H. THE SPECIAL AGENCIES AND COMMISSIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES

The Special Agencies and Commissions of the OAS maintain an independent status within the Organization or enjoy technical and administrative autonomy, and collaborate with the major organs of the OAS to achieve specific objectives within established fields of common interest to the American Republics. There are four such agencies and commissions currently in existence.

Sources for Special Agencies and Commissions of the OAS: Department of State, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Permanent Mission of the United States to the Organization of American States.

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1. Inter-American Defense Board

2600 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Origin and development: Established March 30, 1942, at Washington, D.C., in compliance with a resolution of the Third Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republies, held in Rio de Janeiro in January of that year. Reorganized in 1949 in accordance with a resolution of the Ninth International Conference of American States, which provided that the Board would continue its functions until such time as the American Governments, two-thirds majority, were to decide to abolish the Board.

Initial date of U.S. participation: March 30, 1942.

Current authority for U.S. participation: Resolutions VII and XXXIV of the Ninth International Conference of American States (Bogotá, March 30-May 2, 1948).

Purpose of organization: To study and recommend to the Governments of the American States the measures necessary for the collective self-defense of the hemisphere against aggression. The Board's principal regular activity is to prepare and maintain a General Military Plan and its several annexes-the only multinational plan which establishes the bases for military cooperation and coordination within the hemisphere. It also directs the Inter-American Defense College, which provides advanced training to selected military personnel from member countries at its Ft. McNair campus, Washington, D.C.

Governing body: Council of Delegates of the IADB, composed of delegations of officers of the armed forces appointed by the various Governments of the American States.

Membership: All members of the OAS except present government of

Cuba.

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2. Inter-American Statistical Institute

1725 I Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Origin and Development: On the basis of organizational efforts laid at the Eighth American Scientific Congress held in Washington, D.C., in May of 1940, the Inter-American Statistical Institute was founded on May 12, 1940.

By agreement between the Organization of American States and the Institute, effective July 1, 1950, IASI assumed the status of an "inter-American technical organization coordinated with OAS." This status which has no parallel in the Inter-American system, provides: (a) IASI retains its technical autonomy; (b) the OAS Secretariat, through its Department of Statistics provides Secretariat services to IASI; (c) the Secretary General of IASI, who at the same. time is the Director of the Department of Statistics in the OAS, is selected by the OAS Secretary General in consultation with the IASI Executive Committee; (d) the budget for the IASI Secretariat is included within the OAS budget; and (e) the annual contribution by the governments for the support of IASI is included by member governments of the OAS in their quota payments, and in the case of the Canadian Government is paid directly to IASI.

Initial date of U.S. participation: January 27, 1942.

Current authority for U.S. Participation: Charter of the Organization of American States, April 30, 1948, 2 UST 2394, TIAS 2361. Purpose of organization: The Inter-American Statistical Institute is a professional organization whose main purpose is to foster statistical development in the Western Hemisphere. Membership is composed of both individuals and organizations. Individual members may be constituent or ex officio. Constituent members, limited to 15 from any one country, are elected on the basis of professional achievement and capacity.

Ex Officio members are the occupants of responsible statistical posts. Institutional members are of three kinds: Adhering, limited to governments of the Western Hemisphere (presently OAS members and Canada); affiliated, agencies or institutions engaged in statistical work; and sponsoring, available to business firms.

Governing Body: Although there is a General Assembly which meets every two to four years, the principal directive body of the Institute is the Executive Committee. It consists of a President and four Vice Presidents elected in succeeding order from the constituent (i.e., non-government) members.

Membership, 1972: 558, composed of the following: 24 governments, 24 affiliated institutions, and 510 individual members.

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3. Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission

1735 I Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Origin and development: The Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission is a technical commission, within the Organization of American States, established in 1959 upon the recommendation of the Inter-American Committee of Presidential Representatives. It is governed by a Statute approved by the Council of the Organization in April 1959 and amended by the Council in November 1962. The Commission has technical autonomy and may make technical recommendations directly to the governments, through their respective representatives on the Commission, and to the various organs of the Organization of American States. The Commission has held eight meetings out of which have come programs and activities that are carried out by the Department of Scientific Affairs of the OAS, which provides the technical and secretariat services required by the Commission. The Commission has an Advisory Committee currently made up of representatives from ten Member States and a Special Committee on Civil Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy. Initial date of U.S. participation: 1959.

Current authority for U.S. participation: Charter of the Organization of American States, April 30, 1948, 2 UST 2394, TIAS 2361. Purpose of organization: The Commission was established to serve as a center of consultation for the Member States of the Organization of American States and to facilitate cooperation among them in matters relating to the peaceful application of nuclear energy.

Membership: The Commission is composed of one representative of each Member State of the Organization of American States, especially appointed by the respective government.

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4. Special Consultative Committee on Security

19th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Origin and development: Established in compliance with Resolution II of the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics, held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, January 22-31, 1962. The Statutes of the Committee were approved by the Council of the Organization on April 23, 1963. The Committee has since held seventeen semi-annual meetings.

Initial date of U.S. participation: Inasmuch as the Committee is an entity of the OAS, the United States has been associated with the Committee since its inception by virtue of its OAS membership. Moreover, a U.S. national has served continuously as one of the Committee's seven elected members throughout the period of its existence.

Current authority for U.S. participation: Resolution II of the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics, January 31, 1962.

Purpose of organization: Resolution II provided that the Committee should be an advisory body, made up of experts, whose purpose would be to provide advice and recommendations to member governments in the field of security against the subversive action of international communism. In establishing the Committee, the Council of the OAS determined that the Committee's assistance should be available to the Council as well as individual member governments which might desire or request such assistance.

Governing body: The Committee is an autonomous body whose seven members are elected in their personal capacity by the OAS Permanent Council. However, the Committee may be dissolved by decision of the Permanent Council.

Membership: Seats on the Committee are presently filled by nationals of the following member countries: Costa Rica, Peru, Dominican Republic, United States, Colombia, and Guatemala. One seat is presently vacant.

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