Organization of American States (OAS)

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  International Organization

• Founded

  1948-04-30

• Pillars

  Democracy, Human Rights, Security, Development

• Headquarters

  Washington, D.C., United States

• Charter Signed

  1948 in Bogotá, Colombia

• Primary Purpose

  Promote cooperation among member states, foster human rights, electoral oversight, social and economic development, and security in the Western Hemisphere

• Current Secretary General

  Luis Almagro (Uruguay)

• Charter Entered into Force

  1951-12

• Incoming Secretary General

  Albert Ramdin (Suriname)

• Oldest Regional Organization

  Yes (dating back to 1889/1890)

• Number of Member States (as of November 2023)

  32 states

Timeline

• The First International Conference of American States began in Washington, D.C., leading to the establishment of the International Union of American Republics, a predecessor to the OAS. (Source: Web Search)

  1889-10

• The First International Conference of American States concluded, approving the establishment of the International Union of American Republics. (Source: Web Search)

  1890-04

• The Organization of American States (OAS) was founded with the signing of its Charter in Bogotá, Colombia. (Source: Provided Summary)

  1948-04-30

• The Charter of the OAS entered into force. (Source: Web Search)

  1951-12

• Cuba was suspended from the OAS during the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. (Source: Web Search)

  1962-01-22

• The Protocol of Buenos Aires was signed, amending the OAS Charter. (Source: Web Search)

  1967

• The Protocol of Buenos Aires entered into force. (Source: Web Search)

  1970-02

• The Protocol of Cartagena de Indias was signed, amending the OAS Charter. (Source: Web Search)

  1985

• The Protocol of Cartagena de Indias entered into force. (Source: Web Search)

  1988-11

• The Protocol of Washington was signed, amending the OAS Charter. (Source: Web Search)

  1992

• The Protocol of Managua was signed, amending the OAS Charter. (Source: Web Search)

  1993

• The Protocol of Managua entered into force. (Source: Web Search)

  1996-01

• A resolution on Cuba (AG/RES. 2438 (XXXIX-O/09)) was passed by the OAS. (Source: Web Search)

  2009-06-03

• The most recent Summit of the Americas was held in Los Angeles, California. (Source: Web Search)

  2022-06

• Nicaragua officially withdrew from the Organization of American States. (Source: Web Search)

  2023

• The OAS comprised 32 member states. (Source: Provided Summary)

  2023-11

• Albert Ramdin of Suriname is scheduled to be inaugurated as OAS Secretary General, succeeding Luis Almagro. (Source: Provided Summary)

  2025-05

• Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado denounced the Venezuelan regime at the OAS after being expelled from her country's National Assembly. (Source: Related Documents)

  Undated

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; Spanish: Organización de los Estados Americanos; Portuguese: Organização dos Estados Americanos; French: Organisation des États américains) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is a "multilateral regional body focused on human rights, electoral oversight, social and economic development, and security in the Western Hemisphere", according to the Council on Foreign Relations. As of November 2023, 32 states in the Americas are OAS members. Albert Ramdin of Suriname was inaugurated as OAS secretary general in May 2025, replacing Luis Almagro of Uruguay.

Web Search Results

• Organization of American States - Wikipedia

  The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; Spanish: Organización de los Estados Americanos; Portuguese: Organização dos Estados Americanos; French: Organisation des États américains) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. [...] Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is a "multilateral regional body focused on human rights, electoral oversight, social and economic development, and security in the Western Hemisphere", according to the Council on Foreign Relations. As of November 2023, 32 states in the Americas are OAS members. Albert Ramdin of Suriname was inaugurated as OAS secretary general in May 2025, replacing Luis Almagro of Uruguay. ## History [edit] | | [...] For a more comprehensive list, see Member states of the Organization of American States. Upon its foundation in 1948, the OAS had 21 members, most of them in Latin America: Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru United States Uruguay Venezuela

• The Organization of American States | Council on Foreign Relations

  The Organization of American States (OAS) is a multilateral regional body focused on human rights, electoral oversight, social and economic development, and security in the Western Hemisphere. While the organization is recognized by many foreign policy experts as an important forum for regional diplomacy, critics say ideological divisions among its members have hampered its efforts to promote democratic principles. More From Our Experts Will Freeman [...] Skip to main content The Organization of American States Backgrounder # The Organization of American States The Organization of American States is an important forum for regional diplomacy and has become more assertive in promoting the rule of law, human rights, and fair elections as some states face domestic upheaval. Written By CFR Editors Updated Last updated October 19, 2022 2:00 pm (EST) [...] The OAS is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has more than seven hundred employees throughout the Americas. It convenes a Summit of the Americas every two to four years, during which national leaders discuss multilateral initiatives and work to reinforce diplomatic ties. The most recent summit took place in June 2022 in Los Angeles, California, where OAS members addressed the theme “building a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future” amid growing economic insecurity, climate

• OAS - Organization of American States: Democracy for peace ...

  The Organization of American States is the premier regional forum for political discussion, policy analysis and decision-making in Western Hemisphere affairs. The OAS brings together leaders from nations across the Americas to address hemispheric issues and opportunities. Together, they seek to build cooperation among states and advance a common regional agenda on democratic governance, human rights, multidimensional security, and sustainable development. Read more » [...] Each year in April, the OAS Board of External Auditors publishes a report covering the previous calendar year’s financial results. Reports covering 1996-2016 may be found here. Approximately six weeks after the end of each semester, the OAS publishes a Semiannual Management and Performance Report, which since 2013 includes reporting on programmatic results. The full texts may be found here.

• Organization of American States: In Brief - Congress.gov

  is a regional multilateral organization that comprises 34 of the 35 independent countries of the Western Hemisphere, including the United States; Nicaragua withdrew from the organization in 2023. The OAS was established in 1948 as a forum for Western Hemisphere countries to engage one another and address issues of mutual concern. Today, the organization concentrates on four broad objectives: democracy promotion, human rights protection, economic and social development, and regional security [...] In 1948, the United States and 20 other countries signed the OAS charter, which reconstituted the Pan American Union as the OAS and placed many of the hemisphere's institutions and agreements (collectively known as the _inter-American system_) under the organization's umbrella. According to the OAS charter, as amended, the purposes of the organization are To strengthen the peace and security of the continent; [...] Sources: OAS, Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ser. C/II.8, January 22-31, 1962; OAS, _Resolution on Cuba_, AG/RES. 2438 (XXXIX-O/09), June 3, 2009; and Voice of America, "Cuba Says No to OAS Membership," June 4, 2009. , composed of seven independent commissioners, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, composed of seven independent judges, are the OAS bodies charged with promoting and protecting human rights (see "Human Rights Protection").

• OAS :: Who We Are - Organization of American States

  The Organization of American States is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. That meeting approved the establishment of the International Union of American Republics, and the stage was set for the weaving of a web of provisions and institutions that came to be known as the inter-American system, the oldest international institutional system. [...] Today, the OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the Hemisphere. In addition, it has granted permanent observer status to 70 states, as well as to the European Union (EU). The Organization uses a four-pronged approach to effectively implement its essential purposes, based on its main pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development. [...] The OAS came into being in 1948 with the signing in Bogotá, Colombia, of the Charter of the OAS, which entered into force in December 1951. It was subsequently amended by the Protocol of Buenos Aires, signed in 1967, which entered into force in February 1970; by the Protocol of Cartagena de Indias, signed in 1985, which entered into force in November 1988; by the Protocol of Managua, signed in 1993, which entered into force in January 1996; and by the Protocol of Washington, signed in 1992,