OAS General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), established under the OAS Charter (signed in Bogotá in 1948, amended several times including by the Protocol of Buenos Aires in 1967, which created the Assembly in its current form). It convenes annually in regular session, with the venue rotating among member states, and may also hold special sessions when convoked.

Each of the 35 member states of the Americas holds one vote. Decisions on substantive matters generally require a two-thirds majority, while procedural questions are decided by simple majority. The Assembly's mandate, set out in Articles 54–60 of the Charter, includes:

• Deciding the general action and policy of the Organization
• Approving the program-budget and setting member-state quotas
• Considering reports from the Permanent Council, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), and other organs
• Adopting resolutions and inter-American treaties
• Coordinating cooperation with the United Nations and other international bodies

Cuba's participation was suspended by a 1962 resolution at the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs; the Assembly lifted that suspension in 2009, though Cuba has not rejoined active participation. Honduras was suspended in 2009 after the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya and readmitted in 2011. Venezuela's government announced withdrawal in 2017, with the process completed in 2019, although the Assembly continued to recognize representatives sent by the opposition for a period.

For Model UN purposes, OAS General Assembly committees typically simulate regional debate on democracy, human rights, drug policy, and development. Delegates should note that the OAS operates in four official languages — Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French — and that resolutions are non-binding recommendations to member states, distinct from the binding obligations created by inter-American treaties such as the American Convention on Human Rights.