On August 16, 2017, the Inter-American Juridical Committee (CJI) successfully concluded its 91st Regular Session. The session had commenced August 7th and deliberations took place at the Committee´s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

The CJI studied and discussed a series of topics relevant for the region, all of which had been included in the Committee’s agenda. The CJI received a series of reports from the appointed Rapporteurs on topics such as law applicable to international contracts; binding and non-binding agreements; online arbitration in cross-border consumer transactions; immunity of international organizations; privacy and the protection of personal data; and representative democracy.

The CJI also, with satisfaction, took note of the decision by the OAS General Assembly to request the Permanent Council to grant due consideration to the most recent resolutions approved by the CJI and the accompanying reports on the topics of cultural heritage assets; conscious and effective regulation of corporations in the field of human rights; and electronic warehouse receipts for agricultural products.

In addition, the CJI was honored to receive a visit from representatives of the United Nations International Law Commission; the African Union Commission on International Law; the Ibero-American Network for Protection of Personal Data; the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and the Latin-American Society of International Law. This gave the CJI an opportunity to explore the best ways to collaborate with these organizations and institutions aimed at further progressive development and codification of international law in the Americas.

Members of the CJI also delivered lectures at the Course in International Law, an activity that is organized each year by the CJI and its Technical Secretariat, the Department of International Law (Secretariat for Legal Affairs) of the OAS.

The next Regular Session of the CJI will be held in Mexico City, D.F., Mexico, from February 26th to March 2nd, 2018, at the invitation of the Mexican government.