In the spring of 2013, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development undertook a focused study of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the context of Canada’s multilateral engagement in the Americas.

In April 2013, I led a Committee delegation in a visit to Washington, D.C. where the OAS is headquartered. The delegation included Members of Parliament Bob Dechert, Mark Eyking, Hélène Laverdière, Ève Péclet, Dave Van Kesteren, and John Williamson. This trip allowed the Committee to further its understanding of the structure and operations of the OAS, which is the key multilateral forum through which Canada works with countries from across the Western Hemisphere in the pursuit of shared goals for that hemisphere. The trip also informed the Committee of on-going debates about the strategic direction of the OAS, countries’ priorities for it, and the challenges that it faces as an organization, as well as OAS activities to promote democracy, defend human rights, enhance security, and foster development.

The report that follows is based on the Committee’s findings from that trip, and includes recommendations to the Government of Canada for Canadian policy towards the OAS. The report concludes with an addendum that summarizes some of the key developments that have taken place at the OAS in the time since the Committee completed its study — in June 2013 during the 1^st Session of the 41^st Parliament — and finalized this report.