Article 2 of the Charter of the Organization states that one of the essential purposes of the OAS is to promote, through cooperative action, the economic, social and cultural development of the member States. The General Secretariat provides technical cooperation, especially through the activities of the Executive Secretariats. The specialized organizations and conferences (see Chapter III) and other agencies (see Chapter VI) also provide cooperation for development.

The Executive Secretary for Economic and Social Affairs, who is appointed by the Secretary General with the approval of CIES, is also the Secretary of that Council (Article 122 of the Charter). The Executive Secretariat plans, organizes and supervises the execution of the cooperation activities approved for the area in the Program-Budget of the Organization. The programs of the Executive Secretariat are implemented through three departments: Economic and Social Affairs; Foreign Trade Information; and Regional Development and Environment.

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