About the OAS

• Who We Are
• What We Do
• Our Structure
  • General Assembly
  • Meetings of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
  • Councils
  • Inter-American Juridical Committee
  • Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
  • General Secretariat
    • Secretary General
    • Assistant Secretary General
    • Secretariats
    • Other Autonomous and/or Decentralized Organs, Agencies, Entities, and Dependencies
  • Specialized Conferences
  • Specialized Organizations
• Our Locations
• Offices in Member States
• Our History
• Logo
• Authorities

Secretariats

The work of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States is carried out by six Secretariats which include: the Secretariat for Political Affairs, the Executive Secretariat of Integral Development, the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, the Secretariat for Administration and Finance, the Secretariat for Legal Affairs, and the Secretariat for External Relations.

• Secretariat for Political Affairs
  The mission of the Secretariat for Political Affairs (SPA) is to help to strengthen political processes in the member states, in particular to support democracy as the best option for ensuring peace, security, and development.  The SPA focuses on strengthening the role of the Organization as the primary political forum in the inter-American system and on actively helping to maintain democracy in the member states.
• Executive Secretariat for Integral Development
  The mission of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) is to assist the member states with their efforts to reduce poverty and achieve greater economic and social development. It does this by implementing programs, projects, and activities in partnership and by supporting dialogue at the highest levels to define policies and set priorities in the areas of action established in the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development 2006-2009 (hereinafter the “Strategic Plan”): Social development and the creation of productive employment; Education; Economic diversification and integration, Trade liberalization and market access; Scientific development and exchange and transfer of technology; Strengthening of democratic institutions; Sustainable development of tourism; Sustainable development and environment; and Culture.
• Secretariat for Multidimensional Security
  The mission of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS) is to coordinate cooperation among the member states to fight threats to national and citizen security, and to work to mitigate the harmful effects of those threats on the health and well-being of citizens and societies in the member states and to prevent the abuse of psychotropic substances, crime, and violence; capacity-building; legal and legislative assistance; and the promotion of health and education.
• Secretariat for Administration and Finance
  The mission of the Secretariat for Administration and Finance (SAF) is to provide leadership and guidance on administrative support activities, including budgetary and financial management, the information services structure of the General Secretariat, program planning and operational follow-up, general services management, and procurement and contracting of goods and services, as well as personnel management, in accordance with established principles of professional management.
• Secretariat for Legal Affairs
  The Secretariat for Legal Affairs (SLA) develops, promotes, and implements the Inter-American Program for the Development of International Law; provides advisory services concerning international law and the development and codification of inter-American law; supports the follow-up mechanisms for certain inter-American conventions; serves as a depository and source of information for inter-American treaties and the agreements of the OAS and its organs; disseminates information on the legal instruments of the OAS and its legal programs; and provides other services related to inter-American legal cooperation.
• Secretariat for External Relations
  The mission of the Secretariat for External Relations (SER) is to disseminate the role of the Organization as the institution for promoting democratic governance, sustainable development, multidimensional security, and respect for human rights in the Hemisphere; and to contribute to the strengthening of the Organization's institutional image.