OAS is the acronym for Organization of American States,
The OAS is the Organization of American States . It is a Pan-American entity that promotes dialogue among its members and consensus decisions on matters of interest to the American Continent.
Among the objectives of the OAS are the consolidation of democratic regimes, the defense and promotion of human rights , support for the growth of the economy , the defense of security and peace, and the construction of friendly ties between all countries of America .
With its main headquarters in the United States ( Washington DC ), the OAS has thirty-five member states and recognizes English, Portuguese, French and Spanish as official languages.
Structure of the OAS
Some of the OAS bodies for consultation and action are the General Assembly, the Consultation Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Juridical Committee and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development , among others. .
The current Secretary General of the OAS is the Uruguayan Luis Almagro , who took office in May 2015 . Before taking up his position at the OAS , Almagro was foreign minister of his country.
Organization history
The origin of the organization dates back to 1826 , when Simón Bolívar , in his interest in unifying the States of the southern cone, called a meeting to establish agreements between the various countries ; However, his idea was only carried out in 1889 , when the International Union of American Republics was founded.
In 1890, the First International American Conference was held, whose objective was to discuss those differences that may exist between the various nations , so that an agreement could be reached where everyone would benefit and ensure continental peace.
Also at that meeting, they sought to establish reciprocal commercial relations that would guarantee the creation of a broad and beneficial market for all; The same, they believed, would serve for the exchange of national products between the various territories. From that year onwards, international meetings were held periodically where different problems were presented and a solution was sought for them.
In its origins the OAS was called the International Union of American Republics and had its headquarters in Washington ( United States ). This entity was transformed, in 1910 , into the Pan American Union and, finally, in 1948 , the Charter of the Organization of American States was adopted, which marked the birth of the OAS .
The OAS headquarters is located in Washington DC
Functions of the OAS
The OAS has allowed many States to sign agreements among themselves, having a certain security that other countries would ensure their rights in case things did not go as expected. Fundamentally, this system was dedicated to correcting problems that endangered peace on the continent.
It should be noted that there is a Charter where the responsibilities and rights of each country are established in writing, which has been modified four times and must be respected by all Member States.
It is important to note that the OAS safeguards the rights of all citizens living in American territory, and may intervene between the political decisions of the various States if it considers that they have taken an unclear or abusive attitude towards any of its inhabitants. For this reason, we can say that it is an organization that, beyond having a purpose of collective unity between peoples, ensures greater peace of mind for anyone who sets foot on American soil. Finally, this organization is responsible for mediating ministerial meetings between Ministers of Justice, Labor, Science and Technology and Education of all member countries.