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What are civil society organizations (CSOs)? How can civil society organizations participate in the Organization of American States (OAS)? What benefits do civil society organizations receive from registration to the OAS? Are there any costs or risks to registration? How do civil society organizations register to the OAS? What must be included in the application letter? Are there any selection criteria? What are the responsibilities of civil society organizations after registering in the OAS? How many organizations have registered? How do civil society organizations participate in the General Assembly? Do civil society organizations get to meet with the foreign ministers at the General Assembly? How do civil society organizations participate in the CIDI committees? What are cooperation agreements? How do civil society organizations enter into cooperation agreements? How do civil society organization participate in the Summit of the Americas? How do civil society organizations participate in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)? Are there any upcoming events for civil society organizations? Where can further questions be directed?
What are civil society organizations (CSOs)? Article 2 of CP/RES. 759, "Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities," defines a civil society organization (CSO) as "any national or international institution, organization, or entity made up of natural or juridical persons of a non-governmental nature." This includes, among other organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and universities, think-tanks, the private sector, religious groups, and professional associations. How can civil society organizations participate in the Organization of American States (OAS)? There are three ways of participating in the activities of the OAS. First, a civil society organization can register to the Organization of American States (OAS). If for any reason a civil society organization would like to participate without registering, they can attend meetings of the General Assembly, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), and other specific Conferences of the OAS by soliciting to become a Special Guest. The third and last way of participating in OAS activities is through cooperation agreements with the General Secretariat or other OAS organs. What benefits do civil society organizations receive from registration to the OAS? According to CP/RES. 840 and CP/RES. 759, registered civil society organizations are able to:
Are there any costs or risks to registration? There are no direct costs; however, some fear that the system of civil society registration forces civil society to become less critical of the Organization of American States. On the contrary, the OAS welcomes such criticism, but also feels that greater benefits can be achieved through organized participation and discussion. In the Guidelines for the participation of CSOs, the Permanent Council expressed that "civil society participation must be oriented by a clear and yet flexible regulatory framework". Therefore, civil society organizations can contribute knowledge and additional information to decision-making processes, raise new issues and concerns that will subsequently be addressed by the OAS, lend expert advice in their areas of expertise, and contribute to consensus-building in many spheres. The Organization of American States has become a better, stronger, and more flexible institution thanks to the increase in participation by civil society. How do civil society organizations register to the OAS? Civil society organizations (CSOs) seeking to be registered to the OAS must follow the "Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities" approved by the Permanent Council in Resolution CP/RES. 759. Each civil society organization must send a letter to the OAS General Secretariat indicating their interest in being considered for such status. The letter should be sent to: Secretary General What must be included in the application letter? The General Secretariat expects to receive the following information in all applications from civil society organizations seeking to register in the OAS:
First, after the Secretary General receives the request, the application is submitted to the Summits of the Americas Secretariat to make sure that all the requirements and supporting documents mentioned above have been included in the application.
Second, if the application is complete, the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) of the Permanent Council will examine the application, ensure compliance with the Guidelines, and then make a recommendation on the organization’s eligibility for registration. An organization may be required to provide additional information and clarification before the Committee can complete its review. If this were the case, the organization will be duly advised.
Third, the recommendations of the CISC will be submitted to the Permanent Council for a decision. Please be aware that the request and supporting documentation may be discussed and distributed in a public forum during the registration process and cannot be given the protection of confidential, private, or otherwise privileged information. If the Permanent Council decides to accept the request, the civil society organization will be notified and the name of the organization and its application will be added to the Registry of civil society organizations.
Are there any selection criteria? The Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) of the Permanent Council looks for the following attributes in civil society organizations seeking registration:
What are the responsibilities of civil society organizations after registering in the OAS? Answer inquiries from the organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS and provide advisory services to them upon request. Disseminate information on OAS activities to its members. Present to the General Secretariat, before December 31 of each year, a report, containing an executive summary, on its participation in OAS activities during that year, its financial situation and sources of funding, and the activities planned for the coming year. Keep the information on its executive officers up to date.How many organizations have registered? As of August 1, 2004, 94 organizations have been accredited within the Organization of American States. To see the list of registered civil society organizations, please click here. How do civil society organizations participate in the General Assembly? CSOs that are not registered with the Organization that are wishing to attend the OAS General Assembly must send a letter to the Secretary General of the OAS at least forty five (45) days in advance of the opening session, requesting the right to observe the proceedings under the category of "Special Guests". This time period is necessary because the Secretary General must submit a final list of organizations to the Permanent Council for approval at least thirty (30) days prior to the General Assembly. The organizations on the list must also be authorized by the host country. This process is independent of other CSO participation processes in the OAS, and CSOs accredited under other OAS participation modalities must still request the category of "Special Guests" for each General Assembly they wish to attend. The letter should be sent to: Secretary General Do civil society organizations get to meet with the foreign ministers at the General Assembly? Directly preceding the General Assembly there is a Dialogue among civil society organizations, foreign ministers of member states, and the Secretary General of the OAS. Heads of Delegation agreed at the XXXIII General Assembly in 2003 that this Dialogue will henceforth become an institutionalized meeting of the General Assembly. CSOs wishing to attend the meetings of CIDI must send a letter to the Secretary General of the Organization at least fifteen (15) days prior to the opening meeting of CIDI. The letter should specifically request permission to attend that CIDI meeting as a Special Guest. The letter should be sent to: Secretary General
The Secretary General will submit this letter to the Permanent Executive Committee of CIDI (CEPCIDI) for its review. If the request is approved by CEPCIDI and the host country of the meeting, the Secretary General will issue the corresponding invitation.
How do civil society organizations participate in the CIDI committees?
Most Inter-American Committees of the CIDI have provisions in their rules similar to those in CIDI’s rules for the participation in their meetings of Special Guests that are not accredited as observers under Resolution CP/RES. 759 Guidelines. In most cases, those provisions stipulate that the letter of request be sent fifteen (15) days prior to the commencement of the meeting to the Chair of the Committee or its Executive Board. CSOs that wish to participate as Special Guests in those meetings are urged to consult with the Secretariats of those Committees for more detailed information as required. What are cooperation agreements? CSOs wishing to participate in carrying out joint projects with the General Secretariat, to contribute technical, administrative or financial resources to the General Secretariat, or to otherwise design, finance, or execute cooperation programs for the Secretariat may do so by entering into a cooperation agreement with the General Secretariat. The Agreement may establish a framework to govern subsequent projects and activities to be agreed upon at a future date, or may simply cover a specific project or activity of the General Secretariat. How do civil society organizations enter into cooperation agreements? Those CSOs interested in reaching such agreements should consult with the specific administrative area (unit, department, or office) of the Secretariat responsible for the types of projects in which they are interested in supporting. They must also provide that area, if so requested, with copies of their articles of incorporation (or charter), bylaws, annual reports and financial statements for the past three years, the names of their officers and directors for the past three years, and the names of their major contributors (provided those names can be released without violating confidentiality agreements). If after such consultations, the CSO and corresponding administrative dependency of the General Secretariat reach preliminary agreement on suitable terms of cooperation, they shall prepare, in conjunction with the Department of Legal Services, the final agreement for the approval and signature of the Secretary General. How do civil society organizations participate in the Summit of the Americas? The Summit of the Americas is an intergovernmental process in which the Heads of State and Government of the 34 democratic governments of the Hemisphere join to define and discuss the Inter-American agenda. This process is currently chaired by the Government of Argentina, the host of the next Summit of the Americas, which will take place in 2005. The Summits of the Americas Secretariat serves as the technical secretariat and the institutional memory of the Summit process. If you would like to get involved in the Summits of the Americas process, please visit the website (www.summit-americas.org) or send an email with your name, organization, address, telephone and areas of interest to the Summits of the Americas Secretariat. Civil society organizations are needed to help monitor and implement past Summit initiatives. Corporación PARTICIPA, with the help of the Regional Coordinator for Economic and Social Research (CRIES), the Universidad de Los Andes, FLACSO Chile, FOCAL, and Esquel, coordinated a "Strategy for the Civil Society Follow-Up of the Quebec Plan of Action." This project was initiated to strengthen the network of CSOs and help them monitor and influence governments at the national and regional level in order to help implement Summit initiatives. For more information about this process, please contact Corporación PARTICIPA. How do civil society organizations participate in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)? At the First Summit of the Americas in Miami in December 1994, the Heads of Government announced the initiation of negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), to be completed in 2005. The FTAA is an international trade initiative that aims to eliminate the barriers to the free flow of money, goods, and services across borders in the Americas. The FTAA Committee of Government Representatives on the Participation of Civil Society has developed a mechanism in which all members of civil society can give their input about the Free Trade Area of the Americas. For more information, please see the "Open Invitation to Civil Society." In fulfillment of a specific mandate of the Santa Cruz Summit on Sustainable Development in 1996, the OAS developed the Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-Making for Sustainable Development (ISP). This is a strategy for increasing responsible, effective public involvement in sustainable development policies, projects and programs throughout the Americas. Unlike the Guidelines, which address civil society participation in the OAS, the ISP represents a commitment by the OAS to bring the public into decision-making at the national and sub-national levels. National focal points (government officials) were appointed in each country to coordinate actions in support of the ISP; almost 200 civil society organizations registered in the ISP Roster; and more than 600 contacts were apprised of the developments of the Strategy. For more information on how to get involved, please contact ispnet@oas.org Are there any upcoming events for civil society organizations? The Summits of the Americas Secretariat is pleased to post a calendar of events on its website. Where can further questions be directed? The Summits of the Americas Secretariat has been designated to coordinate the participation of civil society in the Organization of American States. For more information, please feel free to contact:
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