Organization of American States

Motto: "Democracy for peace, security and development"Headquarters17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., U.S.
38°53′34″N77°02′25″W / 38.8929138°N 77.0403734°W / 38.8929138; -77.0403734 (OAS headquarters, Washington, D.C.)Largest MetropolisSão PauloOfficial languagesEnglish
French
Portuguese
SpanishMember statesLeadersAlbert RamdinLaura Gil SavastanoEstablishment30 April 1948Area40,275,678 km (15,550,526 sq mi)Population1,028,404,247Time zoneUTC−10 to +0

The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; Spanish: Organización de los Estados Americanos; Portuguese: Organização dos Estados Americanos; French: Organisation des États américains) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is a voluntary "multilateral regional body focused on human rights, electoral oversight, social and economic development, and security in the Western Hemisphere", according to the Council on Foreign Relations. As of November 2023, 32 states in the Americas are OAS members.

Albert Ramdin of Suriname was inaugurated as OAS secretary general in May 2025, replacing Luis Almagro of Uruguay.