OEA - CP- Resolución CP CAAP 4258

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OEA/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CAAP-4258/26 30 April 2026

COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE Original: Spanish

AND BUDGETARY AFFAIRS

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DRAFT RESOLUTION

UPDATE OF COSTS OF CONFERENCES

AND MEETINGS FUNDED BY THE OAS

(Agreed upon by the Committee at its meeting held on April 30, 2026)

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

HAVING SEEN the document “Proposed Amendments to Resolution CP/RES. 982 (1797/11), ‘Update of Costs of Conferences and Meetings Funded by the OAS’” ( CP/CAAP-4217/26) prepared by the General Secretariat, which reports on the average cost of services required for one-day meetings;

CONSIDERING:

That in resolution AG/RES. 457 (IX -O/79) the General Assembly instructed the General Secretariat to base its calculation of the costs of conferences on the cost of holding them at headquarters;

That in resolution AG/RES. 1230 (XXIII-O/93) the General Assembly instructed the General Secretariat to pay travel expenses for government officials of member states only when such representatives travel on behalf of, and at the request of, the Organization;

That the minutes contained in document CP/ACTA 962/93 reflect the decision by the Permanent Council that under this policy the definition of “government representatives” applies not only to elected and appointed government officials but also to any person chosen by a government to represent his or her country in any forum of the OAS;

That resolutions AG/RES. 1277 (XXIV -O/94), AG/RES. 1317 (XXV -O/95), AG/RES. 1381

represent his or her country in any forum of the OAS;

That resolutions AG/RES. 1277 (XXIV -O/94), AG/RES. 1317 (XXV -O/95), AG/RES. 1381 (XXVI-O/96), and AG/RES. 1531 (XXVII -O/97) all reiterated that no funds entrusted to the Organization shall be used to pay travel costs other than those incurred on behalf of the Organization; and

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT:

That in resolution AG/RES. 1 (LVIII -E/25), the General Assembly requested the General Secretariat to submit to the CAAP proposed amendments to resolution CP/RES. 982 (1797/11);

That in resolution CP/RES. 982 (1797/11) the Permanent Council instructed the General Secretariat to review every two years the estimated cost of meetings held at headquarters and away2from headquarters, and to report to the Permanent Council, by November 30 of each year, on whether these amounts should be updated; and

That, for statutory, regulatory, and administrative reasons, some organs and entities funded by the program-budget, such as the Inter-American Juridical Committee (CJI), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), the Administrative Tribunal, the Audit Committee, and the InterAmerican Commission on Human Righ ts (IACHR), do not rely entirely on the Department of Conferences and Meetings Management to organize and manage their meetings;

RECOGNIZING that resolution AG/RES. 1757 (XXX -O/00), as amended by resolution AG/RES. 2157 (XXXV-O/05), established that only member states that have “Current A” or “Current B” status or are “considered current” are eligible to host meetings of the Organi zation (including, but

AG/RES. 2157 (XXXV-O/05), established that only member states that have “Current A” or “Current B” status or are “considered current” are eligible to host meetings of the Organi zation (including, but not limited to, conferences, meetings of ministers, workshops, and seminars) directly funded, in whole or in part, by the Regular Fund; and

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the budgetary situation of the Organization and the need to make more efficient use of the limited resources with which it must execute its mandates,

RESOLVES:

1. To reiterate that:

a) The Regular Fund shall only be used to defray the costs of conferences and meetings already included in the program -budget of the Organization, provided that they meet the criteria approved by the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP), r egardless of whether the allocation refers to a meeting at headquarters or away from headquarters, and provided that the amounts do not exceed those outlined in operative paragraph 8 of this resolution; and

b) Any additional cost, or cost not covered by the Regular Fund, must be defrayed by the host country from specific funds or other specific sources.

2. To reaffirm that if a member state offers to host a meeting that initially was to have

been held in Washington, D.C., that state must defray the additional cost as a direct or indirect result of holding the meeting in its country. This obligation includes, but is not limited to, additional costs caused by unforeseen circumstances or force majeure affecting the departure of the human resources of the General Secretariat, including interpreters and translators, and resulting in increased travel, per diem, or any other related expenses.

3. Prior to signature of a meeting agreement between the host country and the General Secretariat, both parties must comply with the following requirements:

a) The General Secretariat must receive an official offer in writing from the host country at least 182 days before the meeting;- 3b) The General Secretariat must verify compliance with requirements established

Secretariat, both parties must comply with the following requirements:

a) The General Secretariat must receive an official offer in writing from the host country at least 182 days before the meeting;- 3b) The General Secretariat must verify compliance with requirements established in this resolution;

c) to specify clearly the financial commitments to be assumed by the Organization or by the host country; and

d) to ensure that the agreements are signed by the parties at least 90 days before the beginning of the meeting.

4. To instruct the General Secretariat, when preparing these agreements, to use as a basis the meeting budget model attached to this resolution; and to ensure that those resources approved by the General Assembly or the Permanent Council, in accordance with o perative paragraph 8 of this resolution, are used exclusively to cover conference services for the meeting.

5. To establish that all funds for the meetings deposited with the General Secretariat by the host country, in keeping with the agreement, shall be administered by the General Secretariat and must be deposited with the General Secretariat at least 60 days be fore the beginning of the meeting; and that, should such resources not be deposited with the General Secretariat by the deadline established in the agreement, the General Secretariat will proceed in accordance with the provisions of the legal instrument governing the meeting in question and, in the absence of such provisions, shall schedule the meeting at the headquarters of the Organization.

6. To establish that for meetings funded by the program -budget items Regular sessions of the General Assembly (115A), Permanent Council meetings (115B), Preparatory Committee meetings (115C), General Committee meetings (115D), CAJP meetings (115E), CSH meetings (115F), CAAP meetings (115G), Special sessions of the General Assembly (115H), CISC meetings (115I), CIDI meetings (115J), Committee on Partnership for Development Policies (115K), Committee on Migration Issues (115L), and CIDI Ministerial and Inter-American Committee meetings (75E):

a) The Department of Conferences and Meetings Management shall administer

CIDI meetings (115J), Committee on Partnership for Development Policies (115K), Committee on Migration Issues (115L), and CIDI Ministerial and Inter-American Committee meetings (75E):

a) The Department of Conferences and Meetings Management shall administer and execute the funds allotted for holding meetings both at headquarters and away from headquarters, including all additional amounts and funds deposited with the General Secretariat th at come from the host country or from other specific sources to cover additional expenses.

b) The General Secretariat shall administer each meeting as a specific project of the Department of Conferences and Meetings Management.

c) Regular Fund resources, resources contributed by the host country, and other specific resources deposited with the General Secretariat shall be used in accordance with the approved budget and in accordance with the agreement.

d) Unspent balances shall be credited to the original sources of funding. Resources returning to the Regular Fund shall be available for meetings scheduled later in the year, and balances credited to the specific funds of the host country shall be reported in accordance with the deadline established in the corresponding agreement.- 4e) The General Secretariat shall neither transfer nor assign the execution of funds to officials or institutions in the host country.

f) The Regular Fund resources approved to finance meetings authorized in the Program-Budget shall not be used to finance preparatory and follow -up meetings, and other related meetings, such as Civil Society meetings, Private Sector or Youth meetings.

7. To instruct the General Secretariat, when it prepares the draft budget for a conference or meeting, to base itself on the guidelines set forth in this resolution and to use the following maximum cost, in accordance with the detailed cost breakdown appended hereto.

BUDGETARY COSTS FOR MEETINGS

Item At headquarters and away from headquarters Unit cost per meeting day US$18,150

8. This amount should be used to allocate the funds under subprograms of the Regular Fund budget referred to in operative paragraph 6 of this resolution. The financing of budget differences

Item At headquarters and away from headquarters Unit cost per meeting day US$18,150

8. This amount should be used to allocate the funds under subprograms of the Regular Fund budget referred to in operative paragraph 6 of this resolution. The financing of budget differences as a result of costs that exceed the maximum limits shown in the table above may be approved by the CAAP, subject to prior request and due justification by the Department of Conferences and Meetings

Management.

9. To reiterate that, as a general rule, Regular Fund appropriations shall be used to cover the travel expenses of member state representatives only when they have been appointed on a case-bycase basis by a competent authority, to perform duties on behalf o f, and at the request of, the Organization. In those instances, travel funding sources should come from budgetary allocations for services to the Permanent Council or for the Office of the Secretary General.

10. To instruct the General Secretariat to review the costs outlined in operative paragraph 7 of this resolution every three years, and to report to the Permanent Council, before November 30 of the review year, on whether they should be updated. Updated figur es shall then be incorporated into the budgeting system, and the various areas, entities, and organs of the Organization shall take them into account when estimating the costs of their meetings and conferences.

11. To confirm that the Department of Conferences and Meetings Management may provide services and support to other meetings of OAS organs not financed by the program -budget items mentioned in operative paragraph 6 hereof.

12. These provisions shall enter into force upon the date of adoption of this resolution.- 5PLENARY SESSION AT AND AWAY FROM HEADQUARTERS