THE SECRETARY GENERAL,

In exercise of the powers conferred upon him under Articles 108 and 112 of the Charter and Articles 4, 8, and 12 of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat; and

CONSIDERING:

    That by resolutions AG/RES. 954 (XVIII-O/88) and AG/RES. 1381 (XXVI-0/96), the General Assembly mandated the Secretary General to unify the conference services of the General Secretariat and to conduct studies with a view to improving those services;

    That there is a need to modify the programs and structure in the conferences area in order to adapt them to the present needs of the Organization and to comply with the mandates of the General Assembly.

    That it is necessary to clarify the structure of authority of the other administrative dependencies under the direction of the Assistant Secretary General and the line of authority and administrative relationship between them within the Office of the Assistant Secretary General,

RESOLVES:

1. The Office of the Assistant Secretary General and its Administrative Dependencies shall have the structure, functions, and responsibilities set forth below:

I. ADMINISTRATIVE DEPENDENCIES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL

A. The Office of the Assistant Secretary General includes the following dependencies:

1. The Executive Office of the Assistant Secretary General;

2. The Secretariat to the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation, and the Permanent Council;

3. The Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings;

4. The Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women;

5. The Office of the Inter-American Children's Institute;

6. The Museum of Art of the Americas;

7. The Columbus Memorial Library; and

B. The Office of the Assistant Secretary General and its dependencies are under the over-all direction, supervision, and control of the Assistant Secretary General, pursuant to the corresponding provisions of the Charter, the General Standards, the Program Budget Resolution, other Resolutions of the General Assembly and the Permanent Council, this Executive Order, and other pertinent rules and regulations of the General Secretariat.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL

A. Responsibilities and Functions Under the OAS Charter

1. As set out in Article 114 of the Charter, the Assistant Secretary General serves as the Secretary of the Permanent Council; serves as advisory officer to the Secretary General and acts as his delegate in all matters that he may entrust to the Assistant Secretary General; and during the temporary absence or disability of the Secretary General, performs the Secretary General's functions.

2. In the event that the office of the Secretary General shall become vacant, the Assistant Secretary General, in accordance with Article 107 of the Charter, assumes the duties of the Secretary General until the General Assembly elects a new Secretary General for a full term.

3. Acts as Secretary of Ad Hoc Committees for the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes established by the Permanent Council pursuant to Article 85 of the Charter;

4. Acts as Secretary of the organs and committees of the Permanent Council;

5. Performs the functions of Secretary of the Permanent Council when it acts provisionally as an organ of consultation.

6. Acts as Secretary of the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs when the Regulations of the Meeting so provide.

7. Acts as Secretary of the Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly.

B. Responsibilities and Functions Assigned to the Assistant Secretary General by the Secretary General Pursuant to this Executive Order

1. Advises on matters concerning relations with the Inter-American Specialized Organizations.

2. Presides over the following:

a. The Selection and Promotion Committee;

b. The Publications Board and its subsidiaries;

c. The Ethics Committee.

3. Directs, supervises, and is responsible to the Secretary General for the activities of the Executive Office of the Assistant Secretary General, as set out in Part III below.

III. THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL ("EOASG")

A. Structure

1. The EOASG includes: (a) the Assistant Secretary General, (b) the Chief of Staff of Office of the Assistant Secretary General, (c) the Cabinet of the Assistant Secretary General, and (d) the EOASG Secretariat.

2. The Cabinet of the Assistant Secretary General includes the directors of the administrative dependencies of the Office of the Assistant Secretary General, the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Assistant Secretary General, and the other advisors of the Assistant Secretary General. The Cabinet advises and assists the Assistant Secretary General in the performance of his responsibilities under the Charter and this Executive Order, and in the exercise of all other duties entrusted to him.

3. The Chief of Staff of the Office of the Assistant Secretary General shall serve as the Principal Advisor to the Assistant Secretary General, as the Coordinator of the EOASG Secretariat, and as the Director of the Secretariat of the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation, and the Permanent Council. As directed by the Assistant Secretary General, the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Assistant Secretary General shall coordinate the functioning of all the dependencies of the Office of the Assistant Secretary General, except the Secretariat for Conference Services and Meetings, whose director shall report directly to the Assistant Secretary General.

4. The EOASG Secretariat provides the Assistant Secretary General with secretarial and administrative office support.

B. Responsibilities and Functions

1. Supervises and coordinates the following administrative dependencies of the General Secretariat: (a) The Secretariat to the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation, and the Permanent Council; (b) The Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings; (c) The Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women; (d) The Office of the Inter-American Children's Institute; (e) The Museum of Art of the Americas; (f) The Columbus Memorial Library.

2. Coordinates the Offices of the General Secretariat Away from Headquarters; the Inter-American Committee for Emergency Situations; and cooperative relations with the United Nations and its organs, the Specialized Organizations and other such organs of the Inter-American System, and CARICOM.

IV. SECRETARIAT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THE MEETING OF CONSULTATION,
AND THE PERMANENT COUNCIL

A. Structure

1. The Secretariat to the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation, and the Permanent Council is managed by the Chief of Staff, who is directly responsible to the Assistant Secretary General.

2. The Chief of Staff of the Office of the Assistant Secretary General manages, coordinates, and has technical responsibility for the Secretariat's work and the productivity and performance of its staff.

3. In accordance with the Program Budget and the internal rules of the General Secretariat, and subject to the approval of the Assistant Secretary General, the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Assistant Secretary General is responsible for establishing an internal structure for the Secretariat which assures maximum efficiency and responsiveness to the organs it serves.

B. Responsibilities and Functions

1. Plans, directs, coordinates, advises, and provides assistance in all the various stages of scheduling, preparing for, conducting, and taking the minutes of the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation, and meetings of the Permanent Council.

2. Collaborates with other areas and units of the General Secretariat in implementing the directives issued by the governing bodies, and advises the Assistant Secretary General and the Office of the Secretary General on methods and procedures for complying with those directives and providing the administrative arrangements and services required.

3. Advises the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation, the Permanent Council, and their subsidiary bodies, on parliamentary questions and matters of procedure, and coordinates the advisory services that those organs may require or request from other departments and offices of the General Secretariat.

4. Coordinates with the Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings the delivery of secretariat services for the General Assembly, Permanent Council, and Meeting of Consultation, and transmits to other departments and offices of the General Secretariat copies of resolutions, recommendations, requests, and other decisions of those organs to facilitate their proper implementation.

V. SECRETARIAT OF CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

A. Structure

1. The Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings includes:

a. Office of the Director;

b. Division of Conference Services;

c. Division of Language Services;

d. Division of Documents and Information.

2. The Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings and the Office of the Director are directed and administered by the Director of the Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings, who is responsible directly to the Assistant Secretary General for his actions. Each Division is directed and managed by a Division Coordinator, who is directly responsible to the Director of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings.

B. Responsibilities and Functions

1. General Responsibilities and Functions

    The Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings plans, provides, and coordinates the following services for Meetings and Conferences of all the organs of the General Secretariat:

(a) Interpretation;

(b) Meeting organization, logistics, and coordination; and

(c) Document translation, editing, production, distribution, data base creation and maintenance, and archiving.

2. Office of the Director

a. Prepares the preliminary draft budget of the Secretariat;

b. Plans, directs, and coordinates the activities of the Secretariat, and executes its program budget and plans of operation;

c. In consultation with the Executive and Assistant Secretaries, Directors, and other managers of other entities of the Organization, coordinates the preparation of the annual calendar of conferences and meetings and submits it to the Secretary General, through the Assistant Secretary General.

d. Maintains continuous and close contact with the Secretariat of the General Assembly, the Permanent Council, and the Meeting of Consultation, to assure the efficient delivery of all services required to those organs;

e. Through the Assistant Secretary General, advises the other dependencies of the General Secretariat on budget preparation for meetings and conferences, including the human, material, and financial resources necessary for implementing those budgets;

f. Together with personnel from the Division of Conference Services, coordinates and manages the execution of approved budgets for conferences and meetings;

g. Together with personnel from the Division of Conference Services, negotiates with governments and other entities, on behalf of the General Secretariat, agreements for conducting meetings and conferences;

h. Proposes, coordinates, and implements the General Secretariat's policies for providing the full range of conference and meeting services;

i. Coordinates with the corresponding entities of the General Secretariat, and in particular, the Departments of Material Resources and of Management Systems, the installation, operation, and maintenance of electronic equipment and the processing of information and computer programs required for the Secretariat, and makes recommendations for the improvement and modernization of the General Secretariat's physical plant for holding meetings and conferences.

j. Administers, in accordance with the rules of the General Secretariat and in conjunction with the other corresponding Divisions of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings, the contracting of: (1) temporary personnel services for conference and meeting services, including, but not limited to translators, interpreters, editors, room attendants, machine operators, clerks, transcribers, computer specialists, bookkeepers, drivers, and administrators; and (2) other temporary services required for conducting conferences and producing and distributing documents.

3. Division of Conference Services

a. Provides logistical and administrative support for the preparation and organization of conferences and meetings;

b. Coordinates and maintains a centralized data bank on personnel qualified for assignment to conferences and meetings.

c. Prepares the draft annual calendar of conferences and meetings, and coordinates, reviews, and evaluates its implementation in accordance with instructions from the Director of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings;

d. Coordinates with the Secretariat for the General Assembly, Permanent Council, and Meeting of Consultation, the preparation and implementation of the Calendar as well as implementation of the pertinent resolutions approved by the General Assembly and the Councils;

e. Coordinates in consultation with the Director of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings and the Department of Program Budget the preparation and execution of the budgets for conferences and meetings of the General Secretariat and other organs within its area of competence, assuring that disbursements are proportionate to appropriations;

f. Prepares reports on the execution of the conference and meeting budgets, and makes projections of the annual costs for operating the Secretariat;

g. With the Director of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings, negotiates with host Member States the provision of local services required for conducting meetings and conferences to be held in those States;

h. With the assistance of the host country and the Office of the General Secretariat located there, inspects the facilities in the host country where a meeting or conference is to be held, and makes the necessary arrangements for: hotel reservations; local and international transportation; security; the free entry and egress of the General Secretariat's documents, equipment, and personnel; and all other necessary conference-related services.

i. Advises, negotiates, and collaborates with the authorities of the host country on all matters related to the services, specialized conference staff, equipment, supplies, and facilities to be provided by the country and the contribution of the General Secretariat;

j. Provides information on conference services, prepares procedural and operations manuals to facilitate the delivery of those services, and distributes those manuals and related information to the interested dependencies of the General Secretariat, other organs of the Organization, and the Member States;

k. For all conference support staff other than personnel provided by the other Divisions of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings, evaluates and tests individuals seeking to provide conferences and meeting-related services, and in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources, maintains a registry of those individuals, by the Member State in which they reside, who have demonstrated on those tests or otherwise that they have the necessary requirements to provide those service to the satisfaction of the General Secretariat;

l. Coordinates the activities of staff members from other areas of the General Secretariat temporarily assigned to perform functions at meetings and conferences;

m. Provides administrative support to the Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings.

4. Division of Language Services

a. Provides interpretation and translation services in the official languages of the Organization to all the organs of the Organization.

b. Coordinates the scheduling and provision of language services at and away from headquarters.

c. Through appropriate tests and interviews, evaluates translators and interpreters seeking to provide conferences and meeting-related services, and in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources, maintains a registry of those individuals, by the Member State in which they reside, who have demonstrated sufficient skill, competence, and other qualifications to the General Secretariat's satisfaction.

d. Advises the Director of the Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings regarding the preparation of the draft annual calendar for conferences and meetings, particularly on issues relating to translation and interpretation needs and requirements.

e. Directly translates and reviews translations of the publications, documents, and correspondence of the Organization in the official languages of the OAS, and reviews all the translations produced by contract translators;

f. Provides advice to the Department of Human Resources on the requirements for retaining the services of contract interpreters, including custom and usage in the profession, technical competence, remuneration, work schedule, and necessary work-place conditions.

g. Provides advice to the style commissions of the meetings and conferences of the organs of the Organization;

h. Prepares texts for electronic transmission, and compare originals with the translations in the other official languages for accuracy, particular with regard to documents to be signed by the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General, and other ranking officials of the Organization.

i. Prepares and maintains an electronic data base, organized by subject matter and organ, of titles, technical terminology, and OAS terminology, in all official languages of the Organization.

j. Establishes and enforces quality standards for the services provided by the Division.

5. Division of Document and Information Services

a. Provides all services connected with the processing and issuance of official documents relating to official meetings and conferences serviced by the General Secretariat, ensuring that they are properly registered, classified, reproduced, and distributed to the delegations and pertinent General Secretariat staff and officials, in all formats and media, including electronic, magnetic, optical and print, in accordance with professional standards and in a timely manner.

b. Administers and evaluates tests and certifies the qualifications of persons assigned to provide services in the Division.

c. Advises the Director of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings on the preparation of the draft annual calendar on Conferences and Meetings in relation to the production and distribution of documents required.

d. Receives, processes, and responds to requests for document services from the various dependencies of the General Secretariat and other organs of the Organization, including requests for registration, classification, translation, proof reading and correction of proofs, and review of documents in the official languages of the Organization to ensure compliance with established quality standards.

e. Sends documents to the other dependencies of the General Secretariat and other organs responsible for their distribution, and verifies timely delivery.

f. Maintains constant and strict coordination with the other Divisions of the Secretariat for Conferences and Meetings, as well as other dependencies of the General Secretariat responsible for reproducing and distributing documents in various formats and media.

g. Compiles complete sets of comments for meetings and conferences, and save the original language versions for filing in the archives of the Columbus Memorial Library.

h. Maintains an electronic data base for referencing the documents produced by the Division for the Organization and its organs.

i. With the Department of Management Systems, the Columbus Memorial Library, and other dependencies of the General Secretariat, coordinates compliance with international norms for the management of documents, telecommunications, and systems development in relation to documents.

j. Prepares standard electronic formats for the documents of the Organization and trains the personnel of the General Secretariat and other organs in their use.

VI. PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN

A. Structure

1. The Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women ("CIM Secretariat") is directed by its Executive Secretary in accordance with Article 25 of the Statute of the Inter-American Commission of Women ("CIM"). The Executive Secretary is appointed by the Secretary General, "taking into consideration the opinion of the CIM Executive Committee." The Executive Secretary is responsible to the Secretary General, through the Assistant Secretary General, for the administration of the CIM Secretariat.

2. The staff of the CIM Secretariat includes administrators and technical experts in planning, programming, research, team work, and other fields in accordance with CIM's programmatic.

3. The Executive Secretary manages, coordinates, and has technical responsibility for the administration of the Office and the work, performance, and productivity of its staff.

4. In consultation with the Executive Office of the Assistant Secretary General ("EOASG"), other pertinent areas of the General Secretariat, and the President of CIM, the Executive Secretary is responsible for organizing the internal structure of the CIM Secretariat to provide for the effective and efficient administration of CIM's programs and legal responsibilities, in strict accordance with the rules of the General Secretariat, the program-budget, and the corresponding resolutions of the General Assembly.

B. Responsibilities and Functions

1. Advises the Secretary General, and through the Assistant Secretary General, CIM's officers, its governing bodies, and all other senior officers of the General Secretariat, on CIM's Administrative Functions and all other matters related to policy and practice in carrying out CIM's programs and projects in consonance with the other programs of the Organization and in conformity with the internal rules and regulations of the General Secretariat.

2. Administers and executes the programs and projects adopted by the CIM to promote the civil, political, economic, and social rights of women, in accordance with the directives and guidelines issued by the CIM and its organs.

3. Submits CIM's Draft Annual Report to CIM, and submits the approved Annual Report to the Secretary General for presentation to the General Assembly.

4. Maintains cooperative relations and coordinates efforts with the agencies of the United Nations and other public and private national and international organizations with interests similar to those of the Commission and with all areas of the General Secretariat and of the Organization.

5. Plans, directs, coordinates, supervises, and evaluates the technical, administrative and secretariat services required by the Commission and carries out the corresponding technical assistance projects, including, multinational and national projects seminars, research and training centers.

6. Provides administrative services in the selection of fellowship recipients, in cooperation with the Department of Fellowships.

7. Assures full coordination of the Commission's programs with CIDI and the CIDI Executive Secretariat.

8. Coordinates and organizes the preparation and follow-up of the Commission's Assemblies and the sessions of its Executive Committee, participates in them, acts as technical secretariat, and carries out the mandates emanating therefrom.

9. Prepares and publishes studies and reports on the status of women and on the multinational projects, for presentation to the General Assembly of the OAS, the governments of the member states and the United Nations.

10. Prepares the draft program-budget for the Commission and submits it for approval by the Executive Committee.

VII. THE OFFICE OF THE INTER-AMERICAN CHILDREN'S INSTITUTE

A. Structure

1. The Office of the Inter-American Children's Institute ("IIN") is directed by the Director General of the IIN ("Director General"), in accordance with Articles 27-30 of the IIN Statute. The Director General is appointed by the Secretary General from a list of three candidates presented by the Directing Council of the Institute. The Director General is responsible to the Secretary General, through the Assistant Secretary General, for the administration of the Office.

2. Staff Members of the Office are staff members of the General Secretariat, appointed by the Secretary General pursuant to the proposal of the Director General and in accordance with the General Standards, other rules of the General Secretariat, the Program Budget, and other resolutions of the General Assembly.

3. The Director General manages, coordinates, and has technical responsibility for the administration of the Office and the work, performance, and productivity of its staff.

4. In consultation with the EOASG, other pertinent areas of the Secretariat, and the Directing Council, the Director General is responsible for organizing the internal structure of Institute to provide for the effective and efficient administration of the Institute's programs and legal responsibilities, in strict accordance with the rules of the General Secretariat, the program-budget, and corresponding resolutions of the General Assembly.

B. Responsibilities and Functions

1. Provides technical and administrative services to the Pan American Child Congress and the INN Directing Council, and assists in carrying out their resolutions.

2. Organizes, coordinates, directs, and supervises the operations of the Institute's Work Program, including projects, seminars, and research and training centers, in accordance with the Program Budget.

3. Submits the Institute's Annual Report to the Directing Council and delivers it to the Secretary General for presentation to the OAS General Assembly.

4. Prepares the Draft Program Budget for the Institute, and following its approval by the Directing Council, submits it to the Secretary General, and supervises the administration of the Institute's final Program Budget approved by the General Assembly;

5. Prepares the Program for each meeting of the Directing Council, in consultation with its President, and notifies the Member States of those meetings in accordance with the IIN Statute and Rules.

6. Provides assistance to and coordinates with the host country holding a meeting of the Pan American Child Congress.

7. Requests from each Member State through its representative the presentation of an annual report on measures and programs implemented by that State to improve the welfare of children, the family, and the community.

8. Advises the Secretary General, through the Assistant Secretary General, and other ranking offices of the General Secretariat, on the Institute's administrative functions and all other matters related to policy and practice in carrying out the programs and projects of the Institute in consonance with the other programs of the Organization and in conformity with the internal rules and regulations of the General Secretariat.

9. Administers and executes programs and projects to promote the study of problems related to motherhood, infancy, adolescence, and the family in accordance with the directives and guidelines issued by the Directing Council and the Congresses.

10. Coordinates and organizes the preparation and follow-up of the Congresses and the sessions of the Directing Council, participates in them, acts as technical secretariat, and carries out the mandates emanating therefrom. Prepares and publishes studies and reports on research as to the nature and importance of problems affecting youth, for presentation to the General Assembly of the OAS, the governments of the member states, and the United Nations.

11. Assures full coordination of the Institute's programs with CIDI and the CIDI Executive Secretariat.

12. Maintains lines of coordination with the agencies of the United Nations and other public and private national and international organizations with interests similar to those of the Institute, and with all areas of the General Secretariat of the Organization.

13. Maintains and administers the Headquarters of the Institute in Montevideo, Uruguay, including its library, and conducts, in coordination with the Office of the Secretary General and EOASG, the corresponding relations with the authorized officials of the host country.

VIII. MUSEUM OF ART OF THE AMERICAS

A. Structure

1. The Museum of Art of the Americas is an unincorporated division of the General Secretariat within the Office of the Assistant Secretary General.

2. The Museum is directed by the Museum Director, who reports directly to the Assistant Secretary General.

3. The Museum Director manages, coordinates, and has technical responsibility for the administration of the Museum and the work, performance, and productivity of its staff.

4. In accordance with the Program Budget, the internal rules of the General Secretariat, and subject to the approval of the Assistant Secretary General, the Museum Director is responsible for establishing an internal structure for the Museum that provides maximum efficiency and responsiveness to the organs it serves, the general public, and the permanent missions of the Member States at headquarters.

B. Responsibilities and Functions

1. Through the Assistant Secretary General, advises the Secretary General, the Museum's Board of Trustees, and the Museum's Acquisitions Committee on the artistic works that should be included in the Museum's permanent collection and on how and when they should be exhibited.

2. Advises officials of the governments of member states on the selection and promotion of temporary exhibits at the Museum of the works of artists of merit.

3. Determines policy and standards for the inclusion of works of art in the permanent collection and for all arrangements concerning temporary and touring exhibitions.

4. Collects, preserves, and exhibits works of art that are of aesthetic and historical interest to the member states and the public at large, and in so doing, purchases works of art for the permanent collection, registers and catalogs them, and sees that they are properly preserved and duly insured.

5. Organizes temporary and touring exhibitions, lecture series, educational tours of the Museum, and film presentations, achieving a balance between the works of young and of mature artists with international recognition. Takes into account the "living museum" concept in its programming.

5. Produces documentary films, video-cassettes, slides, and other visual materials on Latin American and Caribbean art, on the cultural heritage of individual member states, and on specific folk-life, cultural, and historical aspects of culture in the region, and promotes the sale of these materials to schools, universities, and private individuals throughout the Hemisphere.

6. Prepares individual catalogs for all exhibitions, publishes a visual arts bulletin giving information on artistic endeavors in the region that is not available from other sources, Publishes individual monographs on the history of art in selected countries, which serve as reference works in the teaching of art and facilitate scholarly research on the art of the Americas.

7. Coordinates with CIDI, with CIDI's Executive Secretariat, and with the General Secretariat's Cultural Program, activities of mutual interest;

8. Maintains cooperative relations and works on joint projects with artistic groups, associations, other museums and their Directors;

9. Develops fund-raising and related programs designed to make the operation of the Museum self-financing, and involves Non-Governmental Organizations, including, but not limited to, the Friends of the Museum of Art of the Americas and the Cultural Foundation of the Americas, in its fund-raising and programming activities.

10. Prepares the draft Program Budget for the Museum and submits it, through the EOASG, to the Department of Program Budget for the approval of the pertinent authorities.

11. Develops and for presentation to the Secretary General, through the EOASG, short term (1 year), medium term (5 years), and long-term (10 years) plans for the development of the Museum's projects, its collection, and its financing, and adjusts those plans as required.

IX. COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIBRARY

A. Structure

1. The Columbus Memorial Library ("the Library") is an unincorporated division of the General Secretariat within the Office of the Assistant Secretary General.

2. The Library is directed by the Library Director, who reports directly to the Assistant Secretary General.

3. The Library Director manages, coordinates, and has technical responsibility for the administration of the Library and the work, performance, and productivity of its staff.

4. In accordance with the Program Budget, the internal rules of the General Secretariat, and subject to the approval of the Assistant Secretary General, the Library Director is responsible for establishing an internal structure for the Library that provides maximum efficiency and responsiveness to the organs it serves, the general public, and the delegations.

B. Responsibilities and Functions

1. Through the Assistant Secretary General, advises the Secretary General, other ranking officials, and the dependencies of the General Secretariat on all matters related to the Library program.

2. Prepares the draft Program Budget for the Library and submits it, through the EOASG, to the Department of Program Budget for the approval of the pertinent authorities.

3. Maintains liaison with libraries that are depositories of OAS publications and supervises the depository library program in the member states. Plans and recommends measures to achieve the greatest possible dissemination throughout the Hemisphere of the resources of the Library, including the establishment of an inter-American library network and the exchange of information on the resources available in various institutions. Is responsible for inter-library loans, the search for bibliographical references through an electronic system, and maintenance of the photographic and electronic data-base archives of the OAS.

4. Catalogs, and classifies material received for inclusion in the Library. Maintains the Leo S. Rowe Collection, the historical archives, photographic archives, and the OAS collection of rare books, maps, and postage stamps. Collects, compiles, preserves archival copies and catalogs all official documents of the OAS; classifies the Secretaría General Series; indexes the Official Records Series and the series of Technical Reports and Documents; and prepares and publishes the annual Lista Ceneral and Indice Analítico of the Official Records Series and the Catalog of Technical Reports and Documents of the OAS. Prepares Spanish and English indexes for the annual volume of resolutions of the Permanent Council and, upon request, for technical and informational publications.

5. Maintains the reference collections and controls circulation. Prepares special bibliographies and monthly lists of the tables of contents of periodicals.

6. Administers archives and records management of the Organization; identifies, preserves, and makes available the permanently valuable records of the Organization and makes policies for the orderly and cost effective management of the Organizations current records, which are herein defined as any document, paper, book, letter, drawing, map, plat, audio-visual material, electronic or machine readable document or data base, or any other document, regardless of format, created or received by an office or staff member in connection with their official work; periodically revises and brings up to date the Records Management Handbook and the Records Retirement Schedule; determines which records have sufficient historical value to warrant their continued preservation consistent with the resolutions of the organs of the Organization, with other pertinent legal requirements, and with the need to maintain documentation sufficient to guarantee an adequate defense of the legal interests of the General Secretariat.

7. Develops standards on all matters related to policies for the Library, management of archives, records, and OAS documents, and ensures that the official OAS classification system is properly implemented.

8. Administers the Hipólito Unanue Fund.

9. Compiles printed and graphic material on all types of Latin American and Caribbean studies and programs of the Organization.

10. Provides technical information and reference and records management services to the offices of the General Secretariat.

11. Maintains cooperative relations with other libraries and public archives in the hemisphere, associations of archivists and librarians, schools of library science, and other non-governmental organizations to share facilities and resources, develop joint programs, and engage in mutually beneficial strategic planning.

12. Coordinates with the Department of Management Systems and other dependencies of the Secretariat the use, maintenance of, and access to public and private network electronic data-base services, including, but not limited to, Lexis Nexis and Westlaw.

13. Seeks alternative sources for funding the Library's activities and services, including grants from private donors and foundations and fees for certain services which permit recovery of the corresponding costs.

14. Develops and prepares for presentation to the Secretary General, through the EOASG, short term (1 year), medium term (5 years), and long-term (10 years) plans for the development of the Library's services, projects, its permanent collection, and its financing, and adjusts those plans as required.

15. Is responsible for over-all administration of the Library and the Organization's archives, except for Inter-American treaties and bilateral agreements archived by the Secretariat for Legal Affairs pursuant to Executive Order 96-4.

2. This Executive Order supersedes all present norms, regulations and practices of the General Secretariat to the contrary and expressly repeals the following Executive Orders:

69-1 "Oficina de la Secretaria de la Conferencia Interamericana, la Reunion de Consulta y el Consejo de la Organización;"

69-9 "Change in the Organization of the General Secretariat;"

72-2 "Establishment of the Advisory Committee on the Library Program of the General Secretariat;"

75-14"Establishment of the Office of Conference, Documents, and Language Services;"

76-7 "Objectives, Characteristics, and Activities of the Museum of Modern Art;"

78-4 "Changes to Executive Order No. 76-7 Regarding the Museum of Modern Art of Latin America;"

80-2 "The Duties of the Assistant Secretary General;"

81-3 "Columbus Memorial Library;"

82-2 "Office of the Assistant Secretary General;"

90-1 "The Museum of Art of the Americas;"

3. All provisions in this Executive Order in which the masculine or feminine gender are used apply equally to both sexes.

4. This Executive Order shall take effect on date on which it is signed.

Date: March 14, 1997
Original:  English