CHAPTER I

LEGAL ORIGIN AND BASES OF THE IACHR

          In its resolution on human rights, the Fifth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Santiago, Chile, 1959) established an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to “promote respect for such rights.”

          The Council approved the Statute of the Commission on May 25, 1960, and elected its seven members on June 29 of that year.

          On February 27, 1967, the Protocol of Amendments to the OAS Charter was signed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Article 112 of the Protocol calls for an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, with the primary function of promoting the observance and defense of human rights and serving as an organ of consultation for the OAS in this field. It also raised the Commission to the rank of a principal organ subject to a future convention on human rights (Article 112, last part), and provided that in the interim period between the entry into force of the Protocol and the entry into force of the Convention, the IACHR, established by the Fifth Meeting of Consultation, “shall keep vigilance over the observance of human rights” (Article 150).

          Finally, on November 12, 1969, the American Convention on Human Rights was signed in San José, Costa Rica, and entered into force almost nine years later on July 18, 1978, when the eleventh instrument of ratification was deposited by the member State of Grenada. As of the date of approval of this Report the Convention has nineteen state parties: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

          At its ninth regular session (La Paz, Bolivia, October 1979), the OAS General Assembly approved the new Statute of the Commission. At the following regular session of the General Assembly, held in November 1980, in Washington, D.C., Articles 6 and 8 of the Statute were amended. Pursuant to Article 112 of the OAS Charter and Article 1 of the Commission’s Statute, the Commission is: “An organ…created to promote the observance and defense of human rights and to serve as consultative organ of the Organization in this matter.”

          At its 49^th session (April 1980), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights adopted new Regulations. At its 64^th session (March 1985) articles 7, 8, 17, 19, 34, 45, 53 and 74 of the above Regulations were modified.

          A more detailed explanation of the Commission’s origin and juridical bases, along with the text of the instruments governing it are contained in the document “Handbook of Existing Rules Pertaining to Human Rights in the Inter-American System” (OEA/Ser.L/V/II.65, doc. 6, July 1, 1985).

STATUS OF THE AMERICAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

          On the date this report was approved, the following States were parties to the American Convention on Human Rights: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Of these countries, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela have recognized the Commission’s competence to receive inter-State complaints in accordance with Article 45. Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela have recognized the Court’s jurisdiction in accordance with Article 62 of the Convention.

RELATIONS OF THE IACHR WITH THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT

OF HUMAN RIGHTS

          During the period covered by this report, the IACHR continued to cooperate with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. During its 64^th regular meeting, the Commission welcomed the President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Dr. Pedro Nikken, the Vice-President, Prof. Thomas Buergenthal, Dr. Carlos Roberto Reina, Dr. Rafael Nieto Navia and the Secretary, Dr. Charles Moyer. Discussions were held to strengthen the ties of cooperation and coordination between these two organs.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER AGENCIES OF THE

REGIONAL SYSTEM

          In 1984-1985, the Commission continued to cooperate in the human rights field with the Inter-American Commission of Women, the Inter-American Children’s Institute and the Inter-American Indian Institute, which are specialized organs of the OAS.

RELATIONS WITH WORLD AGENCIES OF THE SAME TYPE

          Likewise, during that time the Commission continued to strengthen its cooperative ties with the United Nations’ Commission and Committee on Human Rights and the European Commission on Human Rights, through an exchange of documents and information. Worthy of special note was the visit of the Chairman of the IACHR, Ambassador César Sepúlveda, to the United Nations Human Rights Center in Geneva, Switzerland, in February 1985.

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