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Secretary General of the Organization of American States

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Secretary-General of the
Organization of American States
Incumbent
Luis Almagro
since 26 May 2015 (2015-05-26)
Organization of American States
StyleHis Excellency
ResidencePan American Union Building
Seat
Washington, D.C., U.S.
NominatorOrganization of American States
AppointerGeneral Assembly
Term length5 years
(renewable, traditionally limited to 2 terms)
Constituting instrumentOrganization of American States
Inaugural holderAlberto Lleras Camargo
Formation1948; 76 years ago (1948)

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States is the highest position within the Organization of American States.[1]

Duties

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According to the Charter of the Organization of American States:

The Secretary General shall direct the General Secretariat, be the legal representative thereof, and [...] be responsible to the General Assembly for the proper fulfillment of the obligations and functions of the General Secretariat.

The Secretary General of the Organization shall be elected by the General Assembly for a five-year term and may not be reelected more than once or succeeded by a person of the same nationality. In the event that the office of Secretary General becomes vacant, the Assistant Secretary General shall assume his duties until the General Assembly shall elect a new Secretary General for a full term.

The Secretary General, or his representative, may participate with voice but without vote in all meetings of the Organization.

The Secretary General may bring to the attention of the General Assembly or the Permanent Council any matter which in his opinion might threaten the peace and security of the Hemisphere or the development of the Member States.

Secretaries General of the OAS

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No. Image Name Country Term of Office
1 Alberto Lleras Camargo  Colombia 30 April 1948– 1 August 1954
2 Carlos Dávila
Died while in office
 Chile 1 August 1954 – 19 October 1955
3 José Antonio Mora  Uruguay 1956–1968
4 Galo Plaza  Ecuador 1968–1975
5 Alejandro Orfila  Argentina 1975–1984
6 João Clemente Baena Soares  Brazil 1984–1994
7 César Gaviria
Re-elected to a second term at the 1999 General Assembly
 Colombia 15 September 1994 – 15 September 2004
8 Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
Resigned
 Costa Rica 15 September 2004 – 15 October 2004
Luigi R. Einaudi (acting)  United States 15 October 2004 – 26 May 2005
9 José Miguel Insulza
Elected 2 May 2005 (see: OAS Secretary General election, 2005),
re-elected on 24 March 2010
 Chile 26 May 2005 – 26 May 2015
10 Luis Almagro  Uruguay 26 May 2015 - present

Assistant Secretaries General of the OAS

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No. Image Name Country Term of Office
1 William Manger  United States 1948–1958
2 William Sanders  United States 1958–1968
3 M. Rafael Urquía  El Salvador 1968–1975
4 Jorge Luis Zelaya Coronado  Guatemala 1975–1980
5 Val T. McComie  Barbados 1980–1990
6 Christopher R. Thomas  Trinidad and Tobago 1990–2000
7 Luigi R. Einaudi  United States 2000–July 2005
8 Albert Ramdin  Suriname 19 July 2005–2015
9 Nestor Mendez  Belize 17 July 2015[2]–present

References

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  1. ^ OAS (1 August 2009). "OAS - Organization of American States: Democracy for peace, security, and development". OAS - Organization of American States. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Nestor Mendez Takes Office as OAS Assistant Secretary General".