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CHAPTER II
LEGAL BASES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE IACHR
DURING 2000
A.
Legal bases, functions and powers
1. The
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (“IACHR” or the
“Commission”) is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American
States (“OAS”) headquartered in Washington, D.C. Its mandate is found
in the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The IACHR
is one of two bodies in the inter-American system responsible for the
promotion and protection of human rights, the other being the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which is located in San José, Costa
Rica.
2. The IACHR
represents all of the member States of the OAS, and is composed of seven
members who act independently, without representing any particular
country. The members of the IACHR are elected by the General Assembly of
the OAS for a four-year period that can be renewed. The IACHR meets
in ordinary and special sessions several times a year. The Executive
Secretariat of the IACHR carries out the tasks delegated to it by the
IACHR and provides legal and administrative support to the IACHR as it
carries out its work.
3.
In April of 1948 the OAS approved the American Declaration of the
Rights and Duties of Man in Bogotá, Colombia, the first international
human rights instrument of a general nature. The IACHR was created in 1959
and held its first session in 1960.
4.
By 1961, the IACHR had begun to carry out on-site visits to observe
the human rights situations in various countries.
Since that time, the IACHR has carried out 78 visits to 23 member
States. Based on its on-site
investigations the IACHR has published 51 special country reports to date.
5.
In 1965, the IACHR was expressly authorized to examine complaints
or petitions regarding specific cases of human rights violations. By 2000,
the IACHR had received thousands of petitions, resulting in more than
12,000 completed or pending cases The final published reports of the IACHR
regarding these individual cases may be found in the Annual Reports of the
Commission or separately in country reports.
6.
In 1969, the American Convention on Human Rights was adopted. The
Convention entered into force in 1978. As of May of 2000, it has been
ratified by 24 countries: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Convention defines
the human rights that the ratifying States have agreed to respect and
ensure. The Convention also creates the Inter-American Court of Human
Rights and defines the functions and procedures of both the Commission and
the Court. In addition to considering complaints of violations of the
American Convention by states that are parties to that instrument, the
IACHR is competent under the OAS Charter and the Commission’s Statute to
entertain alleged violations of the American Declaration by OAS member
states that are not yet parties to the American Convention.
7.
The IACHR has the principal function of promoting the observance
and the defense of human rights. In carrying out its mandate, the
Commission:
1.
Receives, analyzes and investigates individual petitions which
allege human rights violations, pursuant to Articles 44 to 51 of the
Convention.
2.
Observes the general human rights situation in the member States
and publishes special reports regarding the situation in a specific State,
when it considers it appropriate.
3.
Carries out on-site visits to countries to engage in more in-depth
analysis of the general situation and/or to investigate a specific
situation. These visits usually result in the preparation of a report
regarding the human rights situation observed, which is published and sent
to the General Assembly.
4.
Stimulates public consciousness regarding human rights in the
Americas. To that end, carries out and publishes studies on specific
subjects, such as: measures to be taken to ensure greater independence of
the judiciary; the activities of irregular armed groups; the human rights
situation of minors and women, and the human rights of indigenous peoples.
5.
Organizes and carries out conferences, seminars and meetings with
representatives of Governments, academic institutions, non-governmental
groups, etc. in order to disseminate information and to increase knowledge
regarding issues relating to the inter-American human rights system.
6.
Recommends to the member States of the OAS the adoption of measures
that would contribute to human rights protection.
7.
Requests States to adopt specific "precautionary
measures" to avoid serious and irreparable harm to human rights in
urgent cases. The Commission may also request that the Court order
"provisional measures" in urgent cases which involve danger to
persons, even where a case has not yet been submitted to the Court.
8.
Submits cases to the Inter-American Court and appears before the
Court in the litigation of cases.
9.
Requests advisory opinions from the Inter-American Court regarding
questions of interpretation of the American Convention.
8.
At present the Commission is processing approximately 950
individual cases. Any person,
group or non-governmental organization may present a complaint to the
Commission alleging the violation of a right protected by the American
Convention on Human Rights and/or the American Declaration of the Rights
and Duties of Man. The
denunciation may be presented in any of the four official languages of the
OAS (English, French, Portuguese or Spanish) and may be presented on
behalf of the person filing the complaint or on behalf of a third party.
B.
The Commission's sessions in 2000
9.
During this reporting period, the Commission met on four occasions:
during its 106th regular session from February 22 to March 10,
2000; during its 107th special session between June 12 to June
16, 2000; during its 108th regular session from October 2 to
October 20, 2000; and during its 109th special session from
December 4 to December 8, 2000.
1.
106th regular session
10.
During its 106th regular session, the Commission considered and
approved its 1999 Annual Report, which was subsequently presented to the
OAS General Assembly during its thirtieth regular session held in Windsor,
Canada in June 2000.
11.
The Commission also took up numerous individual petitions on human
rights violations alleging the international responsibility of OAS member
states. It adopted a total of 52 reports on individual petitions and cases
and held 41 hearings on individual cases, the general human rights
situation in different nations in the Hemisphere, precautionary measures,
recommendation follow-up, and other issues over which it has competence.
In addition, the Commission held a series of hearings and working meetings
with petitioners and representatives of OAS member states to promote the
friendly settlement of complaints.
12.
Also during this session, the IACHR adopted the final version of
its Report on the Human Rights Situation of Asylum Seekers within the
Canadian Refugee Status Determination System. This report considered
information received before, during, and after the Commission’s on-site
visit to Canada, conducted in October 1997 at the invitation of the
Canadian government, for the purpose of examining Canada’s system for
determining refugee status, together with the corresponding domestic
remedies available to individuals seeking asylum in that country.
13.
The IACHR continued to receive information from its Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Dr. Santiago Canton, concerning the
status of freedom of expression in various states in the Hemisphere. The
Commission also studied the recent initiatives taken by the OAS Permanent
Council’s Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs and the Ad Hoc
Working Group on Human Rights that was created in San José, Costa Rica,
in November 1999 by the foreign ministers of several states of the
Hemisphere.
14.
In the course of its session, the Commission had the opportunity to
meet with Dr. Pedro Nikken, President of the Inter-American Institute of
Human Rights (IIHR), and the IIHR Assistant Executive Director, Dr.
Charles Moyer, to analyze issues of mutual interest, such as cooperating
on the promotion of human rights and the process of strengthening the
inter-American system. The Commission was also pleased to receive Dr. Leo
Valladares, the head of the National Human Rights Commission of Honduras
and President of the Ibero-American Federation of Ombudsmen, to address
several issues of common interest related to the protection and promotion
of human rights in the Hemisphere.
15.
In addition, during its session, the Commission adopted a
recommendation on "Eradicating the Recruitment and Participation of
Children in Armed Conflicts," which condemned practices by state and
non-state actors that violate the human rights of children, such as the
"drafting" of children and adolescents by the armed forces and
armed dissident groups. The Commission also accepted an invitation from
the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil to hold its next
special session in that country.
2.
107th special session
16.
The Commission held its 107th special session in
Brasilia and São Paulo, Brazil, at the invitation of the Government of
the Federative Republic of Brazil. During this special session, the
Commission met with Brazilian authorities and organizations, including the
President of the Republic, Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, attended
seminars on the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of
human rights, and held meetings to examine individual cases, general
issues and other matters relating to the amendment of its Regulations
17.
Also among its activities, the Commission signed a cooperation
agreement with the High Court of Justice of Brazil, and examined human
rights issues and their current situation in the Hemisphere and in Brazil
through two public seminars attended by governmental authorities,
specialists, and leaders of Brazilian human rights organizations. Further,
at the invitation of the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro, a
special delegation of the IACHR attended Governor Anthony Garotinho’s
signing, in that city, of a law adopted by the State Legislative Assembly,
granting a life pension to the individuals and their relatives who were
victims of the 1993 Vigario Geral and Candelaria massacres, in which 28
street children were murdered by military policemen.
18.
In addition, the Commission had the honor to attend the awarding of
the Great Cross of the Order of Rio Branco to its Chair, Dr. Hélio
Bicudo, in recognition of his long and meritorious fight for democracy and
human rights. The award was made at the behest of the President of the
Republic of Brazil.
19.
During this session, the Commission also considered and approved
several reports on individual cases, and continued its consideration of
reform of the Commission’s Regulations, as part of the process of
strengthening the inter-American human rights system.
3.
108th regular session
20.
During its 108th regular session, the Commission continued with its
study of numerous individual communications alleging violations of human
rights protected by the American Convention and/or the American
Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, and in this regard adopted a
total of 50 reports. The Commission also held 52 hearings on: individual
cases, the general human rights situation in different countries of the
hemisphere, precautionary measures, follow-up on recommendations, and
other issues over which it has competence. In addition, the Commission
held a series of hearings and working meetings with petitioners and
representatives of OAS member states to promote the friendly settlement of
complaints, and considered requests for precautionary measures from the
Commission and provisional measures from the Inter-American Court of Human
Rights.
21.
Also in the course of this session, the Commission considered and
approved a Recommendation on Asylum and International Crimes, which
recommended to OAS member states that they refrain from granting asylum to
any person alleged to be the material or intellectual author of
international crimes. The Commission similarly considered and approved a
Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression prepared by IACHR
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Dr. Santiago Canton, with a
view to achieving more effective protection of this right, which the
Commission considers to be fundamental for the consolidation and
development of democracy.
22.
In addition, on October 18, 2000, at the request of the Heads of
Government of the Caribbean Community, the Secretary General of the OAS
convened a meeting between the Commission and representatives of CARICOM
countries, led by the Attorney-General of Jamaica, the Honorable Arnold
Joseph Nicholson. During the meeting there was an exchange of views on the
procedures and jurisprudence of the Commission in relation to the system
of petitions, as well as on methods of strengthening understanding and
cooperation between CARICOM member States and the Commission.
23.
As part of its program of work during the session, the Commission
continued consideration of the reform of its Regulations with a view to
strengthening the inter-American system for the protection and promotion
of human rights. In addition, the President of the IACHR, Dr. Hélio
Bicudo, participated in the October 19, 2000 session of the OAS Committee
on Juridical and Political Affairs to continue the dialogue on the
strengthening of the inter-American human rights system, and Dr. Juan E. Méndez,
Second Vice-President and Rapporteur for the Rights of Migrant Workers and
their Families participated in a meeting of that Committee which pertained
to this thematic area. During the session, the Commission also accepted an
invitation from the Government of the Republic of Chile to carry out an
extraordinary session in that country in 2001.
4.
109th special session
24.
During its 109th special session, the Commission
continued examination of individual petitions on human rights violations
and adopted several reports, reached significant friendly settlement
agreements, and discussed the on-site visit held by the Commission in
Haiti from August 21 to August 25, 2000 (discussed below).
25.
In the course of this session the Commission also completed the
amendments to its Regulations, within the framework of efforts to
strengthen the inter-American human rights system. These reforms followed
extensive consultations with OAS member states, non-governmental
organizations and other civil society representatives, and independent
experts. The final text was subsequently published in January 2001 and
will take effect on May 1, 2001.
26.
Changes in the new Regulations include:
-
incorporation
of a proceeding for the admissibility of petitions as a separate
phase, in order to determine whether they meet the requirements
established therein and to make a decision by means of a public
report;
-
shortened
time periods in the admissibility and merits phases of the petition
process;
-
a
provision making clear the rules governing precautionary measures in
its new Regulations, in light of current practices;
-
consolidation
of the judicial framework for monitoring implementation of the
recommendations made in reports on individual cases and on the
situation of human rights in OAS member States;
-
a
provision stating that the cases of those member States that have
accepted the contentious jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court
and have failed to implement the recommendations in the report
approved by the Commission in accordance with Article 50 of that
instrument shall be submitted to that organ, except where a
well-founded decision to the contrary is adopted by an absolute
majority of its members based upon prescribed criteria, including
the position of the petitioner, the nature and gravity of the
violation, the need to develop or clarify the case law of the
system, the possible effect of the decision on the legal systems of
member States, and the quality of the evidence available;
-
a
provision permitting participation by the petitioner and the victim
in the phase preceding the decision to refer a case to the Court;
and
-
a
provision defining the legal framework for establishing rapporteurs'
offices and working groups, including a working group on
admissibility, to better enable the Commission to perform its
duties.
27.
Further, on December 6, 2000, the Commission convened a conference
at the OAS General Secretariat, with the participation of representatives
of States, various sectors of the civil society, the OAS General
Secretariat, and the organs responsible for the promotion and protection
of the human rights of the inter-American system. The conference focused
upon various proposals made to strengthen the inter-American human rights
system, and, specifically, determining whether the possible amendment of
the American Convention would serve to strengthen or weaken this system.
In this regard, there was a consensus among the speakers that any process
designed to strengthen the system would be successful only if it resulted
from agreement among all sectors involved in this process, including
States, the civil society, and the organs of the system. It was also
agreed that any strengthening process should take into account the
specific need to provide the organs of the inter-American human rights
system with the human and financial resources required for their proper
functioning, make the system universal among all OAS member States, and
give due priority, within the political organs of the OAS, to monitoring
of implementation of the recommendations and judgments of the organs of
the inter-American system. Further, participants ruled out any amendment
to the American Convention at this stage of the system’s development as
inappropriate and even counterproductive.
C.
On-site visit to Haiti
28.
In the exercise of its functions, the Commission conducted an
on-site visit from August 21 to August 25, 2000 in Haiti, at the
invitation of the Government of that State. Held five years after the
Commission’s last visit, the event was undertaken to observe the human
rights situation in Haiti, and to establish closer ties between the
Commission, the Haitian Government, and civil society, to enhance their
cooperative efforts to protect and promote human rights in that country.
The Commission delegation was comprised of: Chairman Dr. Hélio Bicudo;
Commissioners Dr. Peter Laurie and Dr. Julio Prado Vallejo; Executive
Secretary Ambassador Jorge E. Taiana; Assistant Executive Secretary Dr.
David J. Padilla; Human Rights Specialists Dr. Bertha Santoscoy and Dr.
Raquel Poitevien Cabral; OAS interpreter Ms. Rose-Marie Brierre; OAS
Department of Public Information official Mr. Luiz O. Coimbra; and
administrative assistants Mrs. Martha Keller and Mrs. Gloria Amanda
Molina.
29.
During its visit, the IACHR met with His Excellency the President
of the Republic, Mr. René G. Préval and other senior Haitian executive,
legislative and judicial officials. It also met with various sectors of
civil society, including human rights organizations and other social and
humanitarian welfare groups, representatives of the Catholic Church,
alleged victims of human rights violations, journalists, and
representatives from other international organizations including the
United Nations. In addition, the Commission visited the National
Penitentiary and the National Fort, a detention center for women and
children.
30.
In the course of its visit, the Commission received complaints of
human rights violations in Haiti, and gathered other abundant and complex
data to be analyzed at the Commission’s headquarters, with a view to
preparing a report analyzing the human rights situation in Haiti. The
report will contain the Commission’s conclusions and recommendations
based upon its visit, and will be published following completion of the
Commission’s regulatory procedures.
D.
Special visits and other activities
31.
On March 22, 2000, the Commission and the International
Organization for Migration signed an institutional Cooperation Agreement
designed to consolidate and streamline hemispheric efforts to improve the
promotion and protection of the rights of migrants in general, and
especially those of migrant workers and members of their families. This
Agreement established the foundation for a series of joint activities to
promote the observance and effective protection of the human rights of
migrants in the Americas by the IACHR and the IOM.
32.
Between April 26 and 27, 2000 Commissioner Robert K. Goldman
visited Santafe de Bogota, Colombia, to participate in a special meeting
of the working group created to follow up the friendly settlement process
in Case N° 11.227 relating to the political party known as Unión
Patriótica. During the
visit he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director of the
National Human Rights Unit of the General Prosecutor’s Office.
Commissioner Goldman also held meetings with representatives of human
rights organizations and carried out promotional
activities at academic centres.
33.
On June 2, 2000, the Commission adopted its Report on the Situation
of Human Rights in Peru. This report was prepared based upon information
and documents received before, during, and after the on-site visit the
IACHR made to the Republic of Peru from November 9 to November 13, 1998,
at the invitation of the government of that State. Among the issues
addressed in the report were: the state of democracy and the rule of law
in Peru, including a study of the structure of the State, the current
situation with the administration of justice and Peru’s international
obligations; and the status of economic, social, and cultural rights in
Peru and the situation in the country's prison system. As part of its
conclusions, the Commission found a lack of judicial independence, serious
restrictions in freedom of expression, the harassment and intimidation of
political opponents, and serious irregularities in the then-recent
Peruvian elections. The Commission called for the establishment of the
rule of law in Peru and the organization of free and fair elections that
satisfy applicable international standards.
34.
At a public function in Guatemala City on August 9, 2000 attended
by Dean Claudio Grossman, First Vice Chairman of the IACHR and Rapporteur
for Guatemala and Ambassador Jorge Taiana, the Commission’s Executive
Secretary, the Guatemalan State, through the President of the Republic,
Dr. Alfonso Portillo, recognized its responsibility in 10 cases of human
rights violations pending before the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights (IACHR). The Guatemalan State also pledged to ensure that the
friendly settlement procedure would include appropriate compensation
and/or assistance to the victims or their families and “to monitor and
promote the investigation of the acts that are the subject of this
declaration, to prosecute in civil and in criminal and administrative
proceedings those individuals who, in the performance of their state
functions or as an abuse of State power, are presumed to have participated
in the alleged violation.”
35.
On October 18, 2000, the new Rómulo Gallegos Library of the IACHR
was inaugurated, with the presence of the Permanent Observer of Spain to
the OAS, Ambassador Eduardo Gutiérrez Sáenz de Buruaga. The improvements
made to the Commission library were made possible thanks to the generous
financial cooperation of the Government of Spain, initiated in 1999. The
library is a source of specialized information that the Commission makes
available free of charge to the human rights community in the Americas.
Inter-American
human rights treaties
36.
During this reporting period, the Commission was pleased to note
the ratification by certain OAS member states of several treaties for the
protection of human rights in the Americas.
37.
The Permanent Representative of Costa Rica deposited that State’s
instrument of ratification of the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and
Punish Torture on February 8, 2000, making it the 16th state to
ratify that Convention.
38.
On February 25, 2000, Guatemala deposited its instrument of
ratification of the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of
Persons, bringing to 8 the number of states parties to that instrument.
Guatemala also deposited its instrument of ratification of the Additional
Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, also known as the Protocol of San
Salvador, on October 6, 2000, becoming the 12th state to ratify
that treaty.
39.
On June 4, 2000, during the 30th regular session of the
OAS General Assembly, a ceremony was held in which Barbados accepted the
contentious jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
pursuant to Article 62 of the American Convention, bringing to 21 the
number of OAS member states that have accepted this competence of the
Court.
40.
Further, the Government of Paraguay became a party to the Protocol
to the American Convention on Human Rights Pertaining to the Abolition of
the Death Penalty, when it deposited its instrument of ratification to
that Protocol on December 7, 2000.
Fellowships
41.
The Commission continued in 2000 with its "Rómulo Gallegos
Fellowships" training program. The
program provides training in the inter-American system for the protection
and promotion of human rights for young attorneys from countries in the
Hemisphere, who are selected annually on a competitive basis.
They must have demonstrated commitment to human rights and very
strong academic credentials. Presently,
the Commission has five Rómulo Gallegos fellows.
Promotional activities
42.
The Members of the Commission and the Executive and Assistant
Executive Secretaries and its staff attorneys participated in the Fifth
Annual Moot Court Competition on the inter-American system of human rights
in May 2000, organized by the Washington College of Law of the American
University, which, since its first competition in 1996, has involved the
participation of more than 500 students and faculty representing 55
universities from more than 20 countries, including Argentina, Barbados,
Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela and the United States.
43.
Throughout 2000, the Commission and Secretariat also participated
in numerous international conferences on the inter-American system of
human rights and related topics, including gender issues, the rights of
refugees and the roles of ombudsmen. During these events, Commissioners
and Secretariat staff took part in various activities, including panel
discussions, training seminars for judges, law enforcement officials and
ombudsmen, and workshops relating to strengthening regional systems of
human rights protection.
44.
In addition, in December 2000, the Inter-American Commission was
pleased to accept an offer by the Government of Grenada to host the first
of two seminars in the Caribbean region on the inter-American human rights
system. The seminar, which was subsequently convened by the Commission on
February 1 and 2, 2001 in collaboration with the Caribbean Human Rights
Network, the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights, the Commonwealth
Secretariat, and the Government of the United Kingdom, was intended to
promote the human rights instruments and mechanisms of the inter-American
system in the Caribbean region. The Commission also decided to hold a
second seminar in the Western region of the Caribbean, likely in mid-2001.
E.
Activities of the Inter-American Commission in connection
with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
45.
The Commission continued to litigate a number of matters before the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
46.
During this reporting period, the Commission submitted the
following contentious cases to the Inter-American Court: Case 11.528
(Barrios Altos) against the Republic of Peru; Case 11.787 (George
Constantine et al.) against the
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Case 12.148 (Peter Benjamin et
al.) against the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Case 11.752 (Walter
David Bulacio) against the Republic of Argentina; and Case. 11.603 (19 Comerciantes)
against the Republic of Colombia. With the submission of the above cases
to the Inter-American Court, the Commission now has a total of 30 cases
before the Court.
47.
Also during 2000, the Commission participated in numerous public
hearings before the Court. During the Court’s 47th regular
session from January 24 to February 4, 2000, the Commission participated
in hearings on: the interpretation of the Court’s judgment in the Cesti
Hurtado Case (Peru); merits in the Baena Ricardo et
al. case (Panama); and preliminary objections in the Trujillo Orozo
Case (Bolivia). During the Court’s 48th regular session from
August 7 to August 18, 2000, the Commission participated in hearings on: a
request for provisional measures on behalf of Haitians and Dominicans of
Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic; reparations in the Cesti
Hurtado Case (Peru); preliminary objections in the Hilaire Case (Trinidad
and Tobago); and reparations in the Paniagua Morales et al. Case (Guatemala). During the Court’s 24th
special session and 49th regular session from November 12 to
November 25, 2000, the Commission participated in hearings on: provisional
measures in the matter of the Paz de San Jose de Apartado Community
(Colombia); merits in the Mayagua (Sumo) Awas Tingui Community Case
(Nicaragua); merits in the Ivcher Bronstein Case (Peru); and Merits in the
Constitutional Court Case (Peru).
48.
During this reporting period, the Commission also took note of
several judgments issued by the Court on the merits of cases before it
during 2000, including: the merits judgment in the Durand and Ugarte Case
(Peru), issued on August 16, 2000; the
merits judgment in the Cantoral Benavides Case (Peru), issued on August
18, 2000; and the merits judgment in the Bamaca Velasquez Case
(Guatemala), issued on November 25, 2000.
49.
On February 5, 6, 8 and 9, 2000, representatives of the Commission
participated in two meetings of experts held at the seat of the Court, as
part of the follow up to the conclusions reached at the Court’s November
1999 Seminar on the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human
Rights on the Threshold of the 21st Century. The objective of
the meetings of experts was to share ideas on the current process of
strengthening the inter-American human rights system, and the meetings
were also attended by current and former members of the Court and
specialized jurists from America and Europe.
F.
Thirtieth regular session of the OAS General Assembly
50.
During the thirtieth regular session of the General Assembly, which
was held in Windsor, Canada in June 2000, the Commission was represented
by its Chairman, Dr. Hélio Bicudo, First Vice-Chairman, Dean Claudio
Grossman, Second Vice-Chairman, Dr. Juan Méndez, and Executive Secretary,
Ambassador Jorge E. Taiana. The Commission’s Chairman addressed the
General Assembly on the general situation of human rights in the OAS
member states and formally presented the Commission's 1999 Annual Report
to the General Assembly. The Commission also made public during the
General Assembly its Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Peru, its
Report on the Human Rights Situation of Asylum Seekers within the Canadian
Refugee Status Determination System, and its Report on the Situation of
Human Rights in the Dominican Republic.
51.
The General Assembly adopted several resolutions in the area of
human rights and humanitarian law. Because
of their importance for the promotion and defense of human rights in the
Americas and for consolidation of the inter-American system, the following
resolutions are reproduced below:
continued...
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