In the exercise of the authority conferred upon him by Articles 109 and 113 of the Charter of the Organization of American States ("OAS") and Articles 4, 8, and 12 of the General Standards to Govern the Operation of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States, and

CONSIDERING:

The need to reorganize the Department of Public Information (the "Department") so that it may carry out its functions and responsibilities more effectively and efficiently,

RESOLVES:

That the Department of Public Information (the "Department") shall have the structure, responsibilities, and functions set forth below:

I. BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT

  A. The Department is a dependency of the Office of the Secretary General. The Director of the Department is directly responsible to the Chief of Staff. The Director administers, coordinates, and has technical responsibility for the work product and personnel of the Department, as well as for the Department's fulfillment of its responsibilities and its performance of its functions under this Executive Order.

  B. The Department includes the following service areas: (1 ) Press Services; (2) Strategic Communications; (3) Multimedia Products and Services; (4) Radio; and (5) Americas Magazine.

II. FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT

  A. The general functions and responsibilities of the Department are:

   1. To promote a greater international awareness and understanding of the OAS and of the OAS General Secretariat (the "General Secretariat" or "GS/OAS") by developing and implementing a broad and multifaceted program for the publication and distribution of information on OAS and GS/OAS objectives and activities;

   2. To provide advisory services on public information and media usage to the other dependencies of the General Secretariat.

  B. The specific functions and responsibilities of the service areas of the Department are as follows:

   1. Press Services

    a. To develop, produce, and distribute pertinent press releases and other materials to international news agencies, newspapers, magazines; and internet news services;

    b. To develop and sustain proactive relations with the media to facilitate and promote the publication of news articles about OAS and GS/OAS activities;

    c. To provide photographic services which respond to GS/OAS needs;

    d. To produce regularly and transmit both by electronic means and in hard copy periodic news publications, including OAS Weekly Report, Boletin de Noticias, Caribbean News, and News Clips;

    e. To maintain a watch on developing news stories of interest to the OAS and bring them to the immediate attention of the Director.

   2. Strategic Communications

    a. To develop and execute strategic communications plans to ensure maximum positive coverage of OAS and of GS/OAS activities and events;

    b. To develop and produce strategic communications products to ensure that OAS and GS/OAS messages reach target media and other pertinent audiences;

    c. To develop and sustain relations between the OAS and the GS/OAS and key media and journalists throughout the Hemisphere;

    d. To produce and distribute the OAS Newsletter in hard and electronic format, six issues per year, in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish;

    e. To produce and distribute annually the basic OAS brochure and other publications for the general public in the English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish; and

    f. To produce and place for publication in the Media op-ed pieces and other specialized articles promoting the OAS and GS/OAS and their activities.

   3. Multimedia Products and Services

    a. To design and maintain the technical quality and editorial consistency of the OAS "Home Page" on the Internet, arrange Internet transmission/webcasting of live and video events, webcast audiovisual products on the Internet, and produce and, when appropriate, market OAS audiovisual materials;

    b. To facilitate and assist the integration of the diverse products and services of the Department within electronic media;

    c. To produce, in coordination with the other Service Areas of the Department and as instructed by the Director, special projects, including film, video series, seminars, festivals, and other media events, especially those that involve the Internet;

    d. To create and manage INTERNET sites targeted at specific audiences, as well as listserv mechanisms, chat rooms, and other digital communications mechanisms.

   4. Radio

    a. To produce, for web, live, and taped broadcast, and Virtual Radio OAS (the OAS' web-based virtual radio station) audio programs that include reports, news, commentaries, interviews, roundtable discussions, that promote the activities of the General Secretariat and of the OAS and amply disseminate information about them;

    b. To produce live transmissions as well as edited material for and about the activities and objectives of GS/OAS' departments, units, and other dependencies, with programs of interest to the public; and

    c. To arrange, through cooperative strategic agreements, the broadcast of regular GS/OAS-produced radio programming over the networks and local radio stations in all the OAS member states, as well as utilize their programs on Radio OAS.

   5. Americas Magazine

    a. To publish six issues of Americas Magazine per year, with separate but identical language editions (English and Spanish), following the guidelines established by the Permanent Council's Editorial Board and in accordance with the Magazine's sales revenues and other resources provided under the Program-Budget;

    b. To report periodically and as otherwise requested to the Permanent Council's Editorial Board for Americas Magazine;

    c. To produce premiums and other materials utilized in the sale and promotion of the magazine; and

    d. To promote the widest sale and promotion of Americas Magazine as possible in the member states.

III. AMENDMENTS AND REPEALS

This Executive Order specifically replaces Executive Orders Nos. 99-2, 98-2, and 97-5, and it supersedes any and all prior and present norms, regulations, and practices of the General Secretariat to the contrary.

IV. ENTRY INTO FORCE

This Executive Order shall enter into force on the date it is signed.

Date: 03-16-01

Original: English