An OAS task force will examine proposals, including one from Washington, which could pave the way for Havana to rejoin the OAS. But the Obama administration has indicated that Cuba must adhere to democratic principles before gaining readmission.

Speaking at COA's 39th Washington Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized that democratic elections are now the norm in the Western Hemisphere and argued that the next step is to address social inequality.

Addressing the 39th Washington Conference, the OAS secretary general talked remarked that the Fifth Summit of the Americas demonstrated a commitment to a common agenda and to tackling difficult tasks in the coming months.

Speaking at COA's Washington Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos, and Mexico's Finance Secretary Agustín Carstens joined others in discussing policy issues affecting the hemisphere.

The AS/COA Energy Action Group hosted a panel on energy and climate change in the Western Hemisphere. Following the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in April and in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.

President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad canceled his trip this week to Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Still, Tehran's deepening ties raise questions about Iranian relations with Latin America.

OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza joined AS/COA Online for an interview about the recent Summit of the Americas, from negotiating mandates to carrying them out at June's General Assembly in Honduras. He also offered his view on the process for Cuba to rejoin the OAS.