uman Rights in the Organization of American States

One of the main achievements of the Organization of American States (OAS) has been the construction of an interamerican system of protection and promotion of human rights. This essay reviews the evolution and characteristics of this system, which began with the adoption of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (1948); according to the author, although this system has had a favorable influence on regional development, today it needs to be reinforced and updated. In particular, the author analyzes the function and activities of the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights and points out the tendency by that Commission to assume jurisdictional capacities not granted by the States of the OAS; in his opinion, the consolidation and perfecting of the interamerican human rights system will, in the future, require fluid, transparent dialogue between the States and the bodies qualified in the subject matter.