Summit of the Americas

The Summit of the Americas (SOA) are institutionalized gatherings of heads of state and government of the member states of the Western Hemisphere were leaders discuss common policy issues, affirm shared values an commit to concerted actions at the national and regional level to address continuing and new challenges faced by countries in the Americas.

Since the beginning of the Summits Process, the Heads of State and Government have established a vast array of priorities that appropriately tackles the priorities and the necessities of the people of the Hemisphere. Democracy has always been a central subject in the Summits despite the heterogeneity of Summit themes. It has been addressed according to the needs and concerns of the Member states, including the construction of a democratic hemispheric community, the preservation and strengthening of the democratic system, good governance, and the relationship between democracy and socio-economic issues.

To improve the Summit Process, the Summits Secretariat has worked actively and jointly with the OAS General Secretariat and Member States and has prepared an initial proposal for a follow-up system on the mandates of the Summits of the Americas. SISCA is a mechanism that provides Member States the tools to achieve the targets set in the mandates, in order to be measurable for the medium and long-term through a results-oriented management.

Cuba was expelled from the OAS under pressure from the United States after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Cuba participated in the 2015 summit in Panama, and sent its foreign minister to the subsequent 2018 summit in Peru.^[1][2] In the early 1990s, the formerly ad hoc summits were institutionalized into a regular "Summit of the Americas" based on the principles of democracy and free trade.^[3] The meetings, organized by a number of multilateral bodies led by the OAS, provide an opportunity for discussions about a variety of issues and topics.

The last summit to take place was the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, United States of America from June 8–10, 2022.