The 85th Regular Session of
the Committee ended last Friday, August 8, at
the Committee´s headquarters in the city of Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil.
During the session, the
Committee members adopted a report on the topic
“Alternatives for the regulation on the use of
psychotropic narcotic substances, as well as for
the prevention of pharmacodependence”. The
document in question will be forwarded shortly
to the Permanent Council. The Committee also
made progress in the discussions in several
areas, such as “Migratory management in
bilateral relations”, “The law applicable to
international contracts” and “Immunity of States
and international organizations”.
In relation to the new themes
addressed by the Committee, Dr. Carlos Mata
Prates was appointed rapporteur for the topic on
“protection of stateless persons”, according to
the mandate proposed by the General Assembly
convened for June 2014. The topic requires the
drafting of a “Guide for the Protection of
Stateless Persons”. In addition, Dr. Hernán
Salinas was appointed rapporteur for the topic
“Strengthening Representative Democracy in the
Americas”, a theme aimed to update the
achievements of the Committee in that area in
order to provide a response to the most recent
needs of the OAS.
Finally, the Committee
adopted two “homage” resolutions meant to
recognize the work carried out by Drs. Fernando
Gómez Mont Urueta and Hyacinth Evadne Lyndsay,
whose mandates come to an end in December of
this year.
Regarding the program of
meetings of the Committee, the members received
the visit of Brazilian academicians Nadia de
Araújo and Lauro Gama. There was also a very
valuable exchange of information among members
of international courts, namely Judge Ronny
Abraham from the International Court of Justice
and also Chairman Sang-Hyun Song of the
International Criminal Court, who explained the
operation, mandates and relevant jurisprudence
of each institution. In the area of Stateless
Persons, the Committee received visits from Juan
Carlos Murillo and Juan Ignacio Mondelli from
the Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), who explained the initiatives
taken to celebrate the Cartagena Declaration on
Refugees, in addition to showing their
willingness to cooperate with the Committee in
drafting the Guide on the Protection of
Stateless Persons.
The presence during the
session of the Organization´s Secretary General,
Mr. José Miguel Insulza, should also be
highlighted. Mr. Insulza conversed with the
members of the Committee on legal topics of
interest to the organization, and also
strengthened the links of the Juridical
Committee with the General Secretariat.
During the working session of
Thursday, August 7, the new head officers of the
Committee were elected. The newly elected
Chairman is Mr. Fabián Novak Talavera, with Dr.
Carlos Mata Prates as Vice-Chairman; both
positions have a two-year term, by virtue of the
provisions of Article 10 of the Statute of the
Committee.
The Inter-American Juridical
Committee (CJI) is the consultative organ of
the Organization of American States on juridical
matters by virtue of the provisions of the OAS
Charter and is made up of eleven jurist
nationals of Member States who are elected for a
four-year term.
Currently, the Committee
members are: Fabián Novak Talavera (Peru,
Chairman), Carlos Mata Prates (Uruguay,
Vice-Chairman), João Clemente Baena Soares
(Brazil), Ana Elizabeth Villalta Vizcarra (El
Salvador), David P. Stewart (United States),
Hyacinth Evadne Lindsay (Jamaica), Miguel Aníbal
Pichardo Olivier (Dominican Republic), Fernando
Gómez Mont Urueta (Mexico), José Luis Moreno
Guerra (Ecuador), Gélin Imanès Collot (Haiti)
and Hernán Salinas Burgos (Chile).
The next session of the
Committee will be held from Monday 23 through
Friday 27 March, 2015.
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Photo Gallery - 85th Regular Session
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