Organization of American States (OAS), 1971-82
Topics
- On the question of the War on Drugs, 1971
- Responding to the anti-Allende coup in Chile, 1973
- Responding to the Dirty War in Argentina 1974-82
OAS Headquarters, a gift from Andrew Carnegie in 1910 for the Pan-American Union.
Background
The Organization of American States (OAS) is the oldest regional international organization, originating at the Congress of Panama, convoked by Simon Bolivar in 1826, and Pan-American Union, established in 1890. Re-born as the OAS in 1948, it currently has 35 Member States. It works to strengthen peace and security in the hemisphere; promote representative democracy; ensure the peaceful settlement of disputes among members; provide for common action in the event of aggression; and promote economic, social, and cultural development.
The OAS' most prominent role has been monitoring elections to ensure legality and fairness. Members have left the organization in protest of its criticism of their domestic affairs. Others have been expelled or suspended, and sometimes readmitted. Cuba was expelled in 1962, and readmitted in 2009, but continues to boycott. At ODUMUNC it is treated as a Member in good standing.
The OAS is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has more than seven hundred employees and an operating budget of USD 85 million. It convenes a Summit of the Americas every two to four years, where national leaders discuss multilateral initiatives and bilateral relations.