Secretary General of the Organization of American States Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Secretary-General of the Organization of American States
Incumbent Luis Almagro since 26 May 2015 (2015-05-26)
Organization of American States
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Pan American Union Building
Seat	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nominator	Organization of American States
Appointer	General Assembly
Term length	5 years (renewable, traditionally limited to 2 terms)
Constituting instrument	Organization of American States
Inaugural holder	Alberto Lleras Camargo
Formation	1948; 77 years ago (1948)

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States is the top leader of the Organization of American States (OAS). Think of it like being the principal of a very big school, but for countries in North and South America!

The OAS is an international group that helps countries in the Americas work together. They focus on things like peace, safety, and making sure everyone's rights are respected. The Secretary General is in charge of making sure the OAS runs smoothly.

What Does the Secretary-General Do?
Who Has Been Secretary-General?
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What Does the Secretary-General Do?

The Secretary General has many important jobs. They are like the main manager of the OAS.

They lead the General Secretariat, which is the main office of the OAS.
They are the official voice and legal representative of the OAS.
They report to the General Assembly. This is where all the member countries meet. The Secretary General makes sure the General Secretariat does its work well.

The General Assembly chooses the Secretary General. They serve for five years. A person can only be chosen twice. Also, the next Secretary General cannot be from the same country as the one before them. If the Secretary General's job becomes empty, the Assistant Secretary General steps in. They do the job until a new Secretary General is chosen.

The Secretary General can attend all meetings of the OAS. They can speak and share their ideas. However, they do not get to vote.

They can also tell the General Assembly or the Permanent Council about any issues. This includes anything they think might threaten peace in the Americas. They also look out for anything that might affect the growth of the member countries.

Who Has Been Secretary-General?

Here is a list of the people who have served as Secretary General of the OAS:

No.	Name	Country	Term of Office
1	Alberto Lleras Camargo	Colombia	30 April 1948– 1 August 1954
2	Carlos Dávila Passed away while in office	Chile	1 August 1954 – 19 October 1955
3	José Antonio Mora	Uruguay	1956–1968
4	Galo Plaza	Ecuador	1968–1975
5	Alejandro Orfila	Argentina	1975–1984
6	João Clemente Baena Soares	Brazil	1984–1994
7	César Gaviria Chosen again for a second term in 1999	Colombia	15 September 1994 – 15 September 2004
8	Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Stepped down from office	Costa Rica	15 September 2004 – 15 October 2004
–	Luigi R. Einaudi (acting)	United States	15 October 2004 – 26 May 2005
9	José Miguel Insulza Chosen on 2 May 2005, chosen again on 24 March 2010	Chile	26 May 2005 – 26 May 2015
10	Luis Almagro	Uruguay	26 May 2015 - present