The Organization of American States

The Organization of American States is an international organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., whose members are the 35 nation-states of the Americas. Its historic goals are to strengthen peace and security, to consolidate representative democracy, to provide for collective defense, to eradicate poverty, and to promote economic, social, and cultural development. The organization is currently working on a treaty that will establish a hemispheric free-trade area. Though it has often been seen as an arm of U.S. foreign policy, most observers regard the United States' influence as waning within the organization.