The Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs is one of the organs established by the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS). It considers urgent problems of common interest to the American States and, when appropriate, serves as the Organ of Consultation of the inter-American system.
The Meeting of Consultation is governed primarily by Articles 61 through 65 of the OAS Charter.
Article 61 defines its purpose, while Article 62 addresses its convocation and the role of the Permanent Council. In this context, a Meeting of Consultation held under the OAS Charter may be convened at the request of any Member State of the Organization submitted to the Permanent Council.
Articles 63 and 64 govern the preparation of the agenda and rules of procedure, as well as the possibility of a Minister of Foreign Affairs being represented, in exceptional circumstances, by a Special Delegate.
Article 65 establishes the procedure to be followed in the event of an armed attack on the territory of an American State or within the region of security defined by the treaty in force.
Participation and Organization
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OAS Member States are members of the Meeting of Consultation. If, in exceptional circumstances, a Minister is unable to attend, the Minister may be represented by a Special Delegate.
The Secretary General of the Organization participates with the right to speak but not to vote. The Assistant Secretary General serves as Secretary of the Meeting when so provided in the rules of procedure adopted for each Meeting.
What Can It Do?
The scope of each Meeting of Consultation depends on the approved agenda and the legal basis for its convocation. Throughout their history, these meetings have made it possible to:
• examine urgent crises or disputes;
• assess situations that may affect regional peace and security;
• consider reports and recommendations;
• adopt resolutions or declarations; and
• agree on collective actions within the competencies of the inter-American system.
Historical Background
The procedure for consultation among the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics predates the creation of the OAS in 1948. The First Meeting of Consultation was held in Panama from September 23 to October 3, 1939, in response to the repercussions for the Americas of the outbreak of World War II. Subsequent meetings were held in Havana in 1940 and Rio de Janeiro in 1942.
Since then, Meetings of Consultation have addressed some of the hemisphere's major political, diplomatic, and security challenges. The most recent Meetings of Consultation held under the OAS Charter include:
• Twenty-Fourth Meeting, 2001: held following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
• Twenty-Fifth Meeting, 2008: convened in response to the Colombian military incursion into Ecuadorian territory.
• Twenty-Sixth Meeting, 2009: held following the coup d'état in Honduras.
• Twenty-Sixth Meeting, 2010: devoted to the border situation between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
• Twenty-Seventh Meeting, 2012: concerning the diplomatic crisis between Ecuador and the United Kingdom regarding the inviolability of diplomatic missions under the 1961 Vienna Convention.
• Twenty-Eighth Meeting, 2014: concerning the restructuring of Argentina's sovereign debt.
• Twenty-Ninth Meeting, 2017: devoted to the political, institutional, and human rights crisis in Venezuela.
The Thirty-First Meeting of Consultation
The process leading to the Thirty-First Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs began on August 19, 2026, when the Permanent Council agreed to convene the Meeting to consider "the situation in Nicaragua and appropriate actions."
During August and September, the Council advanced preparations, including draft rules of procedure and agenda, procedural recommendations, budgetary matters, the order of precedence of the Member States, and the composition of the Style Committee. Finally, on September 23, the Council agreed that the Meeting would be held on Friday, October 2, 2026, at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Reference: S-018/26
