AG/RES. 1530 (XXVII-O/97)

OFFICES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT IN THE MEMBER STATES

(Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on June 5, 1997)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN:

The joint report of the Permanent Council and the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) on the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States (CP/doc.2938/97); and

Resolutions AG/RES. 1231 (XXIII-O/93), AG/RES. 1276 (XXIV-O/94), and AG/RES. 1340 (XXV-O/95), which extended the mandate to study the issues relating to the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States;

CONSIDERING that resolution AG/RES. 1174 (XXII-O/92) urged the General Secretariat to continue providing support, through its offices in the member states, for the execution of technical cooperation projects and fellowship programs, as well as the dissemination of news and information on the activities of the Organization;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT:

That resolution AG/RES. 1174 (XXII-O/92) also instructed the General Secretariat to present annual reports to the Permanent Council on the operation of its offices in the member states, indicating their budgets and the execution thereof;

That resolution AG/RES. 1388 (XXVI-O/96) requested the Permanent Council to finalize its consideration of the General Secretariat study and requested CEPCIDI to examine that study, particularly those proposals which fall within its mandate;

That the General Secretariat presented to the Permanent Council at its meeting of December 12, 1996, a document entitled "Follow-Up Proposal for Restructuring the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States" (CP/doc.2818/96), which was forwarded for study by joint meetings of CEPCIDI and the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs of the Permanent Council; and

That the member states have agreed by consensus that the offices should remain in those states that so desire, but that they should focus on the Organization's cooperation activities in the member states; and

TAKING NOTE of the support provided by the General Secretariat in the coordination of the offices in the member states,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of the joint report of the Permanent Council and the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) on the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States.

2. To reaffirm:

a. That the basic function of the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States should be to support the technical cooperation activities of the OAS; and

b. That the offices should also provide:

i. Administrative support for fellowships;

ii. Public information about the Organization;

iii. An institutional presence for the Organization;

iv. Support for the activities of the General Secretariat's units,

departments, and other offices in the implementation of the

functions and mandates assigned to them.

3. To request the General Secretariat to consult, prior to September 30, 1997, with the member states on the possibility of closing or maintaining the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States.

4. To instruct the General Secretariat to examine, prior to September 30, 1997, with those member states that expressed a desire to keep their national offices, the possibility of their paying the rent for those offices—currently paid by the OAS—or their providing alternative premises, or making other contributions to help maintain the offices.

5. To request the General Secretariat to consult, when necessary, with other inter-American organizations on the possibility of sharing space and other services with a view to reducing current expenditures in the offices of the General Secretariat in those member states that are not in a position to incur these expenses.

6. To request the General Secretariat to maintain its commitment regarding the interconnection of the offices and the computerization of their administrative and day-to-day operations, with a view to increasing their efficiency and reducing staffing requirements.

7. To request the General Secretariat to simplify the activity, monitoring, and reporting of the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States, with appropriate supervision by the Office of the Inspector General of the Organization, who should see to it that basic standards of transparency and sound administration are met.

8. To instruct the General Secretariat to:

a. Reclassify the post of the official in charge of the office in each duty station on the basis of the responsibilities and functions assigned to each post and in view of applicable regulations. This classification shall take into account the guidelines set forth in this resolution and shall be uniformly applied in all the offices.

b. Recommend the number of employees needed in each office for efficient performance of the tasks assigned, within allocated resources approved in the program-budget; and

c. Prepare a study on alternative means of obtaining administrative support services on the basis of local conditions in each state.

9. To instruct the General Secretariat to report to the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI by September 30, 1997, on the fulfillment of the mandates set out in this resolution. This report should include a firm proposal for the restructuring of the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States, which should be implemented, unless the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI decide otherwise, by October 30, 1997, within allocated resources approved in the 1998 program-budget.