Organization of American States: In Brief

The Organization of American States (OAS) is a regional multilateral organization that comprises 34 of the 35 independent countries of the Western Hemisphere, including the United States; Nicaragua withdrew from the organization in 2023. The OAS was established in 1948 as a forum for Western Hemisphere countries to engage one another and address issues of mutual concern. Today, the organization concentrates on four broad objectives: democracy promotion, human rights protection, economic and social development, and regional security cooperation. With budget expenditures totaling $165.2 million in 2025, the OAS carries out various activities to advance these goals, often providing policy guidance and technical assistance to member states. The OAS has occasionally struggled to fulfill its mandate due to political and financial challenges. Since the early 2000s, increased ideological polarization among member states has made it more difficult to establish a common hemispheric agenda. In addition, member states have repeatedly assigned new responsibilities to the OAS without providing commensurate increases in funding. Consequently, the organization is sometimes unable to establish consensus on regional challenges or dedicate sufficient resources to address them effectively. OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin, who began his five-year term in May 2025, has emphasized the importance of finding common ground among member states and strengthening the organization administratively and financially. The 56th regular session of the OAS General Assembly—the principal policymaking organ of the OAS—is scheduled to be held in Panama City, Panama, from June 22 to June 24, 2026. The United States hosts the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, and has been the largest financial contributor to the organization, providing an estimated $90.3 million in FY2024. Historically, the U.S. government has sought to use the OAS to advance economic, political, and security objectives in the Western Hemisphere. The second Trump Administration is conducting a review of U.S. participation in the OAS and has suggested that the United States may withdraw from the organization unless the OAS demonstrates more concrete results in addressing hemispheric challenges. The Administration also has reviewed U.S. funding for the OAS, resulting in the termination of U.S. funding for some OAS activities and an apparent decision not to pay the United States’ full assessed dues to the organization in FY2025 or FY2026. The Administration did not request funding for assessed or voluntary contributions to the OAS in FY2027. The 119th Congress has helped shape U.S. policy toward the OAS through legislative and oversight activities. For example, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75, Division F), provided funding for U.S. assessed contributions to international organizations, potentially including the OAS, and designated $2.5 million in voluntary contributions to support OAS efforts to combat human trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. The legislation also directed the State Department to use the voice and vote of the United States to implement various budgetary and management reforms at the OAS and to prioritize OAS activities related to democracy and human rights. In October 2025, the Senate confirmed Leandro Rizzuto, President Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS (PN26-41). Moving forward, Congress may examine the results of the Trump Administration’s approach to the OAS and may influence U.S. engagement with the organization through the FY2027 appropriations process or other legislation.