
The Organization of American States (OAS) is the oldest regional intergovernmental institution in the Americas, having held periodic meetings of various states since 1889.
The OAS was formalized through the adoption of a charter in the post-World War II period. Since its inception, it has been dedicated to ensuring peace, security and democracy in the region.
This Discussion Paper examines the role of the OAS in its mission to support the Colombian peace processes. In particular, it focuses on the support provided by the OAS for comprehensive transitional justice mechanisms and reflects on whether and how the mission’s activities in this area address state fragility and promote state-building and democracy.

Contents
Abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Conceptual framework
3. Colombian armed conflict: characteristics and dynamics
4. Peace processes, transitional justice and the MAPP mandate in Colombia
5. The MAPP and good practices in transitional justice
6. Conclusions
7. Recommendations
References and further reading
About the author
About International IDEA
About the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy