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Brief Profiles of Countries, EMBs and Partner Organisations of A-WEB

A-WEB PARTNERS–PROFILE

Subsequently, the following 14 member states joined:
Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago (1967); Jamaica (1969);
Grenada (1975); Suriname (1977); Dominica (Common-
wealth of), Saint Lucia (1979); Antigua and Barbuda, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines (1981); The Bahamas (Com-
monwealth of) (1982); St. Kitts & Nevis (1984); Canada

OAS- ORGANIzATION OF AMERICAN (1990); Belize and Guyana (1991).
STATES Structure

The Organization of American States accomplishes its
Introduction purposes by means of the following:
The OAS came into being in 1948 with the signing in
Bogotá, Colombia, of the Charter of the OAS, which en-  The General Assembly;
tered into force in December 1951. It was subsequently
amended by the Protocol of Buenos Aires, signed in 1967,  the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of
which entered into force in February 1970; by the Proto- Foreign Affairs;
col of Cartagena de Indias, signed in 1985, which entered  the Councils (the Permanent Council and
into force in November 1988; by the Protocol of Managua, the Inter-American Council for Integral
signed in 1993, which entered into force in January 1996; Development);
and by the Protocol of Washington, signed in 1992, which  the Inter-American Juridical Committee;
entered into force in September 1997.
 the Inter-American Commission on Human
The Organization was established in order to achieve Rights;
among its member states—as stipulated in Article 1 of  the General Secretariat;
the Charter—”an order of peace and justice, to promote
their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to  the specialized conferences;
defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their  the specialized organizations; and
independence.”
 other entities established by the General
Today, the OAS brings together all 35 independent states Assembly.
of the Americas and constitutes the main political, juridi-
cal, and social governmental forum in the Hemisphere. In
addition, it has granted permanent observer status to 69
states, as well as to the European Union (EU).

The Organization uses a four-pronged approach to ef- ECES-EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR
fectively implement its essential purposes, based on its ELECTORAL SUPPORT
main pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and de-
velopment. ECES has a Management Board and a Management Unit
with the Board supervising and setting the strategy and
The following 21 member states met in Bogotá, Colom- goals of the Management Unit. Fabio Bargiacchi is the
bia, in 1948 to sign the OAS Charter: Argentina, Bolivia, member of the Management Board and since the begin-
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba , Dominican ning, August 2011, he also serves as Executive Director of
1
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,Haiti, Hondu- the Management Unit. The Executive Director is support-
ras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United ed in his tasks by a Coordination Cell composed by Eva
States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Palmans (Head of Programmes), Jose Lambiza (Head of
Republic of). Finance & Administration) Camille Rouaud (Programmes

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