperation between states in the fields of cartography, geography, history and geophysics. It is located in Mexico City.

Inter-American Indian Institute Organized under a 1940 agreement to promote cooperation and policy coordination among member states and to assist in community development research and training. The institute is located in Mexico City.

M American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture founded in 1942 as the Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Sciences, designed to stimulate, promote and support the efforts of the countries of the continent in the development of agriculture and improving the welfare of the rural population. The headquarters of the institute is located in San Jose (Costa Rica).

Specialized organizations must establish cooperative relationships with other international institutions of the same competence in order to coordinate their actions, while maintaining their autonomy as OAS institutions. In accordance with Articles 90 and 130 of the Charter, they submit annual reports to the General Assembly on their activities and financial expenditures.

The validity of the OAS Charter is unlimited, but member states wishing to leave the organization must notify the General Secretariat in writing of their desire two years in advance, which will bring this information to the attention of all members.

The OAS Charter came into force in December 1951. Since then it has been amended in accordance with the protocols:

· Buenos Aires (signed in 1967 and entered into force in February 1970);

· Cartagena de Indias (signed in 1985 and entered into force in November 1988);

· Washington (signed in 1992 and will 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 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.

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, contribute to strengthening democracy, promoting and protecting human rights, eliminating 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 objectives proclaimed in the “Union for Progress” document, aimed at strengthening representative democracy, achieving rapid economic development and greater social justice.

In 1959, it was established in Santiago (Chile) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, designed to monitor the implementation of human rights proclaimed in the OAS Charter, in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (1948) and in the American Convention on Human Rights (signed in 1969 and entered into force in 1978). Following the entry into force of this Convention, a Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

In the face of the growing threat of drug trafficking, the OAS General Assembly established in 1986 Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission. It is mandated to promote and facilitate cooperation among Member States in the fight against the illicit production, use and trade of narcotic drugs.

In the last decades of the twentieth century. A prominent place in the activities of the OAS was occupied by monitoring the progress of the formation of representative bodies of power in the countries of the continent. In June 1991, the General Assembly in Santiago adopted “ Commitment to democracy and renewal of the inter-American system”, in which OAS member states undertake to fully support democracy as a system of government. At the same time, a resolution was approved entitled “ Representative democracy”, establishing procedures for protecting democracy where its implementation has been interrupted. These procedures have since been applied in Haiti (1991), Peru (1992) and Guatemala (1993). A special session of the OAS General Assembly, held in Peru, adopted on September 11, 2001. "Inter-American Democratic Charter". Its 28 articles set out the modern understanding of democracy in the spirit of the UDHR and the IPU “Declaration of Democracy”, as well as the obligations of member states of the Organization to strictly follow the norms of the Charter.

In the report of the OAS Secretary General for 2002 -2003. The functions of the OAS are defined as those of the “technical secretariat and institutional memory” of the Meetings of the Heads of State and Government of the continent. Such meetings within the entire OAS occur quite rarely. They took place in 1956 in Panama, in 1967 in Punta del Este, in 1994 in Miami, in 1996 in Santa Cruz del Sierra. At the first of these meetings, participants agreed to begin developing joint development programs and establish the Inter-American Development Bank. At the summit meeting in 1967, the issue of developing and implementing regional educational, scientific, technological and cultural development programs was discussed. The heads of state and government of the countries of the continent declared regional integration one of the most important goals of the inter-American system. The Miami Summit in December 1994 stated that "... The strengthening, effective implementation and consolidation of democracy is a central political priority." continent, and the OAS is "the main institution for the protection of democratic institutions" The summit meeting in 1998 was devoted to the problems of sustainable development of the continent. Meetings of heads of state of individual regions of the continent take place quite often (over the 50 years of the existence of the OAS, 10 summit meetings of the RIO group countries and 6 meetings of Ibero-American countries took place).

Real relations between the countries of the American continent are fundamentally different from those prescribed by the OAS Charter. US interventions in Cuba, Panama, Grenada and other countries that were members of the OAS have nothing to do with mutual trust, solidarity and non-interference in each other's affairs. " Aggression against one of the American states is aggression against all the others» , says one of the paragraphs of Article 5 of the Charter. And during the conflict between OAS member Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, the United States not only openly took anti-Argentine positions, but also placed its airfields at the disposal of the enemy of its “ally” in the OAS. However, most of the countries of the continent supported and support Argentina in its quest to restore its sovereignty over these islands. The XXXII session of the OAS General Assembly (June 2002) adopted a special “Declaration on the Malvinas Issue,” which declared support for Argentina’s desire to resolve the issue of the islands peacefully.

« Economic cooperation is the basis for the general well-being and prosperity of the peoples of the continent“, says another paragraph of the same Article 5 of the Charter. The economic boycott and economic blockade that has continued, against the will of many OAS member countries, for more than 40 years in relation to Cuba is a reality of the same American continent. A de facto boycott was also declared against Chile after the election of socialist Salvador Allende as president of that country.

The United States has repeatedly attempted to remove some of the above provisions from the OAS charter, but the majority of OAS members have opposed these attempts. The United States refuses to cooperate with the OAS in matters of joint implementation of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights, and refuses to take into account the decisions of the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. This includes the words of Senator Helms, quoted in the first chapter, that in America there is only one right and one Court - the Constitution and the Supreme Court of the United States. The diseases of the UN are thus the diseases of a number of other international institutions.

On the American continent there are almost 1.5 dozen more regional institutions of varying competence. The most active of them are:

Central American Common Market (CACM);

Latin American Integration Association (LAI);

Caribbean Free Trade Association (Caricom), later transformed into the Caribbean Common Market;

Andean group;

Argentine-Brazilian Common Market;

North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA).

As you can see, the degree of integration of the countries of the Western Hemisphere is not the same. North American countries are better integrated than South American countries. It must be assumed that the socio-economic and political progress on the continent will certainly bring to life 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 provisions 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. 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.

) 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

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.