The First International Conference of American States in 1889-1890 led to the formation of the International Union of American Republics. The name was changed to the Pan American Union. In the decades that followed, the scope of the organization was widened. In 1948 the Organization of American States (OAS) was established at the Ninth International Conference of American States. OAS is a regional political body concerned with the maintenance of peace in the Western Hemisphere and the settlement of disputes. The OAS also implements the mutual-security Rio Treaty. Since the 1960s, principally through insistence by the Latin American countries, economic cooperation has become increasingly important.