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What are civil society organizations (CSOs)?
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How can civil society organizations participate in the
Organization of American States (OAS)?
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What benefits do civil society organizations receive from
registration to the OAS?
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Are there any costs or risks to registration?
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How do civil society organizations register to the OAS?
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What must be included in the application letter?
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How is this letter handled?
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Are there any selection criteria?
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What are the responsibilities of civil society
organizations after registering in the OAS?
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How many organizations have registered?
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How do civil society organizations participate in the
General Assembly?
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Do civil society organizations get to meet with the
foreign ministers at the General Assembly?
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How do civil society organizations participate in the
Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI)?
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How is this letter handled?
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How do civil society organizations participate in the
CIDI committees?
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What are cooperation agreements?
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How do civil society organizations enter into cooperation
agreements?
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How do civil society organization participate in the
Summit of the Americas?
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Are there any upcoming events for civil society
organizations?
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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?
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Obtain
access to virtual consultations on issues and initiatives
promoted by the OAS.
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Contribute to the elaboration of the agenda of a meeting,
once a year, within the Permanent Council, on a matter of
special interest to registered civil society organizations
for a broad and substantive dialogue.
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Receive
the calendar of OAS meetings and when possible, the themes
to be discussed in the meetings.
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Registered civil society organizations may designate
representatives to attend, as observers, public meetings of
the Permanent Council, CIDI, and their subsidiary bodies.
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Whether
registered civil society organizations may attend closed
meetings shall be determined by the chair of the meeting in
question, in consultation with the participating member
state delegations.
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In the
case of meetings of committees of the Permanent Council or
of CIDI, registered civil society organizations may
distribute written documents in advance.
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Present
written documents, not exceeding 2,000 words, on questions
that fall within its particular sphere of competence and
appear on the agenda or order of business for the meeting.
These documents shall be distributed by the General
Secretariat to member states.
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Receive
the OAS the resolutions adopted at each session of the
General Assembly.
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Comment
and assist in effectively implementing the OAS the
resolutions adopted at each session of the General Assembly,
as appropriate.
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
Organization of American States
MNB-20
17th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C.
20006,
U.S.A.
What must be included in the application letter?
The General
Secretariat requires that the application contains the following
information:
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Official
name, address, telephones, and date of establishment of the
organization and the name(s) of its director(s) and legal
representative(s).
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Primary
areas of activity and their relationship to the activities of
the OAS organs, agencies, and entities in which it wishes to
participate.
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Reasons
why the organization believes its proposed contributions to
OAS activities would be of interest to the OAS.
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Identification of the OAS work areas in which your
organization proposes to support ongoing activities or to
make recommendations on the best way to achieve OAS
objectives.
Applications should include the following documentation:
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A duly
notarized copy of the articles of incorporation, charter, or
constitution;
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A duly
notarized copy of the certificate of incorporation, if any;
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A duly
notarized copy of the bylaws;
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A copy
of the most recent annual report;
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An
institutional mission statement signed by a director or the
legal representative; and
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A copy
of the financial statements for the previous fiscal year,
including reference to public and private sources of
financing, signed by the financial officer or the public
accountant of the applicant organization.
How is this letter
handled?
First, after the Secretary
General receives the request, the application is submitted to the Department
of International Affairs 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:
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Recognized standing within its particular field of competence.
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Representative nature.
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Institutional structure that includes appropriate mechanisms for
holding its officers accountable and subject to its members.
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Legal representative and an executive officer, as well as established
headquarters.
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Resources obtained primarily from its affiliates or individual
members.
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Institutional and financial structure is transparent.
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Institutional and financial structure affords a certain degree of
independence.
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Headquarters or principal activities not located in any territory over
which there exists a sovereignty dispute between an OAS member state
and a state outside the Hemisphere.
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Geographic origin-- The Committee seeks to ensure the registration of
civil society organizations from all member states, in order to
facilitate just, balanced, effective, and genuine participation by all
regions of the
Hemisphere.
What are the
responsibilities of civil society organizations after registering in the
OAS?
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Answer inquiries from the organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS and
provide advisory services to them upon request.
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Disseminate information on OAS activities to its members.
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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.
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Keep the information on its executive officers up to date.
How many organizations
have registered?
As of
December 3, 2009, 308 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?
Any
civil society organization (CSO) wishing to attend the annual OAS General
Assembly must send a letter to the Secretary General, with a copy to the
Department of International Affairs of the OAS at least forty-five (45) days
in advance of the opening session, indicating their interest to observe the
proceedings under the category of "Special Guests". Letters directed to the
Secretary General from organizations not registered to the OAS must be
accompanied by the following documents: charter or constitution, statutes,
most recent annual report, and institutional mission statement.
The indicated 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. Additionally, the organizations on the list must be
authorized by the host country.
This process is
independent of other CSO participation processes in the OAS, and CSOs
registered with the OAS must still request the category of "Special
Guests" for each General Assembly they wish to attend.
The letter should be sent
to:
Secretary General
Organization of American States
MNB-20
17th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C.
20006,
U.S.A.
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.
How do civil society
organizations participate in the Inter-American Council for Integral
Development (CIDI)?
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
Organization of American States
MNB-20
17th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C.
20006,
U.S.A.
How is this letter handled?
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 Colombia, the host
of the next Summit of the Americas, which will take place in 2012. 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.
Are there any upcoming
events for civil society organizations?
The
Department of International Affairs is pleased to share information about
upcoming opportunities for civil society participation in OAS activities on
the
OAS Civil
Society Website.
Where can further
questions be directed?
The Department of International Affairs has been designated to
coordinate the participation of civil society in the Organization of
American States. For more information, please feel free to contact:
Irene Klinger
Director
or
Jorge Sanin
Head,
Relation with Permanent Observers and Civil Society
Department of International Affairs
Organization of American States
17th
Street & Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
Telephone: 202-458-6072
Fax: 202-458-6319
civilsociety@oas.org
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