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SECTION
III ACTIVITIES
OF THE IACHR DURING 1978
In 1978, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held three
sessions: The forty-third (special), forty-fourth and forty-fifth. With
the exception of the special session, which took place in Caracas,
Venezuela, the others were held at the headquarters of the Commission,
the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States,
Washington, D.C. Also during 1978 the Commission conducted observations in
loco in the territories of El Salvador, Haiti and Nicaragua. A.
Observation “in loco” in the Republic of El Salvador
In a note dated September 14, 1977, the President of the Republic
of El Salvador, Carlos Humberto Romero, and the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Alvaro Ernesto Martínez, invited the Commission to visit El
Salvador to contribute to the promotion of human rights. Through a note
dated November 7, 1977, the Commission answered by accepting the
invitation.
The Commission appointed Professor Carlos A. Dunshee de
Abranches, Vice Chairman of the IACHR, Dr. Fernando Volio Jiménez and
Professor Tom J. Farer to serve on the Special Committee that would
conduct the visit.
The visit was made January 9 through 18, 1978. The Special
Committee established and office in the city of San Salvador, the
capital of El Salvador, and visited other parts of the country. The
members of the Special Committee held talks with various government
officials, among them President Romero, the Vice President of the
Legislative Assembly, members of the Supreme Court of Justice, the
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defense and Justice, and the
Director General of the National Guard. It also visited the Archbishop
of El Salvador, other religious leaders and individuals representing
political, professional, business and educational organizations,
including the National Bar Association.
The Special Committee inspected the jail of the National Police
in San Salvador and the penitentiaries of Santa Ana and San Vicente,
where they spoke privately with a number of prisoners. There they had an
opportunity to witness how a justice of the peace functioned within the
confines of the National Police’s detention centers.
The members of the Special Committee also spoke privately with a
number of individuals who had requested interviews. The majority were
relatives of victims of alleged human rights violations. Outside San
Salvador they spoke with many farmers. B.
Forty-third session (special)
The Commission held its forty-third session from January 26
through February 11, in Caracas, Venezuela, accepting an invitation
extended by the Government of that country.
The following members of the Commission attended that session:
Dr. Andrés Aguilar, Chairman (Venezuela); Dr. Carlos A. Dunshee de
Abranches, Vice Chairman (Brazil); Professor Tom J. Farer (United
States); Dr. Gabino Fraga (Mexico); Dr. Carlos García Bauer
(Guatemala); and Dr. Fernando Volio Jiménez (Costa Rica). Dr. José
Joaquín Gori (Colombia), was not present at that session due to the
fact that his country had appointed him Ambassador to the OAS.
During this session the Commission considered the preliminary
report of the Special Committee that conducted an in loco
observation in the Republic of Panama during December of 1977, following
an invitation extended by that country.
Also, Dr. Abranches, Chairman of the Special Committee that
conducted the in loco observation in the Republic of El Salvador
in early January, presented the preliminary report on that visit.
The Commission approved reports on the situation of human rights
in the Republics of Uruguay and Paraguay, which were presented to the
General Assembly of the OAS in June of 1978. The reports update the
earlier reports of May 24 and 27, 1977, respectively, on the situation
of human rights in those countries.
The Commission prepared the Annual Report that it must submit to
the General Assembly for consideration. In accordance with its Statute,
the Commission pointed out areas in which further steps are needed to
give effect to human rights. The Commission concluded that: “As can be
seen from the foregoing, the situation of human rights in the Americas
in 1978 is marred by many negative points. However, one positive note
that must be pointed out is the progress that has already been initiated
in certain countries in returning representative democracy, whose
effective exercise constitutes a significant contribution to the legal
enforcement of the rights upheld in the Declaration.” In that report,
in view of the above consideration the Commission reiterated the
following recommendations:
1.
That adoption of an international convention to make torture an
international crime be promoted;
2.
That all necessary measures be taken to ensure the independence
of the judiciary;
3.
That police and military personnel and, in general, all
authorities responsible for preserving public order and the security of
the state be instructed in the norms of domestic and international law
and on the responsibility they have to ensure strict compliance with
these norms, and
4.
That the American Convention on Human Rights (Pact of San José,
Costa Rica, of 1969) enter into force through ratification or adherence
by those members that have not yet done so.
Further, in accordance with Resolution AG/RES. 313, adopted by
the General Assembly at its seventh regular session, the Commission
included in the Annual Report a special chapter on the development of
the situation of human rights in Chile since the Commission’s previous
report.
Through a special communication, the Commission addressed the
Government of Nicaragua expressing its concern regarding the events that
had occurred in that country and requesting it to submit, as soon as
possible, an official report on the current situation of human rights.
At this session, the Commission decided to prepare a report on
the situation of human rights in Argentina, and, should the Argentine
Government not extend an invitation to the Commission to conduct an in
loco observation to request its permission to do so.
Moreover, the Commission considered the situation of human rights
in other countries and in view of the gravity of the denunciations
received, decided to request information from the governments concerned.
Finally, the Commission placed floral tributes at the tomb of Simón
Bolívar and at the tomb of the first Chairman of the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights, the illustrious Venezuelan Rómulo Gallegos.
The Commission held its forty-fourth session at its offices in
Washington D.C., from June 9 through 23, 1978.
All the members of the Commission were present at that session:
Andrés Aguilar (Chairman), Carlos A. Dunshee de Abranches (Vice
Chairman), Gabino Fraga, Tom J. Farer, Carlos García Bauer, Fernando
Volio Jiménez and Marco Gerardo Monroy Cabra. The latter was elected to
complete the term of Dr. José Joaquín Gori, who resigned after having
been appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Mission of
Colombia to the OAS.
During this session, the Commission approved the report submitted
for consideration by the Special Committee which in December conducted
the in loco observation in the Republic of Panama.
Further, the Special Committee that conducted the in loco
observation to the Republic of El Salvador, at that Government’s
invitation, continued its work on the preliminary report on the
situation of human rights in that country. Because the Special Committee
was unable to finish its work, it was decided to assign priority to this
topic at the Commission’s next session.
The Commission unanimously decided to accept the invitations
extended by the Governments of Haiti and Nicaragua to conduct on-site
observations in those countries.
During the course of this work session, the Commission received
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, accompanied by
high-ranking officials from that Ministry. The Minister invited the
Commission to visit Argentina in order to verify the juridical-legal
conditions prevailing in the country. Even though the Commission
regarded this as a positive step on the part of the Argentine
Government, the Commission felt it necessary to request the Government
to specify what sort of activities the Commission would be permitted to
carry out during its visit to Argentina, in order to determine whether
these conditions were sufficient to carry out its mandate to the
fullest.
The Commission also received a visit from the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Paraguay, accompanied by other government officials. During
the interview the Minister repeated his government’s decision to
continue to cooperate with the Commission’s activities.
The Commission considered the communications received since its
last session in which 389 cases were denounced involving 828 victims in
12 countries. Further, the Commission continued to examine the cases
being processed and adopted the pertinent resolutions.
Bearing in mind the imminent entry into force of the American
Convention on Human Rights, the Commission analyzed its implications and
legal consequences. The members of the Commission agreed that the
General Assembly should adopt whatever measures are necessary for the
transition period between the date on which the Convention enters into
force and the point at which all the member states of the Organization
have deposited their instruments of ratification.
The Commission adopted decisions concerning its relations with
other intergovernmental organizations involved in the protection of
human rights; it examined its policy concerning publications and the
programs that it sponsors in the field of education on human rights.
It also granted a number of interviews requested by institutions
or individuals in general.
Finally, it agreed to sponsor a seminar on human rights, together
with UNESCO, the International League for Human Rights and the
Universidad Simón Bolívar of Venezuela, which was held in Caracas from
July 31 through August 5, 1978. D.
Eighth regular session of the General Assembly of the OAS
At the eighth regular session of the General Assembly of the
Organization, which was held in Washington, D.C., from June 21 through
July 1, 1978, the Commission was represented by its Chairman, Dr. Andrés
Aguilar, its Vice Chairman, Dr. Carlos A. Dunshee de Abranches, and
Professor Tom J. Farer, a member of the Commission.
The Chairman of the Commission presented the Commission’s
reports, topic 21 on the agenda, “Consideration of the reports of the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.”
In addition to the Annual Report submitted to the General
Assembly, as required by the OAS Charter, the Commission also presented
reports on the situation of human rights in Uruguay and Paraguay.
At its seventh plenary session, held on July 1, 1978, the General
Assembly approved five Resolutions in connection with human rights, the
texts of which appear below. AG/RES. 368 (VIII-0/78) ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN
RIGHTS (Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on July 1, 1978)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
CONSIDERING:
That the Annual Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights (AG/doc.927/78) notes as positive the steps already taken in
certain countries to return to representative democracy, the effective
exercise of which contributes significantly to the observance of the
rights set forth in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of
Man and in the American Convention on Human Rights (Pact of San José,
Costa Rica);
That, nonetheless, the report also notes that, in a good number
of the member states of the Organization of American States, a situation
persists that is characterized by serious and repeated violations of
fundamental rights and freedoms, and by the inadequacy or inefficacy of
the guarantees and means of defense that the domestic laws of these
countries offer;
That the principal purpose of the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights is to promote the observance and protection of human rights
in all the member states;
That protection and effective exercise of human rights is a
guarantee of respect for human life and the dignity of man is one of the
main purposes of the Organization of American States.
That in order to carry out Resolution AG/RES. 313 (VII-O/77),
adopted by the General Assembly at its seventh regular session, the
Commission has considered it appropriate to include in its Annual Report
a section on the developments in the status of human rights in Chile
over the last twelve months, beginning on the date of the Commission’s
approval of its third report on Chile; and
BEARING IN MIND:
That in that part of its report the Commission shows that while
relative progress has been made as compared with the situation in
previous years, restrictions on human rights still persist,
RESOLVES:
1. To take note of the
report and to thank the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for
the work it is doing.
2. To note with satisfaction
that the American Convention on Human Rights (Pact of San José, Costa
Rica) has been ratified by the Governments of Colombia, Costa Rica, the
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras,
Panama, and Venezuela, and the statements of intent by the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Peru that his government will soon ratify the
Convention, thus bringing it into force.
3. To invite those member
states that have not already done so to sign and ratify the American
Convention on Human Rights.
4. To recommend to the
member states that, bearing in mind Part II of the aforementioned report
of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, they continue to adopt
and apply the corresponding measures and legislative provisions to
preserve and maintain the full effectiveness of human rights in
accordance with the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of
Man.
5. To call upon the
Government of Chile to continue to adopt and put into practice the
measures necessary to preserve and ensure the complete enjoyment of
human rights in Chile, to request it to continue to provide the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with any cooperation it may
need to carry out its work, and to request it to respect and grant the
necessary guarantees to individuals and institutions that may provide
information, testimony, or evidence of any other kind to the Commission.
6. To request the
Inter-American Juridical Committee to prepare, in cooperation with the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a draft convention defining
torture as an international crime. AG/RES. 369 (VIII-0/78) REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN URUGUAY (Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on July 1, 1978)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
HAVING SEEN the report of the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights on the situation of human rights in Uruguay (AG/doc.919/78) and
the Uruguayan Government’s observations to that report (AG/doc. 928/78
and AG/doc.928 add.1), and
CONSIDERING:
That the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, as the result
of its analysis based on numerous denunciations received, affirms in
this report that there have been serious violations of human rights;
That the protection and effective exercise of human rights is one
of the main purposes of the Organization of American States and that the
observance of these rights is a source of good relations and solidarity
among the member states, guaranteeing respect for human life and the
dignity of man;
That the opinions expressed during the discussions of this
subject show that the member states are concerned about the effective
exercise and protection of human rights in the hemisphere; and
That the principal purpose of the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights is to promote the observance and protection of human rights
in all the member states,
RESOLVES:
1. To appeal to the
Government of Uruguay to adopt and put into practice the necessary
measures recommended by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in
its report, in order to preserve and ensure the complete enjoyment of
human rights in Uruguay.
2. To express its
satisfaction over the declared spirit of cooperation manifested at the
eighth regular session of this General Assembly, and to ask the
Government of Uruguay, in the same spirit, to consider the possibility
of inviting the Commission to pay an in loco visit and to take
appropriate measures to provide the Commission with any cooperation that
may be necessary for it to carry out its work, to continue to provide
the Commission with such information as it may request in the discharge
of its duties, and at the same time to grant the appropriate guarantees
to those individuals and institutions that may provide information,
testimony, or evidence to the Commission.
3. To thank the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for its report on the
situation of human rights in Uruguay, and to request it to continue to
observe the human rights situation in that country and to report thereon
to the General Assembly at its next regular session. AG/RES. 370 (VIII-0/78) REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN PARAGUAY (Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on July 1, 1978)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
HAVING SEEN the report of the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights on the situation of human rights in Paraguay (AG/doc.920/78), and
That, according to that report, the date and background materials
available to the Commission enable it to conclude that in Paraguay the
great majority of the human rights recognized in the American
Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and in other instruments are
not respected in a manner in keeping with the international commitments
assumed by that country;
That the Commission affirms that the prolonged state of siege in
force in Paraguay has had, and continues to have, adverse effects on the
observance of and respect for human rights;
That the protection and effective exercise of human rights is one
of the main purposes of the Organization of American States and that the
observance of these rights is a source of good relations and solidarity
among the member states, guaranteeing respect for human life and the
dignity of man;
That the opinions expressed during the discussion of this subject
show that the member states are concerned about the effective exercise
and protection of human rights in the hemisphere; and
That the principal purpose of the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights is to promote the observance and protection of human rights
in all the member states,
RESOLVES:
1. To appeal to the
Government of Paraguay to adopt and put into practice the
recommendations contained in the report of the Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights in order to insure the complete enjoyment of human
rights in that country, to remedy the anomalies mentioned by the
Commission, and to grant appropriate guarantees to those individuals and
institutions that may provide information, testimony, or evidence to the
Commission.
2. To request the Government
of Paraguay to continue to provide the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights with such cooperation as may be necessary for the
Commission to carry out its work and, in view of the permission granted
by the Government of Paraguay to the Commission in September of 1977 to
visit Paraguay, to establish, by common agreement with the Commission,
the scheduling and the details of this visit so that it may be made
soon.
3. To thank the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for its report on the
situation of human rights in Paraguay and to request it to continue to
observe the situation of human rights in that country and to report on
the matter to the General Assembly at its next regular session. AG/RES. 371 (VIII-O/78) PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on July 1, 1978)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
REAFFIRMING its commitment to promote observance of the American
Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and of the precepts against
the intervention by any state, directly or indirectly, in the internal
or external affairs of any other state, and on the inviolability of
territory, set forth in Articles 18 and 20 of the Charter of the
Organization of American States,
RESOLVES:
1. To congratulate the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on its continuing efforts to
promote and defend human rights and for the high level of objectivity
and impartiality it has maintained.
2. To recommend that the
member states cooperate with the Commission, duly supply it with the
pertinent information, take all measures required to facilitate the work
of the Commission, and refrain from any reprisals against individuals
and institutions that cooperate with it.
3. To request the member
states to give their consent to any request the Commission may make to
conduct observations in loco.
4. To request each member
state to reaffirm its commitment to:
a. foster and achieve the
consolidation of human rights and put an end to any violations that may
exist in its territory, and
b. achieve economic and
social justice in its national and international relations.
5. To reaffirm that, in the
search for economic and social justice, human dignity and the freedom of
the individual as set forth in the American Declaration of the Rights
and Duties of Man must be preserved and the rule of law respected.
6. To reaffirm the
conviction that there are no circumstances that justify torture, summary
executions, or prolonged detention without due process of law, and to
deplore these transgressions, which would violate the fundamental rights
of man. AG/RES. 372 (VIII-0/78) SEAT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS (Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on July 1, 1978)
WHEREAS:
The entry into force of the American Convention on Human Rights,
(Pact of San José, Costa Rica) signed at the Inter-American Specialized
Conference on Human Rights in San José, on November 22, 1969, is
imminent;
Article 33 of the Convention provides for the establishment of an
Inter-American Court of Human Rights as an organ having jurisdiction
with respect to matters related to the fulfillment of the commitments
made by the State Parties;
Article 58 provides that the Court shall have its seat at the
place determined by the States Parties to the Convention in the General
Assembly of the Organization, and
The Government of Costa Rica formally has offered its territory
for the seat of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
RESOLVES:
To recommend that the seat of the Inter-American Court of Human
Rights be established in due course in Costa Rica. E.
Observation “in loco” in the Republic of Haiti
By means of a note dated January 26, 1978, the Government of
Haiti, through its Permanent Representative to the OAS, invited the
Commission to conduct an in loco visit to observe the progress
achieved in the field of human rights. The Commission, by means of a
communication dated February 3, accepted the invitation.
At its forty-fourth session, the Commission appointed a Special
Committee to conduct the visit, composed of Dr. Andrés Aguilar, Dr.
Carlos García Bauer and Dr. Marco Gerardo Monroy Cabra, from August 16
through 25, 1978.
On the date in question, which was agreed to by the Government of
Haiti, the Special Committee arrived in Port-au-Prince and set up an
office to receive those individuals who wished to present denunciations
of human rights violations.
The Special Committee spoke with President Jean Claude Duvalier;
the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defense, Education, and
Health and of Labor; the President of the Legislative Assembly, and the
Magistrates of the Court of Appeals. It also held talks with the
Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, members of the Haitian League for Human
Rights, representatives of professional and student associations, labor
unions and civil and political organizations.
The Special Committee also visited the city of Cap Haitien and
Jacmel, where it met with local authorities and the public in general.
It also visited the National Penitentiary at Port-au-Prince and the
local jails in the aforementioned cities, where it spoke privately with
the prisoners. F.
Observation “in loco” in the Republic of Nicaragua
In a communication dated June 20, 1978, the Government of
Nicaragua, through its Permanent Representative to the OAS, invited the
Commission to visit Nicaragua for an in loco observation. At its
44th session, the Commission decided to accept the invitation
and appointed a Special Committee composed of Chairman Dr. Andrés
Aguilar, Vice Chairman Dr. Carlos A. Dunshee de Abranches, and Dr.
Carlos García Bauer, Professor Tom J. Farer, Dr. Fernando Volio Jiménez
and Dr. Marco Gerardo Monroy Cabra. It was decided, in principle, that
the month of November would be the most suitable time to conduct the in
loco observation in Nicaragua.
Due to the serious events occurring in Nicaragua, the Commission
decided to advance its visit to October 5, a date which later, on the
recommendation of the XVII Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of
Foreign Affairs, was moved ahead again to October 3.
During its visit, which lasted until October 12, the Commission
established an office in Managua and visited the cities of León, Estelí,
Masaya, Diriamba, Jinotepe, Granada, Chinandega and Matagalpa. The
members of the Special Committee held talks with a number of government
representatives, including President Anastasio Somoza, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Government; the President and Vice
President of the National Congress and members of the Supreme Court.
They also spoke with members of the Permanent Committee on Human Rights,
leaders of the Broad Opposition Front (Frente Amplio Opositor – FAO),
other political groups, the Archbishop of Managua, other Catholic Church
officials, educator, businessmen and professional organizations.
Because of a special interest visits were made to the cities that
had suffered serious damage during the September fighting and talks were
held with neighborhood residents who had seen the worst destruction.
The members of the Special Committee also visited the jails of
Managua and of other cities and spoke privately with some prisoners.
The forty-fifth session of the Commission was held in Washington,
D.C., from November 2 through 18, 1978. All the members of the
Commission were present at that session: Dr. Andrés Aguilar, Dr. Carlos
A. Dunshee de Abranches, Professor Tom J. Farer, Dr. Gabino Fraga, Dr.
Carlos García Bauer, Dr. Marco Gerardo Monroy Cabra and Dr. Fernando
Volio Jiménez.
The first item on the agenda was the election of officers for a
two-year term. Dr. Abranches and Professor Farer were unanimously
elected Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively. Dr. Volio Jiménez was
chosen as the third member of the Permanent Subcommittee.
The better part of this session was dedicated to the preparation
of the Commission’s report on the in loco visit to Nicaragua
that took place a month earlier in response to the invitation extended
by the Government of that country. The Commission approved the report
and sent it to the Government of Nicaragua so that the latter might
present its observations. After considering the observations submitted
by the Nicaraguan Government and in view of the serious situation, the
Commission decided to refer it to the XVII Meeting of Consultation of
Ministers of Foreign Affairs and to publish the report once it had been
sent to the Secretary General of the Organization, for distribution to
the Permanent Delegations of the member states. The IACHR also approved
the report submitted to it for consideration by the Special Committee
that conducted the in loco observation in the Republic of El
Salvador at the beginning of the year.
The IACHR considered the observations presented by the Government
of Panama on the Report on the situation of human rights in that
country, which had been approved by the Commission at its previous
session.
The Commission decided to publish the report together with the
Government’s observations, which dealt only with certain changes in
the country’s legal structure and some decisions taken by the
Government subsequent to receipt of the report.
The Commission received a preliminary report on the situation of
human rights in Haiti, prepared by the Special Committee that conducted
the in loco observation in that country.
The Commission unanimously decided to accept the invitation
extended by the Government of Argentina to conduct an in loco
observation in Argentina, in view of the fact that the Government had
agreed to the standards established for such visits.
The Commission also decided to prepare a new and comprehensive
report on the situation of human rights in Cuba and instructed the
General Secretariat to prepare a preliminary draft.
The Commission adopted resolutions with regard to individual
cases in various countries. These resolutions were forwarded to the
respective claimants and to the governments and will be published in the
Annual Report for 1978.
Among the other topics studied by the Commission were the
following: commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration and American Declaration of Human Rights; fulfillment of the
mandates of the last session of the General Assembly, and its programs
to promote human rights. In connection with the latter, the Commission
decided to sponsor, together with the Inter-American Bar Association and
the University of Costa Rica, a seminar on the American Convention on
Human Rights, which will be held in San José, Costa Rica, in February
of 1979. It also agreed to sponsor another seminar on the teaching of
international law, one of whose subtopics will be the teaching of human
rights; this seminar will be held in Bogotá from September 24 through
28, 1979.
Among its programs to promote human rights, the Commission,
together with UNESCO and the Universidad Simón Bolívar, sponsored a
seminar on “Protection and Promotion of Human Rights; Universalism and
Regionalism,” held in Caracas, Venezuela, from July 31 through August
4, 1978. This seminar, which was attended by experts from various parts
of the world, was inaugurated by the President of Venezuela, Carlos Andrés
Pérez, at a ceremony attended by high-ranking government officials. It
was closed by the former President of Venezuela, Rafael Caldera. The
conclusions of this seminar are expected to be published in the near
future.
Together with the Institute of International Studies of the
University of Chile, the Institute of Historical Humanism and the Center
for Human Rights of the University of Notre Dame of the United States,
the Commission sponsored a “Seminar on International Relations and
Human Rights,” which took place in Santiago, Chile, from November 15
through 17, 1978. Participating in the seminar were individuals from
intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations
working in the field of human rights.
In collaboration with the State University of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, it sponsored an historical exhibit on the major national and
international documents concerning human rights. This exhibit was held
in December 1978.
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