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The Summits of the Americas are periodic meetings that bring together the democratically elected Heads of State and Government of the Americas to discuss and make decisions on issues of relevance for the region.

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Eight Summits and two Special Summits of the Americas have taken place:

• First Summit of the Americas, Miami, Florida, December 9-11, 1994
• Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, December 7-8, 1996
• Second Summit of the Americas, Santiago, Chile, April 18-19, 1998
• Third Summit of the Americas, Quebec City, Canada, April 20-22, 2001
• Special Summit of the Americas, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, January 12-13, 2004
• Fourth Summit of the Americas, Mar del Plata, Argentina, November 4-5, 2005
• Fifth Summit of the Americas, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17-19, 2009
• Sixth Summit of the Americas, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, April 14-15, 2012
• Seventh Summit of the Americas, Panama City, Panama, April 10-11, 2015
• Eighth Summit of the Americas, Lima, Peru, April 13-14, 2018

3

The participants of the Summits of the Americas Process are the Heads of State and Government of the hemisphere and their delegations. In addition, the heads of the member institutions of the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG) participate as observers. The institutions comprising the JSWG are: the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Nations Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank (WB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Special guests include social actor representatives (civil society organizations, youth, indigenous peoples, workers etc.) academia, the private sector and the media among others.

4

The next Summit will be held in Los Angeles, California in the week of June 6, 2022.

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To analyze and discuss the problems and challenges that the Americas face in order to jointly seek solutions and improve the quality of life of the citizens of the Americas. The Summits of the Americas Process is a “commitment to hemispheric integration and national and collective responsibility for improving the economic well-being and security of our people” (Quebec City Declaration).

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The Chair of the Summits of the Americas Process is the host country of the next Summit.

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The decisions made at the Summits of the Americas are reached through consensus by the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG).

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The Member States of the hemisphere, represented by the National Summit Coordinators, comprise the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG). The SIRG is the political body responsible for following-up on Summit mandates, coordinating the Summit agenda, and preparing for future Summits. The SIRG meets on average three times a year; one of these meetings is at the ministerial level, in the framework of the OAS General Assembly.

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Government representatives discuss political, economic and social issues at the Summits of the Americas. The issues discussed reflect hemispheric concerns introduced by the various countries.

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The Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the OAS serves as the institutional memory and technical Secretariat of the Summits Process, supports Member States in mandate follow-up and preparation for future Summits, and coordinates the support of the OAS in the implementation of Summit mandates. In addition, as chair of the Joint Summit Working Group, the Summits of the Americas Secretariat coordinates participation of international organizations and facilitates the participation of civil society, the private sector, academia and other actors interested in the Summit Process.

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International organizations provide support to governments in the implementation and follow-up of Presidential mandates. Additionally, through the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG) chaired by the OAS, international institutions coordinate their activities in support of the Summit Process and report on their actions in the implementation of mandates. In the preparation and negotiation for the Summits, international organizations provide technical advice in their respective areas of expertise, to the countries that require or seek such assistance.

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The Summits of the Americas Process initially began as a process of negotiation between governments and has evolved to incorporate diverse social actors. Today, there are several ways to participate in the Summits of the Americas Process, whether through participation in activities that provide recommendations, or through forums and seminars organized by the Summits of the Americas Secretariat and other partners within and outside the OAS. The term Social Actors currently includes civil society organizations, indigenous peoples, youth, private sector, labor and academia, among others.

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You can obtain information through this website, which is the official information source for the Summit Process and compiles its institutional memory. You may also request additional information by email: [email protected] or via the following mailing address:
Summits of the Americas Secretariat
Organization of American States
1889 F St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006.

Website: www.summitsoftheamericas.org

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If you are interested in participating in the Summits Process, you can do this online through the Summits Virtual Community (SVC). The SVC is an interactive Web site that provides registered users the opportunity to participate through online forums and thematic discussion groups on topics related to the Summit. Users also have access to documents, videos, links and other useful resources. By bringing together the various groups of actors involved in the Summits process in a single virtual platform, the SVC intends to strengthen the culture of democratic participation and facilitate the development of an inter-American agenda that represents the interests and common challenges of the peoples of the Americas. Join now by visiting the following link: svc.summit-americas.org

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The Summits of the Americas Secretariat offers a limited number of non-paid internships to undergraduate and graduate students from different universities in the Americas. Students should be knowledgeable about the areas covered by the Summits Process. Internship applications should be sent to OAS Internship Program. The application should specify that you are applying for an internship at the Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the OAS.

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There are many ways to stay informed and up to date on what is happening in the Summits Process. To follow us on social networks, visit us on Facebook and on Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram or participate in the Summits Virtual Community. You can also subscribe to receive our newsletters entitled "Did You Know ...?".

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The Summits of the Americas Follow-up System (SISCA, from its name in Spanish, Sistema de Seguimiento de las Cumbres de Las Américas) is an online tool to show countries’ progress related to the implementation of Summit mandates. This information is uploaded by representatives of OAS Member States and institutions of the Joint Summit Working Group. SISCA can be freely accessed by any persons interested in following the Summits process.