Panama City, June 23 (IANS) India's Ambassador to Panama, Sumit Seth, represented India at the opening of the 56th Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly in Panama.

Sumit Seth congratulated Panama President Jose Raul Mulino for his leadership and conveyed his best wishes for the success of the event.

The 56th OAS General Assembly is being held in Panama City from June 22-24. Panama is hosting the the OAS General Assembly for the third time. It has previously hosted the OAS General Assembly in 1996 and 2007.

In a post on X, India's Embassy in Panama stated, "India at the 56th OAS General Assembly in Panama. Ambassador Sumit Seth represented India at the opening of the 56th OAS General Assembly in Panama City today. India is a Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States."

"Ambassador congratulated President of Panama Jose Raul Mulino for his leadership and conveyed his best wishes for the success of the event," it added.

The theme of the 56th General Assembly is: “The Americas United on the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama,” and its topic is: “Firm Multilateralism in Defence of Democracy, Hemispheric Security, and Stability in the Member States.”

The General Assembly is the principal organ of the OAS and comprises delegations from all member states, generally headed by Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

Each member state has one vote. Decisions of the Assembly are generally taken by majority vote, although in some cases, the rules require a two-thirds majority. The OAS tradition is to adopt resolutions by consensus, according to the official statement.

The Assembly is responsible for defining the policies and mandates of the OAS and the structure and functions of its organs. The Assembly is also responsible for electing members of the OAS’s decentralised and autonomous bodies, including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Justice Studies Center of the Americas, and the Administrative Tribunal, among others.

--IANS

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