The 56th Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly took place in Panama this week and was attended by B’nai B’rith Director of Latin American Affairs Eduardo Kohn. The OAS has faced existential challenges as multilateralism is struggling to survive worldwide.

Former OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro said firmly that there is no possibility of solving any dispute without the strength of multilateral OAS action. He added, together with his predecessor José Miguel Insulza, that the OAS must go through a retooling process.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Charles Landau said the OAS must demonstrate it is capable of solving the most serious problems in the region: humanitarian, political and economic disasters in Haiti; an uprising against a democratic president in Bolivia; and a rogue dictatorship in Nicaragua. Landau questioned the executive action of the OAS in all these situations, stating there were “very few positive measures which are far from enough.”

The OAS faces a financial crisis that must be addressed by the end of this year. The United States has proposed cuts if the organization is to move forward in the coming years.

The OAS has successfully verified election processes, including those in Colombia, which resulted in the election of conservative Abelardo de la Espriella—a great friend of the State of Israel—who will take office in August. In Peru, the OAS has monitored the election process in which Keiko Fujimori—another supporter of Israel—won the election. However, with the opposing party challenging the results, the OAS seems to have limited ability to prevent further unrest.

B’nai B’rith staff held several meetings with foreign ministers and ambassadors of Uruguay, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Argentina, as well as Panamanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Martínez Acha.

Costa Rica denounced the dangerous activities of Hamas and Hezbollah in Nicaragua encouraged by dictator Daniel Ortega, and Argentina stressed the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) work this year under its presidency.

The OAS unanimously voted to officially recognize Jan. 27 as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (Holocaust Remembrance Day).

The greatest challenge for the OAS, as the oldest multilateral organization, is to demonstrate that multilateral action can effectively address the major political and social challenges of its members. Closely observed by the United States, the coming months will be critical in determining the future of the OAS in the Americas.