Secretary General of the Organization of American States
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According to the Charter of the Organization of American States:
- The Secretary General shall direct the General Secretariat, be the legal representative thereof, and [...] be responsible to the General Assembly for the proper fulfillment of the obligations and functions of the General Secretariat.
- The Secretary General of the Organization shall be elected by the General Assembly for a five-year term and may not be reelected more than once or succeeded by a person of the same nationality. In the event that the office of Secretary General becomes vacant, the Assistant Secretary General shall assume his duties until the General Assembly shall elect a new Secretary General for a full term.
- The Secretary General, or his representative, may participate with voice but without vote in all meetings of the Organization.
- The Secretary General may bring to the attention of the General Assembly or the Permanent Council any matter which in his opinion might threaten the peace and security of the Hemisphere or the development of the Member States.
Secretaries General of the OAS
| Period | Name | Country |
| 1948 – 1954 | Alberto Lleras Camargo | Colombia |
| 1954 – 1955 | Carlos Dávila Died while in office | Chile |
| 1956 – 1968 | José A. Mora | Uruguay |
| 1968 – 1975 | Galo Plaza | Ecuador |
| 1975 – 1984 | Alejandro Orfila | Argentina |
| 1984 – 1994 | João Clemente Baena Soares | Brazil |
| 1994 – 2004 | César Gaviria Re-elected to a second term at the 1999 General Assembly | Colombia |
| September – 15 October 2004 | Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Resigned | Costa Rica |
| October 2004 – 26 May 2005 | Luigi R. Einaudi (acting) | United States |
| 26 May 2005 – present | José Miguel Insulza Elected 2 May 2005 | Chile |
Assistant Secretaries General of the OAS
- William Manger (United States) (1948–1958)
- William Sanders (United States) (1958–1968)
- M. Rafael Urquía (El Salvador) (1968–1975)
- Jorge Luis Zelaya Coronado (Guatemala) (1975–1980)
- Val T. McComie (Barbados) (1980–1990)
- Christopher R. Thomas (Trinidad and Tobago) (1990–2000)
- Luigi R. Einaudi (United States) (2000–present)