ABSTRACT

The gains of the 1990s on the whole have not been consolidated in the new millennium. The Organization of American States (OAS) is neither a truly powerful, effective, and autonomous international actor, nor is it completely powerless, ineffective, and controlled by its member states. It has made some important contributions to regional governance but often falls short in terms of being a truly effective multilateral institution. The prospects for effective multilateralism are also linked to notions of community. International organizations are simultaneously agents that promote certain conceptions of community and region as well as being their embodiment. In this sense, multilateralism is far more than simply episodes of interstate cooperation that ensue from the opportunistic and instrumental convergence of state interests. Multilateral community also implies that its participants enjoy a special relationship with one another. The social construction of community defines who is included and who is excluded from membership.