Dominican

Republic.

The Council of the OAS ordered an inves- | Costa Rica, Haiti,
tigation by a Special Committee to
resolve the charges (Amb. Trucco Com-
mittee) of both the charges. Haiti and
the Dominican Republic negotiated
separately.

The OAS Council voted 16-0 to study the
charges; in a report a special Committee
designated to investigate the charges
listed "illicit acts" by Cuba to aid the
terrorists, citing proof that arms shipped
to terrorists to sabotage 1963 elections
came from Cuba. On July 25, 1964, the
OCAS 9th meeting of Foreign Ministers
voted 15-4 to invoke sanctions against
Cuba, by breaking diplomatic and eco-
nomic relations with Cuba. Cuba's
Castro regime was warned that similar
acts would result in exercise of right of
self-defense, including even use of arms.
The Inter-American Peace Committee
investigated the charges; Panama
requested action under the Rio Treaty
after which the IAPC terminated
its work. The OAS Council voted
16-1 to study Panama's charges as
Organ of Consultation under Rio
Treaty. A 5-nation fact-finding com-
mittee headed by Paraguayan Am-
bassador Plate was appointed to further
investigate and mediate. Following
detailed mediation efforts a joint decla-
ration to restore ties and hold talks
promptly "without limitation or pre-
conditions" to end all "causes of con-
flict" was signed by representatives of
the United States and Panama.

United States and
Panama.

Pan American Union (General Secretariat)

Organization of American States (OAS) 17th and Constitution Avenue, Washington, D.C.

The origin of the concept of an Inter-American organization can be traced to the Treaty of Perpetual Union, League and Confederation, signed in 1826 by delegates of Central and South American countries, meeting at the invitation of Simon Bolivar at the Congress of Panama, Panama City. Although the idea was discussed in several later meetings among Latin American countries, no steps were taken to found an organization until 1890.

Secretary General: Dr. José A. Mora.
Nationality: Uruguayan.

Term of office: Assumed office on May 18, 1958, for a 10-year term. Origin and development: On April 14, 1890, 18 nations of the Western Hemisphere attending the First International Conference of American States in Washington, D.C., formed an association called the International Union of American Republics, "for the prompt collection and distribution of commercial information." The Conference set up the "Commercial Bureau of the American Republics" to represent the International Union of American Republics.

In 1902, the Second International Conference of American States placed the management of the Bureau under a Governing Board composed of diplomatic representatives of the other American governments in Washington, D.C., under the chairmanship of the Secretary of State of the United States. As one of its functions, the Bureau acted as a permanent committee of the conferences, recommending topics to be discussed by later conferences. In 1910, the names of the Bureau and the association were changed to the Pan American Union and the Union of American Republics, respectively, which titles were retained until 1948.

Attempts were made to provide the conferences, the Governing Board, and the Pan American Union with a treaty basis, but none was successful until World War II emphasized the need for such action. The Inter-American Conferences on Problems of War and Peace, which convened in Mexico City in 1945, agreed to strengthen the interAmerican system, but looked to the Ninth International Conference of American States to give permanent form to the new organizational structure. The 1945 Conference authorized the Governing Board to formulate the Draft Organic Pact, which was used by the Ninth Conference in drafting the Charter of the Organization of American States. The 1945 Conference also created the Inter-American Economic and Social Council to succeed the Inter-American Economic and Financial Advisory Committee.

On April 30, 1948, at the Ninth Conference in Bogotá, representatives of all 21 American Republics signed the charter establishing the Organization of American States. This charter became the treaty

basis for the OAS when the 14th state deposited its instrument of ratification with the Pan American Union on December 13, 1951. According to the charter, the Pan American Union continued its function as the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States.

Initial date of U.S. participation: 1890.

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 purposes of the Organization of American States, set forth in article 4 of the charter, are as follows: (a) to strengthen the peace and security of the continent; (b) to prevent possible causes of difficulties and to insure the pacific settlement of disputes that may arise among the member states; (c) to provide for common action on the part of those states in the event of aggression; (d) to seek the solution of political, juridical, and economic problems that may arise among them; and (e) to promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social, and cultural development.

U.S. contribution: The budget is prepared by the Secretary General, reviewed by the Program and Budget Committee of the Council of the Organization of American States, and approved by the Council. For the fiscal year July 1, 1964 to June 30, 1965, the Council approved an assessment budget of $14,943,095.

In 1949, the Council adopted a plan of assessments which, though based primarily on relative capacity to pay, provides that no state shall contribute more than 66 percent, the remaining 34 percent to be apportioned on the same basis as the member states contributions to the United Nations. Pursuant to this decision the U.S. assessment at 66 percent of the total assessment amounted to $9,862,443. This contribution was paid from fiscal year 1965 funds.

Beginning in fiscal year 1962, and pursuant to decisions of the Special Meeting of the Inter-American Economic and Social Council which adopted the Charter of Punta del Este, the United States entered into an agreement with the Pan American Union whereby this Government financed certain OAS economic development activities. The United States has accordingly made special grants to the Union, using funds appropriated as part of the Inter-American Program for Social Progress. These grants include $6.0 million in fiscal year 1962,1 $1.6 million in fiscal year 1963 and $4.0 million in fiscal year 1964. These funds were used for (a) providing technical assistance planning missions to work with governments in developing national plans; (b) support of the activities of the Panel of Nine in evaluation of development plans submitted by the countries; (c) technical assistance and research in special fields such as taxation, public administration, etc., and (d) support of special information activities in support of the Alliance, such as National Alliance Citizen's Committees in each country. In addition the Agency for International Development (AID) has utilized the OAS to service various bilateral fellowship grants such as those provided in connection with the OECD and with the Inter-American Institute of Sciences.

1 The $6.0 million grant was used as follows: $4,950,000 in fiscal year 1962, $986,000 in fiscal year 1963 and $63,000 in fiscal year 1964.

1 The quota assigned to Cuba will not be put into effect so long as Resolution VI of the 8th Meeting of Consultation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, by which the present government of that state was excluded from participation in the inter-American system, shall be in force. That quota is shown only for the purpose of establishing the correlative percentages.