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About the OAS
Other Autonomous and/or Decentralized Organs,
Agencies, Entities, and Dependencies
The OAS Charter provides for subsidiary organs, agencies, and other entities as considered necessary. Specialized organizations are the intergovernmental organizations established by multilateral agreements and having specific functions with respect to technical matters of common interests to the American States.
- Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR)
- Justice Studies Center of the Americas
- Administrative Tribunal
- Pan American Development Foundation (PADF)
- Board of External Auditors
- Inter-American Defense Board (IADB)
- Inter-American Court of Human Rights
- Office of the Inspector General
- Selection Committee for Scholarships for Academic Studies And Professional Development
- Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL)
- Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP)
- Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)
- Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE)
Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR)
The Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) was created by the General Assembly in resolution AG/RES. 1682 (XXIX-O/99) to address problems related to natural disasters and to serve as the leading forum at the Organization of American States (OAS) for discussion of this topic, in coordination with the competent national organizations.
Justice Studies Center of the Americas
The Justice Studies Center of the Americas was established by the General Assembly as an intergovernmental entity with technical and operational autonomy. Its objectives are to help strengthen human resources, facilitate the exchange of information and other forms of technical cooperation, and support reform and modernization of the justice systems in the region.
Administrative Tribunal
The Administrative Tribunal of the Organization of American States was established on April 22, 1971, by resolution AG/RES. 35 (I-O/71), adopted by the General Assembly at the ninth plenary session of its first regular session. Its function is to settle any disputes that may arise with staff members of the OAS General Secretariat by reason of administrative decisions, when the staff members are alleging non-compliance with the terms of their respective appointments or contracts or violations of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat and other applicable provisions, including those relating to the Retirement and Pension Plan of the General Secretariat. The Tribunal has six members and its own Secretariat.
Pan American Development Foundation (PADF)
Established in 1962, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is a private, nonprofit, nongovernmental institution that operates under a cooperation agreement concluded with the OAS to support development programs and assistance to victims of natural disasters and humanitarian crises. The Secretary General is Chairman of the PADF's Board of Directors, whose members include 25 leaders from the private sector from throughout the hemisphere. All the members of the Board of Directors work on a volunteer basis, serve as a support group to the OAS, and make monetary contributions and contributions in kind to the Foundation's programs.
The PADF's mission is to promote integral development among the most disadvantaged in Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to create “a hemisphere of opportunity for all.” This mission is accomplished by forming innovative partnerships with private, public, and nonprofit organizations and institutions, in furtherance of the OAS' priorities. One of the Foundation's most important objectives is to strengthen civil society in the region and raise donations from businesses, corporations, civic groups, international agencies and organizations like USAID, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank, among others. It also accepts contributions from government agencies in the region.
Board of External Auditors
Pursuant to General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 123 (III-O/73), adopted on April 14, 1973, and Permanent Council resolution CP/RES. 124 (164/75), of June 10, 1975, the Board of External Auditors is responsible for the external auditing of the General Secretariat's accounts.
Inter-American Defense Board
The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) was established in 1942 to study and recommend measures for the defense of the Hemisphere. It is the oldest multilateral military organization in the world. On March 15, 2006, during its XXXII special session, the OAS General Assembly approved the new Statutes of the Inter-American Defense Board, which states that the Board is an entity of the OAS that provides it and its member states with advice and consultancy services on their programs, promotes hemispheric peace and security, builds confidence among the parties through ties of military cooperation and strengthens relations between civilians and military. It also supervises a senior-level academic program in security and defense studies at the Inter-American Defense College.
To further the purposes of the OAS Charter, the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) provides advisory services to OAS programs, promotes hemispheric peace and security, builds confidence among the parties through ties of military cooperation, strengthens relations between civilians and military, and oversees the advanced academic program of studies in security and defense offered at the Inter-American Defense College.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial body of the OAS whose purpose is to apply and interpret the American Convention on Human Rights. The Court has both contentious and advisory jurisdiction. It is made up of seven judges, elected in a personal capacity by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States.
Office of the Inspector General (OIG)
The activities of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) are governed by the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat (GS) (Chapter IX, “Advisory Services, Auditing, and Fiscal Control”), the Budgetary and Financial Rules, and Executive Order No. 95-05. Those provisions establish the function of the internal audit, which helps the Secretary General and the governing bodies to ensure that responsibilities at the various levels of the administration vis-à-vis the General Secretariat's programs and resources are discharged. The objective of the Office of the Inspector General is to ensure that operating procedures and financial transactions at headquarters and in the offices of the General Secretariat in the member states are systematically reviewed. The Inspector General's Office also checks to ensure that the established policies, rules and practices are being observed and carried out correctly, efficiently and economically.
Selection Committee for Scholarships for Academic Studies and Professional Development (CSBEAT)
The Selection Committee for Scholarships for Academic Studies and Professional Development (CSBEAT) awards academic scholarships under the OAS Scholarships Program, in keeping with the Organization's rules and regulations.
Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)
Established by the General Assembly in 1994, the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission has technical autonomy in the performance of its functions, within the limits set by the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), the CITEL statutes and the mandates of the General Assembly. Its mission is to facilitate and promote the sustained development of telecommunications in the hemisphere.
Technological innovation, digitalization and the convergence of technology and telecommunications, broadcasting and data processing have revolutionized the ways in which people learn and communicate with each other. Telecommunications—which includes information and communication technologies (ICTs) - are vital to every country's economic and social development and to make access to information universal, sustainable, generalized and readily available. However, despite the impressive growth and spread of telecommunications services in the Americas—including the ICTs, disparities persist and narrowing the digital divide continues to be a priority.
Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP)
The purpose of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) is to serve as the permanent inter-American forum of the member states of the Organization for strengthening cooperation in the development of the port sector, with the active participation and collaboration of the private sector. Its principal objectives are to strengthen inter-American dialogue, provide training and technical cooperation and promote the ports of this hemisphere.
The Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) serves as a permanent inter-American forum for the member states of the Organization of American States to strengthen cooperation and develop the port sector, with the active participation of and in partnership with the private sector.
Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)
The General Assembly created the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) in 1986. It is based on the principles and objectives spelled out in the Inter-American Program of Action of Rio de Janeiro against the Illicit Use and Production of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Traffic Therein, adopted in 1986, and the Anti-Drug Strategy in the Americas, adopted in 1996. Under CICAD's Statute and Executive Order 08-01 Rev. 2, it has an Executive Secretariat with the rank of department.
CICAD's anti-drug program is divided into six areas of activity: Demand Reduction; Educational Research and Development; Supply Reduction and Alternative Development; Money Laundering; Institutional Development; the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), and the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs.
Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE)
The Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) was established by Executive Order 05-13, Rev. 1. Its mission is to support the member states at CICTE's regular sessions and preparatory meetings, to offer technical assistance and training programs, and to promote coordination and cooperation among the member states and with multilateral and international organizations so as to prevent, combat, and eliminate terrorism. The Secretariat's program is divided into the following areas: Border Controls, Financial Controls, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Counterterrorism Policy Engagement Exercises, and partnerships with other international, multilateral, and international organizations.