56th OAS General Assembly Concludes

Press Release

56th OAS General Assembly Concludes

The Organization of American States (OAS) today concluded its 56th General Assembly, held this week in Panama under the theme "The Americas United on the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama" and the overarching topic "Firm Multilateralism in Defense of Democracy: Hemispheric Security and Stability in the American States."

Following the vote held at the opening of the first plenary session, Panama's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, served as President of the 56th General Assembly, while Haiti's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Raina Forbin, served as Vice President. The list of Heads of Delegation of the OAS member states participating in the 56th General Assembly is available here. The declarations and resolutions adopted during the Assembly are available in this document.


The General Assembly adopted the Panama Declaration: "Firm Multilateralism in Defense of Democracy: Hemispheric Security and Stability in the American States," in which the member states reaffirmed their commitment to democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and multilateralism as a means of strengthening hemispheric cooperation. The declaration underscores the importance of promoting coordinated responses to shared security challenges, enhancing cooperation to combat transnational organized crime and other phenomena affecting the region, and advancing comprehensive development and democratic stability. It also reaffirms the principles and commitments enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of its adoption.


Through the resolution "Situation of the Plurinational State of Bolivia",the General Assembly welcomed the deployment of a high-level mission of member states to support the democratically elected Bolivian government in its efforts to restore peace and guarantee constitutional order.
The resolution rejects any act involving violence, infringement of human rights, disruption of essential services, threats to critical infrastructure, or any other action that undermines democratic stability and peaceful coexistence. It also calls on all parties to strengthen dialogue and promote measures to reduce tensions. In addition, the OAS encouraged the Bolivian Government to undertake efforts to preserve institutional order by adopting the necessary, lawful and proportionate measures to guarantee public safety and protect human rights.

The General Assembly also adopted the declaration "Situation in Nicaragua" in which the OAS expressed its deep concern over the deterioration of the human rights situation and the systematic erosion of the democratic order in the country, characterized by the weakening of the separation of powers, the closing of civic space, and widespread human rights violations and abuses documented by international human rights mechanisms. The declaration also condemned practices such as arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture, and expressed particular concern over the death of Brooklyn Rivera while in state custody, as well as reports of reprisals against his family members and members of his community.

Through the adopted text, member states urged the State of Nicaragua to fulfill its international human rights obligations, restore fundamental freedoms, guarantee political participation and respect for the rule of law, end the arbitrary deprivation of nationality, and facilitate the safe return of exiled Nicaraguans. The Assembly also reaffirmed the importance of truth, justice, and reparations for victims, recognized the efforts of the international community to promote accountability and the restoration of democratic conditions, and reiterated its call for Nicaragua to return to the OAS.

Regarding the Malvinas Islands, the Assembly adopted by acclamation a declaration expressing its satisfaction with the reaffirmation by the Government of Argentina of its willingness to continue exploring all possible avenues for the peaceful settlement of the dispute and its constructive approach toward the inhabitants of the Islands. It also reaffirmed the need for Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume negotiations, as soon as possible, on the sovereignty dispute.

Through a resolution adopted at the fourth plenary session, the General Assembly expressed its appreciation to the government and the people of the Republic of Panama for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to participants in the 56th Regular Session. It also recognized Panama's initiative to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1826 Congress of Panama as a foundational milestone of multilateralism in the Americas and expressed its appreciation to the President of the Republic and the Minister of Foreign Affairs for their leadership in organizing the General Assembly.

With regard to elections to various organs of the Inter-American System, those elected will assume office on January 1, 2026. The results were as follows:

Inter-American Juridical Committee: Julio José Rojas-Báez (Dominican Republic); Alejandro Alday González (Mexico); María Rosa Guimarães Loula (Brazil).

Administrative Tribunal: Janet Nosworthy (Jamaica).

Audit Committee: Norman Brown (United States).

Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA): Patricia Elizabeth Gámez (Guatemala); Santiago Pereira Campos (Uruguay). Regarding the third vacant seat on the JSCA Board, for which no candidates were nominated, the President of the General Assembly determined that the Permanent Council will organize a new election.

These are all the declaration and resolutions approved by the 56th General Assembly:

Declaration: Declaration Of Panama: "Firm Multilateralism In Defense Of Democracy: Hemispheric Security And Stability In The American States"

Resolution: Situation In The Plurinational State Of Bolivia


Declaration: Situation In Nicaragua


Declaration: Commemoration Of The Thirtieth Anniversary Of The Inter-American Council For Integral Development (CIDI)

Declaration: The Question Of The Malvinas Islands

Resolution: Extension Of The Decade Of The Americas For The Rights And Dignity Of Persons With Disabilities And Its Program Of Action

Resolution: Commemoration Of The Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Of The Inter-American Democratic Charter<<br>
Resolution: Advancing Hemispheric Initiatives On Integral Development

Resolution: Declaration On Improving Mental Health In The Americas Through Intersectoral And Whole-Of-Government Action

Resolution: Strengthening The Effectiveness And Impact Of The Inter-American Emergency Aid From The Emergency Fund (FONDEM)

Resolution: The Key Role Of The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission In Advancing Telecommunications/Information And Communication Technologies<<br>
Resolution: Modifications To The Statute And Rules Of Procedure Of The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission


Resolution: Program-Budget Of The Organization For 2027

Resolution: Reforms Of The Statute Of The Administrative Tribunal

Resolution: Mandates Management

Resolution: Installation Of The Credentials Committee Of The Organization Of American States

Reference: E-083/26