Resolutions Adopted by the Economic and Social Council: * Resolutions Adopted during the First Session, January 23-February 18, Resolutions Adopted during the Second Session, May 25-June 21, 1946. Resolutions Adopted during the Third Session, September 11-December Resolutions Adopted during the Fourth Session, February 28-March 29, Resolutions Adopted during the Fifth Session, July 19-August 16, 1947. Resolutions Adopted by the Ecosoc during the Sixth Session, February 2- Resolutions Adopted by the Ecosoc during the Seventh Session, July Resolutions Adopted by the Ecosoc during the Eighth Session, February 7-March 18, 1949. Doc. E/1310. Official Records of the Eighth Session of the Economic and Social Council, Supplement No. 1. 47 pp. Atomic Energy Commission Official Records of the Atomic Energy Commission.* Report of the Atomic Energy Commission to the Security Council covering International Court of Justice Yearbook of the International Court of Justice, 1947-48.* Series D. Acts and Documents Concerning the Organization of the court. Organization of American States Secretariat, Pan American Union, Washington, D. C. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT The concept of inter-American organization has its origin in the Treaty of Perpetual Union, League, and Confederation, signed in 1826 by delegates of Central and South American countries, meeting at the * Available United Nations publications and documents may be obtained from the International Documents Service, Columbia University Press, 2960 Broadway, New York 27, New York. invitation of Simón Bolívar at the Congress of Panama, Panama City. The idea persisted through the discussions of several congresses of Latin American countries during the nineteenth century, but until 1890 no steps were taken to found an organization. In 1890 the 18 countries attending the First International Conference of American States in Washington formed an association under the title, The International Union of American Republics, "for the prompt collection and distribution of commercial information." From these beginnings and through an evolutionary process as successive conferences broadened their activities, the present organization and its secretariat, the Pan American Union, have emerged. The Organization of American States (OAS) was established by the charter signed at the ninth International Conference of American States, Bogotá, Colombia, April 30, 1948. The charter was drawn up to provide a treaty basis for the organization, which up until the Bogotá Conference had rested upon the resolutions of International Conferences of American States, and of the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace, Mexico City, 1945. Pending ratification of the charter by two-thirds of the American states, resolution XL of the Ninth Conference has brought into effect the organizational provisions of the charter. The development of the organization has been along two main lines: (a) expansion in the scope of discussions at the conferences and of the functions of the permanent office, the Pan American Union (Pau) and (b) progressive internationalization of the latter. Many functions now carried on by the PAU were assigned to "The Commercial Bureau of the American Republics" by the First Conference in 1890. In 1902, at the Second Conference, a Governing Board was established which placed the management of the Bureau in the hands of a committee selected from the diplomatic representatives in Washington of the members of the Bureau and the Secretary of State of the United States. Subsequent to the Third Conference, which expanded its duties to include distribution of information on treaties to which the American republics were parties and assistance in obtaining ratification of resolutions and conventions adopted at conferences, the Bureau acted as a permanent committee of the conferences, recommending topics to be discussed by later conferences. In 1910 the names of the Bureau and the association were changed to the Pan American Union and the Union of American Republics, respectively, which titles were retained until 1948. In 1928 at the Sixth International Conference at Habana a convention was signed creating a "Union of American States" to seek fulfillment of its objectives through three organs (1) International Conferences of American States, (2) the Pan American Union, and (3) every organ established by convention between the American states. Sixteen countries, including the United States, ratified this convention, which however failed to become binding for the lack of ratification of all 21 signatories. The Sixth Conference also approved a resolution providing for the appointment of representatives other than diplomatic representatives in Washington and prohibiting the exercise of functions by the Governing Board and the PAU which were political in character. Despite the former provision, such ad hoc appointments were rare until the Mexico City Conference in 1945 made them mandatory. As the result of three meetings of consultation held during World War II to consider problems arising from the hostilities, new functions were given the Union and new inter-American organizations were founded. Recognizing that the inter-American machinery must be simplified, the Mexico City Conference in its resolution IX agreed to strengthen, reorganize, and consolidate the inter-American system, but looked to the Ninth Conference to give permanent form to the new organizational structure. This resolution expanded the powers of the Governing Board by authorizing it to take action, within the limitations imposed by the Conference and the meetings of Foreign Ministers, "... on every matter that affects the effective functioning of the inter-American system and the solidarity and general welfare of the American Republics." It also created the Inter-American Economic and Social Council as the successor to the Inter-American Economic and Finanical Advisory Committee. From 1945 to 1948 the Governing Board, taking resolution IX and the previous resolutions governing the Pan American Union as a basis, elaborated the Draft Organic Pact which was used by the Ninth Conference in drafting the charter of the Organization of American States. The component organs of the OAs listed in the charter were not created at one time by action of the Ninth Conference, for most of them had been in existence, in substantially the same form as provided in the charter, since the early years of the regional association. The series of International Conferences of American States, commenced in 1890, will continue in accordance with the provisions of the charter as "The Inter-American Conference." The Meetings of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, second organ of the OAs under the charter, are to carry on the series which started with the first meeting in Panama in 1939, called pursuant to decisions regarding consultation taken by the Eighth Conference in 1938, and the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace, Buenos Aires, 1936. The general secretariat and central permanent organ of the Oas, the Pan American Union, has developed from the Bureau mentioned above, and the Council of the OAs from the Governing Board of the Union. The specialized conferences and the specialized organizations have long records of accomplishment prior to their incorporation into the new structure defined at Bogotá. There have been over 200 specialized conferences at which some 70 treaties and, in addition, numerous resolutions and other agreements were drawn up. MEMBERSHIP The Organization of American States comprises the same membership as its predecessor, the Union of American Republics, since the American republics at the Ninth Conference did not create a new organization but rather revised the structure of the Union of which they were already members pursuant to the resolutions of previous inter-American conferences. Pending the entry into force of the charter upon ratification by two-thirds of the signatories, the structure provided for therein has come into being as decided in resolution XL of the Ninth Conference. Article 2 of the charter specifies that "All American States that ratify the present Charter are Members of the Organization." The word "states" was employed in order not to bar the admission of Canada. If a new political entity arises from the union of several members and ratifies the charter, it shall be a member. PURPOSES, POWERS, AND FUNCTIONS The purposes of the Oas, set forth in aricle 4 of the charter, are as follows: (a) To strengthen the peace and security of the continent; (b) To prevent possible causes of difficulties and to ensure the pacific settlement of disputes that may arise among the Member States; (c) To provide for common action on the part of those States in the event of aggression; (d) To seek the solution of political, juridical and economic problems that may arise among them; and (e) To promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social and cultural development. See section entitled "Structure" for the powers and functions of the individual organs of the Organization. STRUCTURE The organs of the Organization, through which its purposes are accomplished, are the following: the Inter-American Conference, the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Council, the Pan American Union, the Specialized Conferences, and the Specialized Organizations. The Inter-American Conference. The Inter-American Conference, as the supreme organ of the OAs, decides the general action and policy of the Organization and determines the structure and functions of its organs. It has the authority to consider any matter relating to friendly relations among the American states. However, these broad functions must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the charter and of other inter-American treaties. The Conference convenes every five years at the time fixed by the Council, and all member states have the right to be represented with one vote each. Special meetings may be called with the approval of two-thirds of the member governments. The Tenth Inter-American Conference is scheduled for Caracas, Venezuela, in 1953. The Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The meetings of consultation are held to consider problems of an urgent nature and of common interest, and to serve as the Organ of Consultation. The Council of the Organization, upon request of a member of the Oas, decides whether a meeting shall be held. In addition the chairman of the Council, in case of an armed attack "within the territory of an American State or within the region of security delimited by treaties in force," immediately calls a meeting of consultation. (The treaty referred to is the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance). Article 44 of the charter provides that the Advisory Defense Committee shall be established under the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to advise the Organ of Consultation on "problems of military cooperation that may arise in connection with the application of existing special treaties on collective security." It is composed of the highest military authorities of the states participating in the Meeting of Consultation and is convoked under the same conditions as the latter when defense against aggression is discussed, or, when the Conference or the Meeting of Consultation or the governments assign it technical studies. Pursuant to resolution XXIV of the Ninth Conference, an existing agency, the Inter-American Defense Board, (q. v.) is to "continue to act as the organ of preparation for collective self-defense against aggression" and shall carry out functions assigned to it by the Advisory Defense Committee. The secretariat of the Board is to serve as the secretariat of the Advisory Defense Committee. The Council. The Council, successor to the Governing Board of the Pan American Union, is the permanent executive organ of the Oas. It is composed of a representative of each member state with the rank of ambassador. Pursuant to its regulations, the Council meets at least twice a month, except in summer, in Washington, D.C. It takes cognizance of any matter referred to it by the Inter-American Conference or the Meeting of Consultation, within the limits of the charter and of inter-American treaties and agreements. It also acts provi |