Definition of objectives, guidelines, and thematic areas of the Secretariats Ad Hoc Working Group on the Strategic Vision of the OAS November 2015

In recent years, the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) have made great efforts to deal with the challenges of modernizing the Organization in order to enable it to fulfill its mandates and perform its functions in an efficient and effective way, as well as to maintain its prominence in the Hemisphere. Notable among those efforts was the Strategic Vision of the OAS, which was adopted by the General Assembly through resolution AG/RES (XLIV-O/14) and charts the course of the Organization. In addition, resolution AG/RES. 1 (XLVII-E/14), “Guidelines and Objectives of the Strategic Vision of the Organization of American States,” established the strategic objectives of the OAS, which are guiding the efforts of the Organization toward fulfilling the Strategic Vision. On June 15, 2015, the General Assembly instructed the Secretary General to submit for the consideration of the Permanent Council by July 31, 2015, such adjustments as he deemed necessary to the organizational structure of the General Secretariat to align it with the Strategic Vision of the Organization. That mandate was contained in resolution AG/RES (XLV-O/15), “Modernization and Reorganization of the General Secretariat in Accordance with the Strategic Vision for the Organization and for Strengthening the Inter-American System.” Accordingly, the Permanent Council adopted a resolution approving the changes to the structure of the General Secretariat and instructed the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Strategic Vision to “define the objectives, guidelines, and thematic areas of the Secretariats, as stipulated in the Strategic Vision and Strategic Objectives, the Charter, and other standards of the Organization. Its results will be submitted, through the Permanent Council, to the General Assembly at its fiftieth special session.” In this regard, this document is a systematized compilation of all the documents generated, on the one hand, in the definition of the objectives of the Strategic Vision and, on the other, in the process of approval, by the Permanent Council, of the organic structure of the General Secretariat, as well as of the invaluable contributions of delegations and the information presented by the General Secretariat in the proposed program-budget for Finally, it should be mentioned that the member states, through this document, are helping to enhance management of the General Secretariat by outlining in an illustrative, not restrictive, way and in accordance with the objectives of the Strategic Vision approved by the General Assembly, the guidelines and thematic areas of the secretariats and the organs of the General Secretariat of equivalent level; for that reason, those concepts are not spelled out for the executive secretariats or the secretariats of the principal and specialized (autonomous and decentralized) organs and oversight bodies, in accordance with Article 53 of the Charter of the Organization. Introduction

1.- Aligning the approved Structure with the Strategic Vision

“The Organization of American States is the hemispheric political forum inclusive of all the countries of the Americas, committed to the strengthening of democracy, the promotion and protection of human rights, the advancement of integral development and the fostering of multidimensional security, all equal and interdependent, with justice and social inclusion, for the benefit of the peoples of the Americas.” Democracy Human Rights Integral Development Multidimensional Security Institution Building Administrative Management Secretariat for Strengthening Democracy Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity Secretariat for Multidimensional Security Secretariat for Administration and Finance Secretariat for Hemispheric Affairs Secretariat for Legal Affairs Strategic Counsel for Organizational Development and Results-based Management Executive Secretariat for Integral Development Office of the Ombudsperson

2.- Objectives and Thematic Areas

Democracy

Human Rights SECRETARIATPURPOSEGUIDELINESTHEMATIC AREAS Access to Rights and Equity To complement the efforts of member states to guarantee full enjoyment, promotion, and protection of human rights for every individual in the Hemisphere without distinction Promote the equity agenda in the region; work with member states in their follow-up on regional agreements on equity and access to rights. Promote implementation of public policies and programs that bring about greater inclusion and equity and facilitate full enjoyment of the rights of citizens. Improve the level of accomplishment of goals and objectives with sufficient resources. Persons with disabilities Indigenous populations Populations in vulnerable circumstances Consumer protection Older persons People of African descent LGBTI persons Judicial facilitation Relations with civil society and other social actors

Integral Development SECRETARIATPURPOSEGUIDELINESTHEMATIC AREAS Executive Secretariat for Integral Development To help member states to achieve their economic, social, and cultural development goals in a comprehensive, inclusive, and sustainable manner, taking into account the provisions of the OAS Charter and the Social Charter of the Americas, with the aim of eradicating poverty. Strengthen partnership for development efforts with the international community and other international agencies, with a view to joining efforts on initiatives in the area of integral development. Promote the linkage of the inter-American development agenda with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, with a view to bolstering the efforts of states in accomplishing the sustainable development goals. Support national efforts in the areas of capacity building and sharing best practices Sustainable development Natural disasters Economic Development Science and technology Competitiveness Social development and employment Culture Education and human development Migration Cooperation Ports Tourism (*) Some measures are carried out jointly with the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, particularly those of a preventive nature or in events that require an immediate response.

Multidimensional Security (*) Some measures are carried out jointly with the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, particularly those of a preventive nature or in events that require an immediate response.

Institution Building 1/4 SECRETARIATPURPOSEGUIDELINESTHEMATIC AREAS Hemispheric Affairs To help bring about harmonious interdependence among the four pillars by strengthening OAS capacity to promote and facilitate political dialogue among states and help transform policy guidelines in any projects that may be included in the strategic plans of the Organization. Act as the focal point on initiatives of the Secretariat that require consultation and coordination across different departments to determine the feasibility and relevance of those initiatives and help coordinate their preparation; and follow up on the implementation of hemispheric priorities. Help fulfill the strategic objectives of the four pillars by strengthening OAS capacity to promote and facilitate broad and pluralistic political dialogue among member states. Design intersectoral approaches. Design of inter-sectoral programs Project incubator Summits preparation and planning Follow-up/implementation of Summits mandates Innovation in public management Art Museum of the Americas Columbus Memorial Library

Institution Building 2/4 SECRETARIATPURPOSEGUIDELINESTHEMATIC AREAS Legal Affairs To develop, promote, and implement the Inter‐American Program for the Development of International Law; provide advisory services concerning international law; serve as a depository and source of information for inter‐American treaties and the agreements of the OAS and its organs; disseminate information on the legal instruments of the OAS and its legal programs; provide legal advisory and technical secretariat services to mechanisms for follow-up on inter- American treaties—such as MESICIC, the one for the Convention against Corruption—and the REMJA process; and provide legal advice on the regulatory instruments governing the General Secretariat. Provide legal advice on the regulatory instruments governing the General Secretariat and the councils of the Organization Disseminate information on OAS legal instruments and its legal programs; Provide legal advisory and technical secretariat services to mechanisms for follow-up on inter-American treaties—such as MESICIC, the one for the Convention against Corruption—and the REMJA process, as a hemispheric forum for strengthening policies on justice and international legal cooperation in this area, including cooperation on cybercrime. Legal advisory services on the regulatory instruments governing the Organization International treaties Inter-American legal cooperation Legal advisory services on administrative, budgetary, labor, and contractual matters Advisory services on international law Codification of inter-American law Secretariat of the Inter- American Juridical Committee Legal advisory and technical secretariat services to MESICIC and the REMJA process

ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY PURPOSEGUIDELINESAREAS OF ACTION Strategic Counsel for Organizational Development and Results-based Management Develop mechanisms to manage and monitor programs, using tools to ensure that funds are allocated according to priorities established by member states. Establish a strategic framework for developing programs and initiatives. Improve the level of accomplishment of goals and objectives by aligning planning processes with the necessary resources Foster a communication strategy (internal and external) to publicize the OAS' work and priorities. Coordinate fund-raising activities to increase specific fund contributions. Planning and results-based management Preparation of management evaluation reports Press and communication Organizational development and institution building Lecture Series of the Americas Strategic partnerships with donors and institutions 3/4 Institution Building

4/4 ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY PURPOSEGUIDELINESAREAS OF ACTION Office of the Ombudsperson To promote and protect the rights of OAS personnel and process confidentially complaints about any violations of those rights. Promote and protect the rights of OAS personnel in accordance with Chapter 3 of the General Standards. Operate according to the principles of neutrality, confidentiality, and independence. The Office will function autonomously and report to the Permanent Council. Human resources Labor relations

Administrative Management SECRETARIATPURPOSEGUIDELINESTHEMATIC AREAS Administration and Finance To allocate and efficiently execute the budget for each fiscal period based on the mandates contained in the Charter of the Organization of American States and in General Assembly resolutions, taking the harmonious interdependence of the pillars into account. Resource management based on the principles of rationalization, austerity, and budgetary discipline Transparency- and accountability-based management Management of human, material, and financial resources Transparency and accountability Modernization of administrative management Austerity and rationalization Procurement of goods and services Information and technology services General services