Historical Dictionary of Inter-American Organizations

For the past century, international organizations have been a central part of inter-American relations and diplomatic history, often serving as important political mechanisms for confronting a host of multilateral issues affecting the United States and the other American and Commonwealth states that constitute the Western Hemisphere. This book provides a balanced and up-to-date analysis of inter-American organizations with more than 400 entries covering all of the regional economic, political, and security organizations along with the major leaders, key historical events, and significant trends in inter-American relations. Most entries deal with the nature and role of inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), but there is also a section on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the region. Historical coverage runs from the early 1800s and the beginning of Latin American independence, through the early post-Cold War period. Features a historical overview of the organizations, chronology, bibliography, and nine appendixes, including the Charter of the Organization of American States.