F.P. Report
WASHINGTON: Secretary Blinken will lead the United States delegation to the 52nd Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly in Lima, Peru October 6-7. Delegates will convene under the theme “Together Against Inequality and Discrimination” for the first in-person General Assembly since 2019. Secretary Blinken will engage regional leaders on shared priorities, including combatting discrimination and intolerance, safeguarding democracy, and protecting human rights.
The OAS Remains a Vital Multilateral Partner in the Region
As a member of the OAS since its founding in 1948, the United States remains committed to strengthening and working with the organization. The U.S. government is determined to use multilateral diplomacy to resolve regional problems and to engage its neighbors on topics of hemispheric concern. A major financial supporter of the OAS, the United States contributes over 50% of the organization’s annual budget.
The OAS General Assembly represents the most senior decision-making body of the OAS. The United States last hosted the OAS General Assembly in 2005 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under the theme “Delivering the Benefits of Democracy.”
52nd OAS General Assembly Objectives
- The Government of Peru selected the General Assembly theme — “Together against Inequality and Discrimination” — to draw attention to our region’s challenges and to promote social inclusion for the people of our hemisphere. The United States continues to accelerate efforts to address racism and discrimination, and our Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice’s participation in the meeting sends a strong signal of our commitment to this issue.
- The United States will join a Guatemala-led declaration to call on Russia to end its aggression in Ukraine. The OAS’s solidarity with Ukraine remains critical as Russia violates Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.
- We will join a Canada- and Chile-led resolution to hold the Nicaraguan regime accountable for its continued human rights abuses.
- The United States will join a Haiti-led resolution on the security and political situation in Haiti. The resolution asks the OAS General Secretariat to re-establish regular meetings of likeminded delegations and donors, deepen OAS-UN cooperation, and solicit specific cooperation tools the OAS could provide to Haiti.
- We will join a declaration on the human rights situation in Venezuela.
- The United States will also sponsor a resolution to promote and advance inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation among democratically elected legislators to advance our shared commitment to democracy and respect for human rights in the Americas.
- We will continue to support OAS Electoral Observation Missions as one of the most vital functions of this institution. We value OAS observers’ expertise and credibility in ensuring free, fair, and democratic elections in our region. To-date, the United States remains the largest donor in support of Electoral Observation Missions in the region.
