The Presence of the OAS on the Internet

The launching of the OAS in the Internet was successfully completed as the first presentation was implemented as scheduled on March 31, 1995, allowing public access to the OAS information in the Internet from anywhere in the world.

The pace of Internet development in the General Secretariat has been extremely intense. Since the comprehensive initial presentation was completed all the major Organization's initiatives, events and activities have been timely and extensively covered, giving the large world-wide community of Internet users a clear, up-to-date vision of the Organization's action. A major expansion and upgrade was completed in February, 1996 to expand the information coverage, to improve the presentation and searching capabilities and to incorporate the latest developments in Internet technology. Thus, the OAS' leadership in the Internet has been maintained as one of the most advanced and attractive presentations on its class.

The development of the OAS-Internet system is lead by the Internet Policy Committee, chaired by the Office of the Secretary General and integrated by representatives of all the Areas of the General Secretariat. The Internet Committee planned and guided the development of the OAS-Internet model, and oversees and coordinates its operation, expansion and improvement.

Application of Information Technology in the General Secretariat

The development of the Internet system represents a substantial achievement in the development of the General Secretariat information infrastructure. The potential of this system however is not limited to the dissemination of information on OAS activities. It is playing a substantial role in supporting priorities, actions and development cooperation activities in the member states. This role has been defined in the "New Vision of the OAS" that is included in the section on Information Systems.

The OAS General Secretariat is conducting a study of its internal electronic management information systems so as to improve them and adapt them to new OAS priorities. The existing management information system (MIS) was installed over 20 years ago, and has some weaknesses—in comparison with more modern information systems—that should be corrected as quickly as possible.

The General Secretariat also feels it is necessary to further integrate the information systems and databases in use to facilitate access by the member states and by public and private institutions in those and other countries that have an interest in OAS affairs.

One step in this process, is linkage of the OAS to the INTERNET, which permits us to offer instantaneous information on our activities to millions of persons throughout the world.

Effective use of advanced information and communications technology will play a leading role in strengthening and modernizing the Organization. Specific objectives in the application of this technology will be:

Modernization of internal administrative systems for a more effective and efficient management process.

Professionalization and expansion of OAS information resources. Promotion of OAS activities through advanced communications media. Strengthened and expanded distribution of information over the INTERNET.

Support to the priority areas of endeavor defined by the new agenda, by way of advanced information systems, databases, and telecommunications technology.

Development and/or coordination with other institutions in the implementation of regional data banks, with pertinent information in the priority areas defined by the agenda.

Cooperation for the development and application of information technology in the member states.

Presentation of the OAS-Internet

The first phase of the Internet implementation—completed on March, 1995—had as objective to establish as quickly as possible, the Organization's presence in the Internet. The implementation far exceeded the original plans in the coverage and depth of the information and in the quality of the presentation.

It incorporates a substantial volume of relevant information about the OAS and the Inter-American System, the Organization's structure, history, programs and activities, major policy statements and initiatives, speeches and position papers, public information about current activities, calendars and directories, press releases, and major OAS official documents, including the Charter, Resolutions, Inter-American Treaties and Conventions and the Secretary General's Annual Report.

The information is constantly and timely updated with policy documents, starting with "A New Vision of the OAS", "Towards Free Trade in the Americas," General Assembly proceedings and, more recently, other major policy documents such as "Creation of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development", "The Law in a new Inter-American System", and "The Environment and Sustainable Development Unit" among others. Policy initiatives, speeches and statements have been included to provide information and promote strategic organization programs, activities and events.

A major expansion and upgrade of the initial model was completed in February of 1996 with the objective of increasing the scope and coverage of the information, improve the presentation by using the most updated Internet technology for graphic presentation, hyper text linking and searching and locating information. The new Home Page was organized in four large topical categories:

Public Information, information about the OAS, the General Assembly, the Permanent Council and the General Secretariat and other Organization's bodies, calendars, directories, up-to-date activity reports, major OAS documents, speeches and general information.

Programs and Issues, corresponding with the Organization's priorities: Trade, Democracy, Environment, Human Rights, Drug Abuse Control, Telecommunications, Integral Development and other substantive programs and activities.

Member States and Observers, with information about the Member States and Permanent Observer countries and an extensive reference section about other Internet resources (Webs and Gophers) about the Americas.

Current Issues, including major documents, initiatives, position papers and other information regarding important issues currently being addressed by the Organization.

Upgrading and improving the presentation will continue with the addition of applicable new Internet technology, as it becomes available, with the objective of maintaining the usefulness, appeal and impact of this important instrument. As the Areas of the Organization develop and organize their substantive information, their own Home Pages will be expanded and adapted. Future expansion plans include the development of two-way communication fora for the exchange of views and information with public and private sector institutions and officials, scholars and the general public in the areas of priority action of the Organization. This dialogue between the Organization and institutions and individuals in the Member States, through the organization of fora, discussion groups, electronic conferences, bulletin boards, and other communication options available in the Internet is still in the planning stages.

In addition, implementation of specialized databases in the priority areas defined in the "New Vision of the OAS," the addition of relevant information about the Organization's programs and activities, and the collection and dissemination of information relevant to the Member States will continue to be a priority for Internet development.

OAS-Internet Access

The OAS presentation is been accessed by a significant number of Internet Users from all Member States and several other international locations. Current statistics show more than 3,000 daily accesses to OAS-Internet files. This represents close to 90,000 accesses per month. The statistics also show a trend of increasing user access over time.

A Technical Achievement

The OAS presentation incorporates the most advanced Internet services and features. The quality of the design and technical implementation compares favorably with the most attractive and advanced presentations on the Net. It includes features such as multilingual implementation, a Web server, Gopher services, electronic mail services, graphics and text pages, file transfer protocol (FTP) and news capabilities, list maintenance services, and other advanced features.

The implementation of the Internet model required the resolution and management of a variety of complex interrelated technical issues, including:

Selection of an Internet Provider and point-of-access to the Network.

Acquisition and installation of a Unix-Based Internet node, which represents a different computer architecture and operating system than OAS standard computers.

Installation of high speed T1 communication lines to handle high volumes of data transmission.

Installation of communication and routing components to handle Internet traffic and security and fire wall protection.

Loading, configuration and programming of software comprising the Internet node.

Installation of Internet software in the OAS Networks and computers to provide outbound access to Internet services and facilities for the General Secretariat.

Development of Internet substantive information base. Creation of Home Page models, preparation and/or conversion of information for Internet presentation.

Maintenance and operation of the Internet node.

The operation of the OAS Internet system is stable and trouble free, thus reflecting the quality of the technical work performed.

The Future of the OAS-Internet

In the course of leading a renewed Institution toward fulfilling its new important priorities and objectives, we intend to continue the use of Internet as a dynamic vehicle in support of the Organization's actions.

By facilitating the implementation of the objectives of the Organization and presenting the work of the OAS to the outside world, the Internet will be a valuable instrument and we will continue to encourage its expansion. The OAS Home Page is a new window of opportunity to present the contributions we will be making in the years to come in support of the hemisphere's new agenda.

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