The Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) was created on November 2, 1973 as a result of the Lima Agreement, the Organization's charter that has been ratified by 26 member countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is an international public cooperation, coordination, and advisory energy organization basically aimed at ensuring the integration, protection, conservation, rational development, marketing, and defense of the region's energy resources.

OLADE's main objectives and duties are to: (a) promote actions between the member countries to develop and defend the natural resources of the member countries and the region as a whole; (b) foster a policy for the rational exploration, exploitation, transformation, and marketing of the member countries' energy resources; (c) enhance the appropriate preservation of the region's energy resources by means of rational-use-of-energy policies; (d) promote direct negotiations between Member States to ensure stable and sufficient energy supplies; (e) further the development of means of transport for energy resources contributing to their coordination and complementation; (f) advance the integration of a Latin American energy market; (g) ensure the adoption of effective energy efficiency, rational use of energy, and environmental protection measures; and (h) foster technical cooperation, as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific, legal, and technological information. OLADE is interested in the implementation of policies and programs that are compatible with demands stemming from the globalization of the world's economy and energy system, in harmony with world energy development objectives.

The XXXII Meeting of Ministers of the Organization held in Quito in October 2001 resolved to ratify the scheme to restructure OLADE. As the fundamental framework for this initiative, the articles of the Lima Agreement, whose basic principles are still considered to be valid, should be taken into account. Although the international environment has changed since the creation of OLADE, energy itself continues to be an important element for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean, and their rational development is a major priority for the region's countries. Within this context, OLADE is a center for the exchange of experiences and information between high-level policymaking areas of the energy sector and a permanent advisory body for energy cooperation and integration between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is also a forum for exchanging viewpoints so as to achieve regional and subregional stances regarding the rational development of natural resources and the impact of their use on the region's environment. In addition, high decision-making conferences such as the Summit of the Americas and the Group of Rio have issued a wide range of declarations focusing on regional integration as the appropriate instrument to reach the broad objectives of sustainable development. The Meeting of Ministers also ratified the incorporation of Algeria as a Participating Country.

Many of OLADE's activities are currently receiving support from other institutions and international organizations such as the European Commission (EC), the German Technical Cooperation Society (GTZ), UN System agencies, the University of Calgary, the Institute of International Education/U.S. Agency for International Development (IIE/USAID), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Government of Quebec, the E7 Network of Expertise for the Global Environment, and the World Bank.

COMPOSITION

26 member countries: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela

STRUCTURE

The supreme decision-making body of OLADE is the Meeting of Ministers. It comprises the Ministers or Secretaries of State in charge of energy in the member countries and usually meets once a year to formulate the organization's general policies.

The Permanent Secretariat is the organization's executive body, with headquarters in Quito, Ecuador. It is headed by the Executive Secretary, who is elected by the Meetings of Ministers and who acts as OLADE's legal and institutional representative.

GENERAL PUBLICATIONS