A series of training courses highlighting recent developments in the inter-American system for diplomatic officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, other public officials, the academic and private sector, and civil society opened on August 17, a joint initiative of the Department of International Law (DIL) of the OAS Secretariat for Legal Affairs and the Government of Guatemala.

This course stems from an OAS General Assembly mandate and falls within the framework of the activities established by the 1996 Inter-American Program for the Development of International Law, under which the DIL is requested to organize courses on various aspects of inter-American law, promote the legal heritage of the inter-American system, and facilitate the exchange of ideas on political and legal developments within the OAS.

The five-week refresher course is being held virtually and runs until September 13. Among the latest legal developments in the inter-American system that will be covered during the course will be such issues as international contracts, access to credit, secured transactions, access to public information, and corporate social responsibility. There will also be classes focused on issues related to the performance of OAS bodies, including the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the codification and progressive development of international law, and the promotion of democracy and the fight against corruption. The training sessions are conducted by officials from the OAS Secretariat for Legal Affairs.

In attendance at the opening session were, among others, Ambassador Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Rita Claverie, Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the OAS; Ambassador Eduardo Meneses, Principal of the Diplomatic Academy of Guatemala; Dr. Jean-Michel Arrighi, OAS Secretary for Legal Affairs; and Dr. Dante Negro, Director of the OAS Department of International Law.

More than 150 people will be able to participate in each session, thanks to the large number of invitations issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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