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GENERAL STANDARDS TO GOVERN THE OPERATIONS OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT
GENERAL STANDARDS TO GOVERN THE OPERATIONS OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT[1]
CHAPTER I
NATURE, FUNCTIONS, AND STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT
Article 1. Nature. The General Secretariat is the central and permanent organ of the Organization of American States. It shall perform the functions assigned to it in the Charter, in other inter-American treaties and agreements, and by the General Assembly, and those established in these General Standards; it shall carry out the duties entrusted to it by the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and the Councils, and shall abide by the provisions of a regulatory nature adopted by the Permanent Council in accordance with the provisions of Article 91 (b) of the Charter.
Article 2. Promotion of Relations among the Member States. The General Secretariat shall promote economic, social, juridical, educational, scientific, and cultural relations among the Member States of the Organization, in keeping with the actions and policies decided upon by the General Assembly and with the pertinent decisions of the Councils.
Article 3. Functions. The General Secretariat shall also perform the following functions:
a. Transmit ex officio to the Member States notice of the convocation of the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), and the Specialized Conferences;
b. Advise the other organs, when appropriate, in the preparation of agendas, rules, and regulations;
c. Prepare the proposed program-budget of the Organization on the basis of programs adopted by the Councils, agencies, and entities whose expenses should be included in the program-budget, and, after consultation with the Councils submit it to the Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly and then to the Assembly;
d. Provide, on a permanent basis, adequate secretariat services for the General Assembly and the other organs, and carry out their directives and assignments. To the extent of its ability, provide services for the other meetings of the Organization;e. Serve as custodian of the documents and archives of the Inter-American Conferences, the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Councils, and the Specialized Conferences;
f. Serve as depository of inter-American treaties and agreements, as well as of the instruments of ratification thereof;
g. Submit to the General Assembly at each regular session an annual report on the activities of the Organization and its financial condition;
h. Establish cooperative relations with the Specialized Organizations and with other national and international organizations in accordance with decisions reached by the General Assembly or the Councils;
i. Maintain communications with the Member States through the channels and in the form indicated by those countries; and
j. When appropriate, provide certified copies of official documents, provided they are not of a restricted nature.Article 4. Structure.[2] The General Secretariat shall be composed of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, Secretariats, Departments, Offices, and other technical or administrative dependencies already existing or that the Secretary General may establish in accordance with the provisions of Article 113 of the Charter. The Secretary General must obtain the express approval of the General Assembly to establish new Secretariats and Departments, or other dependencies with similar attributes and of similar importance, or to abolish already existing ones.
Article 5. Secretariat functions. The General Secretariat is the secretariat of the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Councils, and the other organs of the Organization, except those that have their own secretariats. In this regard, it shall provide permanent and adequate secretariat services for the General Assembly and the other organs, with the exception indicated, and it shall carry out their directives and assignments. To the extent of its ability, it shall provide services for the other meetings of the Organization.
Article 6. Personnel and Secretariat Services for inter-American Agencies. When so determined by the General Assembly or by agreements entered into with inter-American agencies, the General Secretariat shall provide those agencies with suitable personnel and the secretariat services required. The corresponding personnel shall be integral parts of the General Secretariat, and they shall be subject to the administrative authority of the Secretary General.
Article 7. Seat. The seat of the General Secretariat is the city of Washington, D.C.
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[1].
[2]. Article amended by resolution AG/RES. 2940 (XLIX-E/19) of the General Assembly at its forty-ninth regular session in June 2019.