About the OAS

• Who We Are
• What We Do
• Our Structure
  • General Assembly
  • Meetings of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
  • Councils
  • Inter-American Juridical Committee
  • Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
  • General Secretariat
    • Secretary General
    • Assistant Secretary General
    • Secretariats
    • Other Autonomous and/or Decentralized Organs, Agencies, Entities, and Dependencies
  • Specialized Conferences
  • Specialized Organizations
• Our Locations
• Offices in Member States
• Our History
• Logo
• Authorities

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization of American States.  It is comprised of representatives of the member states, usually headed by the 34 ministers of foreign affairs of the nations of the Americas.  Each OAS member state has the right to one vote in the adoption of decisions.

The General Assembly convenes in regular and special sessions.  The regular session is held annually, in any member state of the Organization whose invitation is accepted by the General Assembly itself (ensuring rotation of the host country).

During its sessions, the General Assembly considers matters that the member states themselves regard as priorities on the hemispheric agenda and, in the case of regular sessions, topics proposed by the host country.  The General Assembly also considers issues raised by some member states regarding national concerns that have an impact on the Hemisphere.

Through declarations and resolutions, the General Assembly adopts decisions on actions and policies to which the member states are committed and which govern the work of the Organization, in particular that of the General Secretariat, the Permanent Council, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, and the other organs of the Organization.  Those decisions also entail coordination of activities, both among the organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization, as well as with other institutions of the inter-American system.  It is also incumbent upon the General Assembly to coordinate cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies.