This book assesses the extent of the authority that the Organisation of American States holds over the key issues confronting its member states. It explores the extent and significance of the transformation of the OAS since 1991: its roots, the reasons for and extent of its emergence, and the role that the organisation currently plays in the promotion of regional governance in the two key issue-areas of security and the defense and promotion of democratic norms and principles of good governance. By assessing where the OAS has succeeded and failed, Horwitz provides an in-depth explanation of how cooperation and consensus works in the Inter-American system.

This study reports on indications that the OAS is looking for ways to act multilaterally in certain security issues, for instance trying to develop a drug regime. The OAS is also actively defending and promoting democratic norms and rules. Presently, the Western Hemisphere is at a crossroads and it is too soon to tell whether the OAS will adapt and succeed or whether the efforts to integrate OAS member states through specific common security policies and the democracy paradigm will add to the list of previous regional integration failures.

This book is an important contribution to the debate on the role of International Organisations in shaping the Inter-American system. By looking at specific cases such as the defence of democracy, where the OAS is working through specific agencies and promoting cooperation and consensus, we are able to discern the successes and failures of the OAS.

Betty Horwitz attended Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, graduating in 1979 with a BA in Social Sciences and a major in Sociology.  She is a 2001 graduate of the Master of Arts and Liberal Studies (MALS) Program, and earned a PhD in International Studies in May 2007, both from the University of Miami.

Glossary; Chapter 1: The Role of the Organization of American States in the Promotion of a Multilateral Framework for Regional Governance; Chapter 2: The Inter-American System: A History; Chapter 3: The Emergence of Consensus around Democratic Institutions and Shared Norms during the period of 1991 to 2005; Chapter 4: Collective Security in the Western Hemisphere; Chapter 5: Good Governance in the Western Hemisphere; Chapter 6: Conclusions; Appendix A; Appendix B; Bibliography

‘I find the book an essential work for both scholars and practitioners of policy issues in the Americas.’ —Ambler H. Moss Jr, former US Ambassador to Panama, 1978-1982

‘Scholars and practitioners interested in contemporary US-Latin American relations and the prospects for regional governance will find this fascinating reading.’ —William C. Smith, editor of the journal ‘Latin American Politics and Society’

‘A must-read for all interested in the crucial role placed by the OAS in hemispheric affairs at the outset of the 21st century.’ — Bruce M. Bagley, Professor and Chair, Department of International Studies, University of Miami