OAS: Organization of American States: Organizational Overview

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The OAS is a large, complex organization with many branches. Below is an organizational breakdown with direct links to corresponding official websites. Note: The complete organization list can be found at http://www.oas.org/en/about/organizational_list.asp and http://www.oas.org/en/about/subregional_organizations.asp

OAS Official Website

The Principal OAS Organs: 

• General Assembly:
• Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
• Permanent Council
  • General Committee
  • Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs
  • Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs
  • Committee on Hemispheric Security
  • Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities
• Inter-American Council for Integral Development
• Inter-American Juridical Committee

Autonomous and Decentralized:

• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
• OAS Administrative Tribunal (TRIBAD)
• Inter-American Children's Institute (IIN)
• Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM)
• Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)
• Office of the Inspector General 
• Office of the Ombudsperson
• Academic and Technical Studies Scholarship Selection Committee (EDUCOAS)
• Board of External Auditors

• Office of the Secretary General
  • Office of the Chief of Staff of the Secretary General​
    • ​Office of Protocol
• ​​Office of the Assistant Secretary General
  • ​Office of the Chief of Staff of the Assistant Secretary General
  • Office of the Secretariat of the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation, the Permanent Council, and Subsidiary Organs
  • Department of Conferences and Meetings Management
    • Conference Section
    • Language Section
    • Documents Section
  • Coordinating Office for the Offices and Units of the General Secretariat in the Member States
• Secretariat for Strengthening Democracy
  • Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation
    • Electoral Technical Cooperation Section
    • Electoral Observation Missions Section
  • Department of Sustainable Democracy and Special Missions
    • Political Analysis and Outlook Section
    • Special Missions Section
    • Fund For Peace Section
• Executive Secretariat for Integral Development
  • Department of Human Development, Education, and Employment
    • Human Development and Education Section
    • Employment and Labor Section
  • Department of Economic Development
    • Trade and Economic Development Section
    • Competitiveness, Innovation, and Technology Section
    • Culture and Tourism Section
  • Department of Sustainable Development
    • Sustainable Energy Section
    • Sustainable Cities, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Land Management Section
    • Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change Section
    • Environmental Law, Policy, and Governance Section
    • Integrated Management of Water Resources Section
• Secretariat for Multidimensional Security
  • Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)
    • Demand Reduction Section
    • Drug Policy Section: Design, Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation
  • Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE)
    • Infrastructure and Critical Resources Protection Section
    • Anti-Terrorism Policies Section
  • Department of Public Security
    • Violence Prevention Section
    • Security and Justice Section
  • Department to Combat Transnational Organized Crime
• Secretariat for Administration and Finance
  • Department of Human Resources
    • Office of the Director
    • Benefits Section
    • Health and Insurance Section
    • Staff Services Section
  • Department of Financial Services
    • Office of the Director
    • Financial Operations and Analysis Section
    • Financial Reporting and Administrative Coordination Section
  • Department of Information and Technology Services
    • Office of the Director
    • Infrastructure Services Section
    • Analysis and Programming Section
    • Information Structuring Section
    • Software Quality Assurance and Systems Administration Section
    • Information Security Section
  • Department of Procurement Services
    • Office of the Director
    • Planning, Data Analysis, and Reporting Section
    • Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Section
  • Department of General Services
    • Office of the Director
    • Building Management and Maintenance Section
    • Messenger, Mail, and Transportation Section
    • Security Section
    • Inventory Section
• Secretariat for Legal Affairs
  • Department of International Law
  • Department of Legal Cooperation
  • Department of Legal Services
• Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity
  • Department of Social Inclusion
    • Inclusion of Vulnerable Populations Section
    • Promotion of Equity Section
  • Relations with Civil Society Section
• Secretariat for Hemispheric Affairs
  • Department of Effective Public Management
    • Electronic Government Section
    • Civil Registry Section
    • Open Government and Access to Information Section
    • Innovation and Public Management and Modernization Section
  • Summits Secretariat
    • Follow-Up and Implementation System
    • Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) Support Section
  • Department of Strategic Initiatives and Public Diplomacy
    • Columbus Memorial Library
    • Art Museum of the Americas
• Strategic Counsel for Organizational Development and Management for Results
  • Department of Planning and Evaluation
    • Office of the Director
    • Mandates Planning, Budgeting, and Monitoring Support Section
    • Project Management Support Section
  • Department of Press and Communication
    • Press Section
    • Communications Section
    • Audiovisual Production Section
  • Department of International Affairs
    • Relations with Permanent Observers Section
    • Public Liaison and Inter-Institutional Relations Section
    • Organizational Development Section

• Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)
• Andean Community (CAN)
• Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
• Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
• Central American Integration System (SICA)
• Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
• Latin American Integration Association (ALADI)
• Latin American Parliament
• Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
• Rio Group (now Community of Latin American and Caribbean States - CELAC)
• Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR)

This guide owes much to the hard work and excellent suggestions and observations of Maria Francesca Arruda de Amaral (UPenn CAS 2020). She provided all the material on the MOAS. Muito obrigado, Francesca!