The Latin American Council is the principal decision-making body of SELA. Each Member States has one (1) Representative to this Council, which meets regularly once a year. Its responsibilities include determining the institution’s general policies and formulating specific declarations in the form of Decisions approved on a consensual basis.

The Permanent Secretariat is the technical administrative organ of SELA. It is headed by a Permanent Secretary, who is elected by the Latin American Council for a period of four years. The following are some its functions: to encourage and carry out preliminary studies and take the measures necessary to identify and promote projects of interest to two or more Member States; to propose to the Council programmes and projects of common interest and to suggest ways in which they may be carried out, including meetings of experts and other measures which may better contribute to the attainment of the objectives of SELA and to promote and conclude, subject to the approval of the Council, arrangements with international organizations and agencies, national agencies of Member States and third countries, to carry out studies, programmes and projects, especially those of a regional nature.