OEA - CP - Resolución CP CAAP SA 809

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OEA/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CAAP/SA.809/26 3 March 2026

COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE Original: Portuguese AND BUDGETARY AFFAIRS Summary of the meeting held on February 3, 2026 The meeting of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP) was presided over by Ambassador Benoni Belli, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the OAS, in his capacity as chair of the Committee. A quorum was established with the presence of representatives of Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. The audio recording of the meeting is available the following link: CP/CAAP-4190/26 02-03-2026

1. Adoption of the order of business.

The order of business, document CP/CAAP-4190/26 rev. 1, was adopted with one amendment: the elimination of item 9: Consideration of the next steps for the external audit of the Indirect Cost Recovery Policy. The chair explained that on January 30, the Acting Inspector General had reported that he would not be able to attend the meeting due to a high workload, prior commitments, and scheduling conflicts. The issue will be revisited at the next formal meeting, to be held on February 17.

2. Election of vice chairs In accordance with Article 28.a of the Rules of Procedure of the Permanent Council, the CAAP proceeded to elect its vice chairs. The chair proposed the election of two vice chairs, since the CAAP

had received two written nominations: For first vice chair, Mr. Nicolás Higuera González, Alternate Representative of Colombia

(CP/CAAP/INF.605/26).

For second vice chair, Ms. Mónica Sánchez, Alternate Representative of Ecuador

(CP/CAAP/INF.607/26).

The Committee proceeded to elect them by acclamation. The chair expressed his appreciation to the vice chairs-elect for assuming the responsibility of advancing the work of the Committee.2

3. Presentation of the work plan for 2026 and distribution of mandates to the CAAP and its working groups The chair presented the draft work plan for 2026, which contained the topics assigned to the CAAP by the General Assembly, the Permanent Council, and the OAS Charter. The chair emphasized

the following priority points:

A. Examination and evaluation of the draft program-budget for 2027, establishment of the corresponding budget ceiling, and negotiation of the draft resolution that will accompany the program-budget.

B. Review and analysis of the recommendations derived from the Comprehensive ThirdParty Review

C. Monitoring of the comprehensive real assets strategy, especially the sale of properties, management of the Capital Fund, and monitoring of the Comprehensive Real Assets

Strategy Capital Fund Governance Committee.

D. Follow-up on activities mandated by the General Assembly in 2024, the deadlines for which were extended in 2025 for implementation in 2026.

E. A comprehensive proposal for financing the salaries of the special rapporteurs of the IACHR from the Regular Fund of the Organization.

F. In accordance with the mandates assigned to it, the Committee will also attend to all administrative, budgetary, and financial matters and related reports that may be submitted for its consideration, in addition to those already assigned by the General

Assembly. The chair mentioned that a consolidated schedule that included the meetings of the working groups and the CAAP would be published in the coming days. The chair also said that a document

showing the current implementation status of each of the mandates contained in the proposed mandate distribution would be circulated as a working document that would continue to be updated. The chair shared with the delegations the guidelines on how the Committee would carry out its work over the coming year: GUIDELINES OF THE CHAIR FOR THE WORK OF THE CAAP This chair considers it appropriate to share with the delegations some guidelines on how the work of the Committee will be conducted this year. First, the chair will strictly enforce the Rules of Procedure of the Permanent Council regarding the use of time. In this regard, the maximum time limit will be five minutes for statements by delegations and seven minutes for presentations. In exceptional cases and at the discretion of the chair, up to one additional minute may be granted solely for the purpose of concluding a point. At the same time, since the CAAP is a technical body that requires the necessary flexibility to examine topics in depth, the chair will allow delegations to request the floor more than once, always within a framework of order and respect for the established time limits.3 Likewise, the chair wishes to encourage delegations to arrive on time for meetings. The practice of starting meetings once 12 delegations are present will be maintained out of respect for those who arrive on time and in consideration of the need for the efficient use of everyone’s time. As delegations are aware, the Committee has a particularly demanding workload this year, especially in the first half of the year. In this context, it will not be possible to devote time at meetings to a detailed consideration of all the reports that will be distributed. In many cases, the chair will consider the mandate fulfilled through the written circulation of the relevant documents. However, the chair will hear and respond to any request from a delegation that considers it necessary for a specific report to be discussed in greater detail in the Committee. Lastly, with respect to requests submitted by member states to the General Secretariat that

come to the attention of the chair, and whose subject matter relates to administrative issues, the chair will endeavor to circulate both the request and the corresponding response so that all delegations may benefit from having pertinent information. The chair is confident that these guidelines will contribute to the orderly, efficient, and transparent work of the Committee throughout the year. The delegations of the United States, Mexico, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic made comments on the work plan. The CAAP took note of the comments made by delegations and agreed to adopt the work plan and mandate distribution, which were circulated as documents CP/CAAP-4185/26 rev. 1 and CP/CAAP-4189/26 rev. 1, respectively.

4. Installation of working groups and election of officers The chair proposed the establishment of two working groups; the Working Group to Conduct the Technical Review of the Program-Budget and the Working Group on the Review of OAS Programs.

With respect to their officers, since written nominations had been received for chairs, the Committee elected the candidates by acclamation, as follows: Mr. Guido Pierri, Alternate Representative of Argentina (CP/CAAP/INF.608/26), as Chair of the Working Group on the Technical Review of the Program-Budget, and Mr. Eric Luguya, Alternate Representative of Canada ( CP/CAAP/INF.606/26), as Chair of the Working Group on the Review of OAS Programs. Regarding the election of the vice chairs of the working groups, each working group was expected to elect its vice chair at its first meeting.

5. Strategic Plan for the Offices and Units of the General Secretariat in the Member States 20262030

The chair recalled that in the resolution "Program-Budget of the Organization for 2026" the General Assembly had issued the following mandate to the Assistant Secretary General:4 “present, by December 31, 2025, a proposed strategy for 2026-2030 that includes proposals for more efficient resource management and greater effectiveness in the implementation of actions, taking into account the recommendations from the third-party comprehensive review and perspectives from the member states.” During the meeting of the Committee, held on December 9, 2025, the Assistant Secretary

for more efficient resource management and greater effectiveness in the implementation of actions, taking into account the recommendations from the third-party comprehensive review and perspectives from the member states.” During the meeting of the Committee, held on December 9, 2025, the Assistant Secretary General presented the delegations with a report on the status of the offices and informed them that the strategy in question was under development. According to the information provided to that point, the proposal presented was the result of a consultation process with interested parties and had been duly shared with the delegations. Ambassador Laura Gil, Assistant Secretary General, explained that the plan incorporated transparency, accountability and results dissemination components. She emphasized that the planned actions were being developed within the approved resources based on the available budget funds. In that context, she noted that the proposal sought to highlight the strategic potential of the national offices. Ambassador Gil also indicated that the intention was to develop a country strategy involving the Office of the Assistant Secretary General, permanent missions, capitals, and national offices. The presentation was distributed as document CP/CAAP-4183/26 rev. 1 add. 1. The delegations of the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Brazil, El Salvador, Paraguay, Chile, and Saint Kitts and Nevis made comments and asked questions, to which Ambassador Laura Gil responded. The CAAP took note of the presentation and the comments of delegations and agreed on the proposed strategy for the Offices and Units of the General Secretariat in the Member States, which was distributed as document CP/CAAP-4183/25 rev. 1, decided to forward it to the Permanent Council with the recommendation that it be adopted. The strategy’s implementation would be monitored regularly, and a comprehensive review of it conducted within one year.

6. Report on the resources used from the Treasury Fund and the status of that fund

The resolution “Program-Budget of the Organization for 2025” authorized the General Secretariat to use in fiscal year 2025 an internal loan of up to 30 percent of the annual quotas (US$27.66 million) from the Treasury Fund, allowing it to cash manage already budgeted-for Regular Fund expenses. The General Secretariat was required to notify the Permanent Council in writing whenever resources from the Treasury Fund were used and to submit monthly reports to the CAAP on the status of that fund. That instruction from the General Assembly was also maintained for fiscal year 2026, with authorization to use an internal loan of up to US$27.92 million. The chair recognized Dr. Michael Bogachek, Executive Director, and Mr. Javier Arnaiz, Director of the Department of Financial Services, who submitted a report as of December 31, 2025, which had been distributed as document CP/CAAP-4187/26.5 Following the presentation, the delegations of Colombia, Canada, Brazil, and Ecuador made comments and queries, which were addressed by Mr. Arnaiz. The CAAP took note of the presentation and of the comments made by the delegations. Delegations were urged to make every effort to convey the importance of timely payment of quotas in order to mitigate the risk of cash flow difficulties as early as March. The CAAP indicated that it would continue to follow this matter closely and expected to continue receiving the corresponding monthly reports in a timely manner.

7. Assessment of the amount needed as a contingency measure related to the suspension of funding from the United States The chair recalled that in March 2025 the Permanent Council had adopted resolution “Special Measures to Sustain OAS Operations and Human Resources in Response to the Executive Order on the Foreign Aid Realignment of the United States.” That resolution authorized the use of US$4 million to ensure that funded projects, programs

and activities (PPAs) were covered and to safeguard the positions of personnel affected by the suspension of funding. On October 3, 2025, the General Secretariat gave a presentation, on the basis of which the subsequent budget resolution authorized the return of US$3 million. Mr. Javier Arnaiz presented the report on the status of those resources and explained that, to date, four closed PPAs remained active with outstanding obligations. He indicated that the estimated contingency amount required was US$61,000 and suggested proceeding with the return of the balance of US$1 million, in view of the very limited amount still to be assessed. The presentation on the status of these resources was distributed as document CP/CAAP-4188/26. The delegations of Canada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines made comments and asked questions, which were answered by Mr. Javier Arnaiz. He indicated that he would provide detailed written information on the number of personnel members separated as a result of the termination of the PPAs. The CAAP took note of the presentation and the comments made by the delegations and requested the General Secretariat to prepare a draft resolution releasing the funds remaining from the initial authorization for consideration by the CAAP. Once available, the matter would be reconsidered at the meeting scheduled for February 17.

8. Consideration of the annual analysis of the ramifications of the implementation of the Cost Recovery System The chair recalled that the resolution "Program-Budget of the Organization for 2026" requested the General Secretariat to continue its annual analysis and to report the results to the CAAP no later than the end of the third quarter of each year.6

The General Secretariat had fulfilled the mandate with its distribution of document CP/CAAP4148/25 on October 3, 2025; however, the Committee was unable to consider it at that time.

The annual report on the implementation of the new Cost Recovery System was presented by the Director of the Department of Financial Services, Mr. Javier Arnaiz. He reported that, to that point, 17 projects had participated in the pilot program and that, as of September 2025, agreements totaling US$50 million had been signed under the new policy. He further indicated that, in 2026, the number of projects participating in this new system was expected to double. The presentation was distributed as document CP/CAAP 4148/25 add. 1.

The CAAP took note of the presentation and looked forward to continuing to receive such analysis.

9. Consideration of the Mandate Management Policy The Chair recalled that in the resolution "Program-Budget of the Organization for 2026” the General Assembly instructed the General Secretariat, through the Office of the Executive Director, to develop the mandate management policy referred to in resolution AG/RES. 3037 (LV-O/25), “Reaffirmation of Mandates and Establishment of a Mandate Management Mechanism,” and submit it to the CAAP for consideration no later than December 31, 2025, with a view to its approval by the Permanent Council during the first quarter of 2026.

The presentation was made by Mr. Luis Alberto del Castillo of the Office of the Executive Director, who provided a detailed explanation of the proposed Mandate Management Policy. The delegations of Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and the United States made comments and asked questions, which Mr. del Castillo answered. The CAAP took note of the presentation and comments made by delegations, agreed on the proposed Mandate Management Policy distributed as document CP/CAAP-4186/26 rev. 1, and decided to forward it to the Permanent Council with the recommendation to adopt it. The Committee then took a break and resumed its discussions at 3:00 p.m.

10. Consideration of the timeline to submit the terms of reference for the General Secretariat-wide Workforce Audit and the Workforce Planning Initiative With regard to this issue, the General Assembly, through the resolution “Program-Budget of the Organization for 2026," section II. Follow-up on Technical Assessments, Audits, and Evaluations,

Workforce Audit and the Workforce Planning Initiative With regard to this issue, the General Assembly, through the resolution “Program-Budget of the Organization for 2026," section II. Follow-up on Technical Assessments, Audits, and Evaluations, issued the following mandate to the General Secretariat: "pursuant to the mandates approved in resolution AG/RES. 1 (LV-E/24), to: a. Commence the General Secretariat-wide workforce audit and the General Secretariatwide Workforce Planning (SWP) initiative by April 30, 2026. The CAAP is instructed to consider and approve the requisite terms of reference by December 19, 2025.”7 On December 19, 2025, a note, distributed as document CP/CAAP-4180/25, had been received from the Office of the Executive Director presenting a timetable and requesting additional time to fulfill the mandate. Mr. Daniel Freitas, Director of the Department of Human Resources, delivered a presentation in which he reiterated his department's commitment to fulfill the mandate. He said that the terms of reference ( CP/CAAP-4196/26) were circulated on February 2, 2026, and that the details of that document could be presented at the next meeting of the CAAP. The delegations of Brazil and Colombia made comments and asked questions, to which Mr. Freitas responded. The Chair recommended that this item be taken up at the next meeting of the CAAP to consider the schedule. The Delegation of Brazil expressed its frustration with the continued delay—since 2024—in fulfilling the mandate for the workforce planning initiative.

11. Monthly report on the execution of funds allocated for the return to the office.

The chair recalled that the General Assembly, through the resolution “Program-Budget for 2026, instructed the General Secretariat to: “present to the Permanent Council, through the CAAP, monthly reports on the execution of

the funds allocated for the return to office, including projections for the following months. Based on this information, the CAAP may recommend to the Permanent Council the authorization of additional funds to cover the corresponding costs.” The presentation was made by the Acting Director of the Department of General Services, Mr. Alexandre Rossin, who informed that the execution data could be consulted in real time via a web page set up for that purpose. He also pointed out that the expenditure projections for the funds allocated for the return to in-person work indicate that, by December 2026, there would be an estimated deficit of approximately US$111,000. The presentation was distributed as document CP/CAAP-4191/26. The delegations of Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador made comments and asked questions about the type of control and sanctions envisaged for personnel who did not comply with the return to the office, to which Mr. Daniel Freitas, Director of the Department of Human Resources; Mr. Michael Bogachek, Executive Director; and the Acting Director of the Department of General Services, Mr. Alexandre Rossin, responded. The CAAP took note of the presentation and the comments of the delegations, agreed to continue to monitor this issue closely, and looked forward to receiving monthly reports in an appropriate and timely manner.8

12. Consideration of the progress report on the relocation of the IADB, the execution of authorized resources, and the installation of the Governance Committee The chair recalled that, at its regular meeting held on December 17, 2025, the Permanent Council had decided that, as of that date, the reports should be considered by the CAAP. This instruction was relayed by the chair of the Permanent Council in a note circulated as document

CP/CAAP-4177/25.

The presentation was made by the Acting Director of the Department of General Services, Mr. Alexandre Rossin, who presented the progress, indicating that 58 IADB employees have been

transferred to the GSB. As for the sale of the properties, they were put up for sale in August 2025 and several offers had been received. He explained that his office would hold a meeting with the Office of the Secretary General to evaluate the offers received. The presentation was distributed as document

CP/INF. 10769/25.

The delegations of Brazil, Canada, Jamaica, the United States, Colombia, and Mexico made comments and asked questions, which the Acting Director of the Department of General Services and the Department of Legal Services responded. The CAAP took note of the presentation and of the comments of delegations, decided to continue to monitor the matter, and looked forward to receiving the monthly reports. The chair suggested sending a letter to IICA to request updated information and seek a mutually agreed solution, as well as requesting its collaboration in fulfilling the mandate regarding the offices of the IADB. The chair also suggested sending a communication to the Permanent Council requesting that it seeks answers and an explanation for the delay in the decision on the sale of the residence. The CAAP welcomed the suggestions of the chair.

13. Other business The delegation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines inquired about the new security policy governing access to OAS buildings. In response, Dr. Michael Bogachek, Executive Director, reported that a new policy governing entry to OAS buildings was under development.

The delegation of Colombia asked if the revised draft Code of Ethics would be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the CAAP. The chair took note of the request and indicated that he would seek to include this item on the agenda of the next meeting of the Committee. The delegation of Colombia also asked why the report on the execution of the funds approved for the transition had not yet been received. In response, Mr. Javier Arnaiz, Director of the Department of Financial Services, indicated that, following the preliminary closing of fiscal year 2025, the report

would be submitted in the coming weeks. The delegation of Jamaica observed that one of the justifications for the sale of the buildings had been the cost of maintenance, although the associated costs did not appear to be particularly high. In that regard, the chair suggested that the matter be addressed the following month. The chair also shared reflections on the challenges facing the Organization, reiterating concern that, from a financial perspective, the situation appeared to be more complex than during the first half9 of the previous year. The chair further emphasized the importance of approving the OAS Strategic Plan for 2026–2030 as soon as possible, as well as adopting the mandate management mechanism and policy, which would ensure that new mandates were aligned with the Strategic Plan and included cost estimates, prioritization criteria, clear timelines, sunset clauses, and performance evaluations. Lastly, the chair stressed the importance of maintaining a realistic perspective regarding the scarcity of resources and exploring mechanisms to adapt the Organization’s activities, where possible, to existing budgetary constraints. Having no further business to consider, the meeting adjourned at 4:31 p.m.