WASHINGTON, USA – The 56th OAS General Assembly will take place from June 22 – 24, 2026, at the ATLAPA Convention Center in Panama City, Panama. This will be the third time that Panama has hosted the OAS General Assembly. Previous occasions were in 1996 and 2007.
The theme of the 56th General Assembly is: “The Americas United on the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama,” and its topic is: “Strong Multilateralism in Defense of Democracy, Hemispheric Security, and Stability in the Member States.”
The General Assembly is the principal organ of the Organization of American States (OAS) and is composed of delegations from all member states, generally headed by ministers of foreign affairs.
Each member state is entitled to one vote. Decisions of the Assembly are generally adopted by majority vote, although in certain cases the rules require a two-thirds majority. The OAS tradition is to adopt resolutions by consensus.
The Assembly is responsible for defining the policies and mandates of the OAS, as well as the structure and functions of its organs.
It is also responsible for electing members of the OAS’s decentralised and autonomous bodies, including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Justice Studies Center of the Americas, and the Administrative Tribunal, among others.
The 56th General Assembly will be the second Assembly during the term of Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin. It will be the first Assembly for Assistant Secretary General Laura Gil.
The OAS General Assembly has met annually since 1971. Prior to that, meetings of this kind were held at varying intervals and were known as the International Conferences of American States.
Since 1971, 23 countries have hosted the regular sessions of the General Assembly.
The General Assembly schedule includes four sessions, divided between Tuesday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 24. The inaugural session will take place on Monday, June 22.
During the Assembly, Member States will elect:
• Three members of the Inter-American Juridical Committee
• One member of the Administrative Tribunal
• One member of the Audit Committee
• Three members of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas
The draft schedule of the General Assembly may be consulted here. The schedule is subject to change until it is approved by the General Assembly itself. It also includes activities prior to the opening of the Assembly and side events.