» Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Juridical Committee

CHAPTER III

functions and powers

Article 5: In order to carry out its purposes, and in accordance with articles 100 and 103 of the Charter and with article 12 of the Statutes, the Committee has the following principal functions and powers:

 a) To advise and inform on juridical matters of an international character the other organs of the Organization, when they so request;

 b) To carry out the studies and the preparatory work on juridical matters of an international character that are assigned to it by the organs of the Organization mentioned in article 100 of the Charter;

 c) When the request for advice or for information comes from a principal organ not mentioned in article 100 of the Charter, it shall be authorized by the General Assembly. If on the other hand the request comes from a subsidiary or dependent agency, it shall be authorized by the organ on which it depends;

 d) To prepare draft conventions or formulate opinions on matters of regional interest that refer to the progressive development of international law and to its codification;

 e) The Committee shall study the juridical problems related to the integration of the developing Member States in the economic, social, educational, scientific and cultural fields in accordance with the standards set forth in the Charter of the Organization. Also, the Committee shall study the possibility of attaining uniformity in the legislation of the Member States in these fields and in accordance with the rules indicated in the preceding clauses of this article.

Article 6: The Committee may:

 a) Carry out, on its own initiative, the studies and preparatory work that it considers advisable;

 b) Suggest the holding of specialized meetings and conferences of an international character.

Article 7: The Committee may also establish cooperative relations, within the hemisphere or outside of it, with universities, institutes, and other teaching centers, with bar associations and other associations of lawyers and with national and international committees, organizations and entities devoted to the development or codification of international law or to the study, research, teaching or dissemination of juridical matters of international interest.