GENERAL STANDARDS TO GOVERN THE OPERATIONS OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 OEA/Ser.D/I.1.2 Rev. 22

                                                                                                                                                                                            June 27, 2019

                                                                                                                                                                                            Original: Spanish/English

                                                                            Espaņol

 

INDEX

Chapter I

NATURE, FUNCTIONS, AND STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT

 

Article 1. Nature
Article 2. Promotion of Relations Among the Member States
Article 3. Functions
Article 4. Structure
Article 5. Secretariat functions
Article 6. Personnel and Secretariat Services for inter-American Agencies
Article 7. Seat

 

Chapter II

THE SECRETARY GENERAL AND THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL

 

Article 8. The Secretary General
Article 9. Participation in Meetings
Article 10. Notice of Threats to Peace and Security
Article 11. Reports
Article 12. Powers
Article 13. Other Powers
Article 14. Responsibility
Article 15. The Assistant Secretary General
Article 16. Autonomy, Privileges and Immunities, and Rank

 

Chapter III

PERSONNEL

 

Subchapter A: TYPES OF PERSONNEL

 

Article 17. Types of Personnel and Other Human Resources
a. Personnel (also "staff members" or “employees”)
i. Career Service Personnel
ii. Personnel on Continuing Contracts
iii. Personnel on Fixed Term Contracts funded by the Regular Fund or the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund
iv. Personnel on Fixed-Term Contracts funded by funds other than the Regular Fund or the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund
v. Trust Personnel
vi. Secretaries, Executive Secretaries, and Directors of the Inter-American Judicial Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Specialized Organizations, and entities, contracted in accordance with Article 22 of these General Standards
vii. Managerial Personnel
viii. Local  Personnel
ix. Associate Personnel
b. Other human resources
i. Independent consultants and contractors
ii. Interns
iii. Volunteers
iv. Young Professionals
c. Financing
Article 18. Career Service Personnel
a. Phase-out of Career Service
b. Special Rights of Career Service Personnel
c. Salary and Other Benefits
Article 19. Personnel Appointed Under Continuing Contracts
a. Eligibility and Appointment
b. Eligibility List
c. Duration, Termination, and Indemnification
d. Mobility and Reemployment
e. Pension Rights
f. Promotion
g. Training
h. Salary and Other Benefits
Article 20. Personnel Appointed Under Fixed Term Contracts Financed by the Regular Fund or the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund
a. General Characteristics
b.i. Series A Contracts
ii. Series B Contracts
iii. Special Mission Contracts (SMCs)
c. Salary and Other Benefits
d. Pension Rights
e. Transitory Provision
Article 20 bis. Personnel Appointed Under Fixed-Term Contract Financed by Funds Other than the Regular Fund or the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund
a. General Characteristics
b. i. Series A Contracts
ii. Special Mission Contracts (SMCs)
c. Salary and Other Benefits
d. Transitory provision
Article 21.Trust Personnel
a. Identification of Trust Positions
b. Description and Special Provisions
c. Salary and Other Benefits
Article 22. Executive Secretaries and Directors of the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Specialized Agencies, and Entities
Article 23. Managerial Personnel Positions
Article 24. Local Personnel
a. General Description
b. Special Provisions, Salary, and Benefits
Article 25. Associate Personnel
a. General Description
b. Special Provisions, Salary, and Other Benefits
Article 26. Document of Appointment.

 

Subchapter B: STATUS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ALL STAFF MEMBERS AND LIMITATIONS ON THEIR ACTIVITIES

 

Article 27. Subjection to the Authority of the Secretary General
Article 28. Status of International Civil Servants
Article 29. Autonomy in the Performance of Duties
Article 30. Limitation of Activities and Public Statements
Article 31. Discretion
Article 32. Provision of Services and Acceptance of Benefits
Article 33. Nomination for Elective Public Office
Article 34. Acceptance of a Governmental Post
Article 35. Statement of loyalty
Article 36. Government Influence and Support
Article 37. Privileges and Immunities

 

Subchapter C: SALARIES, CLASSIFICATION, AND EVALUATION

 Article 38. Classification and auditing of Posts
Article 39. Work Performance Evaluation
Article 40. Salaries

 

Subchapter D: RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, AND APPOINTMENT

 

Article 41. Basic Conditions
Article 42. Nationality
Article 43. Medical Examination
Article 44. Recruitment, Selection, and Appointment
a. The Advisory Committee on Selection and Promotion
b. Publication and Notice
c. Verification of Qualifications and the Interview
d. Appointments to Posts in the General Services Category
e. Appointments to Posts in the Professional Category
f. Appointments to Reclassified Posts
g. Language Proficiency
h. Geographical Distribution
i. Gender
j. Exclusions from the Competition Requirement  
Article 45. Preference in Filling Vacant Posts
Article 46. Probationary Period
Article 47. Register of Staff Members

 

Subchapter E: BENEFITS

 

Article 48. Vacations
Article 49. Leave
Article 50. Social Security
Article 51. Travel, Installation, and Repatriation Expenses
Article 52. Other Entitlements and Benefits

 

Subchapter F: LABOR RELATIONS

 

Article 53. The Staff Association and Staff Committee

 

Subchapter G: DISCIPLINE, SEPARATION FROM SERVICE, DISPUTE RESOLUTION, AND INDEMNITIES

 

Article 54. Adoption of Disciplinary Measures
Article 55. Types of Disciplinary Measures
Article 56. Advisory Committee on Disciplinary Measures
Article 57. Separation from Service
Article 58. Notice
Article 59. Summary Dismissal
Article 60. Resignation
Article 61. Separation Indemnity
Article 62. Inapplicability of Indemnity Provisions
Article 63. Adjustment of the Termination Indemnity and Repatriation Grant for Payments Already Received for Prior Service
Article 64. Right to Hearing
Article 65. Right to Reconsideration
Article 66. Advisory Committee on Reconsideration
Article 67. Appeal to the Administrative Tribunal

 

Subchapter H: THE OMBUDSPERSON

 

Article 68. The Ombudsperson
Article 69. The Office of the Ombudsperson

Article 69 bis. The Guiding Principles
Article 70. Reporting
Article 71. Access
Article 72. Qualifications of the Ombudsperson
Article 73. Appointment, length of appointment, and removal of the Ombudsperson

 

Subchapter I: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

Article 74. Scope of the Term "Staff Members"
Article 75. Applicability of the General Standards on Personnel Matters
Article 76. Amendments to the General Standards on Personnel Matters

 

Chapter IV

GENERAL PROVISIONS OF A FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY NATURE

Article 77. Funds Administered by the General Secretariat
Article 78. Regular Fund
a. Operations Subfund
b. Reserve Subfund
Article 79. OAS Development Cooperation Fund (OAS/DCF)
Article 80. Specific Funds
Article 81. Trust Funds
Article 82. Currency of Quotas and Voluntary Contributions
Article 83. Currency of the Accounts and Financial Reports
Article 84. Banking Deposits, Interest, and Indirect Costs
Article 85. Investment of Funds
Article 86. Costs incurred by the General Secretariat in the administration of projects
Article 87. Revolving Funds
Article 88. Acceptance of Inheritances, Gifts, and Bequests
Article 89. Effective Period and Scope of the Program-Budgets

Chapter V

PREPARATION OF THE PROGRAM-BUDGET

Article 90. Categories of Activity
a. Support Services for the Organs, Agencies, and Entities of the Organization
b. Partnership for Development Services
c. General Support Services
Article 91. Category of Expenditure
a. Personnel (object 1)
b. Non-Personnel (objects 2 to 9)
Article 92. Content, Structure, and Purposes
Article 93. Content by Chapter and Program
Article 94. Information for Budget Formulation
Article 95. Participation of the Various Dependencies of the General Secretariat in the Formulation of the Program-Budget

Chapter VI

DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF THE PROGRAM-BUDGET

Article 96. Presentation and Complementary Information
Article 97. Participation of the Various Dependencies of the General Secretariat in the Discussion of the Program-Budget
Article 98. Schedule for Review of the Proposed Program-Budget
Article 99. Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs
Article 100. General Guidelines
Article 101. Effective Period of the Resolution on the Program-Budget
Article 102. Financing of the Program-Budget
Article 103. Calculating the Amount of Quotas
Article 104. Authorization and Publication

 

Chapter VII

BUDGET EXECUTION  

 

Article 105. Criteria
Article 106. Appropriations and Obligations
Article 107. Special Appropriations, Unforeseen Situations, and Judgments of the Administrative Tribunal
Article 108. Purchase of Equipment, Supplies, and Conference Languages Services
Article 109. Ex Gratia Payments
Article 110. Transfers Between Chapters
Article 111. Transfers within a Chapter
Article 112. Information that should be Recorded for Execution
Article 113. Notification and Payment of Quotas and of Pledges of Voluntary Contributions
Article 114. Payment of Quotas
Article 115. Cash Flow
Article 116. Loans
Article 117. Accounting System
Article 118. Accounting Records
Article 119. Closing of Accounts

 

Chapter VIII

EVALUATION AND CONTROL OF FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY MANAGEMENT

 

 

Article 120. Fiscal Supervision by the Permanent Council
Article 121. Evaluation by the CAAP
Article 122. Evaluation by the General Secretariat

 

Chapter IX

 

Subchapter A: THE AUDIT COMMITTEE


Article 123. Audit Committee
Article 124. Access
Article 125. Submission of the report of the Audit Committee

Subchapter B: THE INSPECTOR GENERAL  


Article 126. Internal audit and the Internal Audit Charter
Article 127. Internal Audit Plan
Article 128. Independence of the Inspector General
Article 129. Qualifications of the Inspector General and the Professional Staff of the Office of the Inspector General
Article 130. Appointment, length of appointment, and removal of the Inspector General
Article 131. Reports of the Inspector General and the General Secretariat's obligation to act
Article 132. Publication of documents
Article 133. Meetings
Article 134. Unrestricted access
Article 135. Budget of the Office of the Inspector General
Article 136. Evaluation of the Audit Function

Subchapter B: THE INSPECTOR GENERAL  


Article 137. External Auditor
Article 138. Access to books and records
Article 139. Verification of the Efficacy of Internal Accounting Control
Article 140. Observations on Accounts, Deficiencies, and Irregularities
Article 141. Observations on Financial Management
Article 142. Certification of the examination of accounts
Article 143. Content and scope of the Report
Article 144. Submission of the Report of the External Auditor

Subchapter D: BUDGETARY AND FINANCIAL REPORTS    


Article 145. Budgetary and Financial Statements and Reports  

Chapter X STANDARDS ON REAL OR APPARENT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST APPLICABLE TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL, AND THE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT

Article 143. Solicitation, Acceptance, or Use
Article 144. Conflict of Financial Interests
Article 145. Avoidance of Other Activities
Article 146. Competence of the Permanent Council
Article 147. Sworn Statement on Connections and Debts
Article 148. Conflicts of Interest of Staff Members
Article 149. Penalties
Article 150. Final Settlement of Credits
Article 151. Performance Contracts for Former Staff Members