Toward Effective Protection of Human Rights in America

This essay examines the actions undertaken by the American States in achieving recognition and effective application of human rights in the hemisphere. It analyzes the work of the Inter-American Juridical Committee, an OAS body specializing in legal matters whose origin goes back to 1906, and in particular, the actions undertaken by the American regional organization since the adoption of the American Declaration on Human Rights (1948). Among other aspects, the author emphasizes first, the importance of the adoption of the San José Agreement (1969) and later, with the purpose of fully reaching the objectives of that instrument, the adoption of an additional protocol: the Protocol of San Salvador (1988), which will become effective as soon as 11 States have deposited their instruments of ratification.