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INTER-AMERICAN JURIDICAL COMMITTEE TO MEET IN EL SALVADOR

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today noted that El Salvador will host the next meeting of the Inter-American Juridical Committee and thanked Salvadoran President Elías Antonio Saca “for his government’s support in helping to strengthen the rule of law in the Americas.”

An agreement signed today by Secretary General Insulza and Ambassador Abigail Castro de Pérez, who represented the government of El Salvador, formalized the Central American country’s commitment to host the 70th regular period of sessions, which will take place from February 26 to March 9.

During the signing ceremony, Insulza recalled the important contributions the Juridical Committee has made in its ongoing efforts to strengthen the rule of law in the hemisphere, which he said have given the OAS a groundbreaking role in the legal field. One significant achievement, Insulza said, was the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, which was developed within the Inter-American Juridical Committee before being adopted by the region’s governments. This treaty has served as a basis for other legal instruments, most recently the United Nations Convention against Corruption, Insulza said.

“The work the Committee carries out is a key component of the institutional architecture of our hemisphere, and we are certain that it will continue to fulfill that role in the coming years,” said the Secretary General, who noted that last year the Juridical Committee celebrated its centennial with a Permanent Council ceremony.

Ambassador Castro de Pérez, for her part, reaffirmed her government’s interest in “promoting and strengthening the rule of law as a crucial reference point for democracy and democratic governance in my country.” She added that “this impetus we are giving the OAS – having one of its most important consultative bodies meet in El Salvador – shows the interest we have in strengthening our rule of law, our democratic governance, something we have yearned for and continue to work toward on a permanent basis.”

The Salvadoran diplomat said the upcoming meeting will “invigorate” the process of democratic strengthening that began 15 years ago in her country, with the signing of the peace accords.

The Inter-American Juridical Committee is an OAS advisory body that examines international legal issues of interest to the countries of the hemisphere and seeks when possible to attain uniformity in their legislation. Based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is composed of eleven noted jurists of the Americas, among them Ana Elizabeth Villalta of El Salvador.

Reference: E-003/07