Inter-American Juridical Committee - August 2012

The Inter-American Juridical Committee concluded its 81st regular session

During the second week of August, the Committee celebrated its 81st regular session at its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. On that occasion, approval was given to a guide to regulate the use of force and protection of people in situations of internal violence that do not qualify as armed conflict. Discussions were also held on the protection of cultural assets in the case of armed conflict; the legal implications, as well as the conceptual and terminological developments relating to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression; and trans-border integration. In the area of private international law, the following new themes were established: electronic warehouse receipts referring to transportation of agricultural products, immunity of States, and inter-American legal cooperation.

The Committee received visits from some of the scholars and specialists in international law taking part in the 39th Course in International Law being held from the 6th to the 24th August; the central theme is “Law and current international relations”.

It should be mentioned that in the course of the last year the Inter-American Committee has adopted Resolutions on themes of participative democracy and citizen participation; peace, security and cooperation; relations between asylum and refugees; freedom of thought and expression; strengthening the inter-American system of protection and promotion of human rights (CJI/RES. 192 (LXXX-O/12)); privacy and protection of personal data in the Americas (CJI/RES. 186 (LXXX-O/12)); simplified stock corporations (CJI/RES. 188 (LXXX-O/12)); access to justice in the Americas (CJI/RES. 187 (LXXX-O/12)); and cultural diversity in the development of international law (CJI/RES. 185 (LXXX-O/12)).