CIVICUS discusses the election of the next Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General with Viviana Krsticevic, Executive Director of the Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), a civil society organisation that works to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights in the Americas through the use of the inter-American system and other international mechanisms.
On 10 March OAS member states will elect the organisation’s new Secretary General. Barring any last-minute surprises, his identity is known: Albert Ramdin, Suriname’s foreign minister. His only competitor withdrew when it became clear he wouldn’t receive enough votes. Since its foundation in 1948, the OAS has never had a female Secretary General, and despite calls from civil society, states didn’t propose any women for the role this time. There’s still however a possibility that a woman will be appointed Assistant Secretary General for the first time.