» Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Juridical Committee

CHAPTER VII

OBSERVERS AN SPECIAL GUESTS

Article 21: The Committee, by the affirmative vote of at least six of its members, may invite representatives or organs and agencies of a world or regional nature and of national agencies, whether official or not, which are referred to in article 22 of the Statutes, to participate as observers in its discussions, if the Committee considers that this procedure can be useful for the better fulfilling of its task.

 The expenses occasioned by the participation of observers shall be paid by the observers themselves or by the entities that they represent. Observers may take the floor upon invitation of the Chairman.

Article 22: The Committee, by the affirmative vote of at least six of its members, may invite specialists in a particular matter to take part in the discussions on that matter, without the specialists having necessarily to be nationals of a Member State of the Organization, and if the invitation involves expenditures, the Committee shall make a request for funds in accordance with the provisions of articles 23 of the Statutes.

Article 23: The Committee, by the affirmative vote of at least six of its members, may invite representatives of bar associations, associations of professors of law, and entities that specialize in the study of international law, as well as jurists who specialize in the study of international law, to hold joint meetings with it during its meetings.

 The date of the beginning and the end of such meetings shall be indicated in the invitation. 

 The purposes of such joint meetings shall be:

 a) To examine the matters that are on the agenda of the meetings at which the joint meetings take place;

 b) To strengthen cooperative relations between the Committee and the agencies or persons referred to in the first part of this article;

 c) To offer the opportunity for such agencies and persons to become familiar with the activities of the Committee and to cooperate with it.

 If the joint meetings involve expenditures, the Committee shall make a request for funds in accordance with the provisions of article 19 of these Rules of Procedure.