Centenary of the IAJC

Brief History of the Inter-American Juridical Committee

The oldest antecedent of the Inter-American Juridical Committee is the Permanent Commission of Jurisconsults of Rio de Janeiro set up in 1906 by the 3rd American International Conference. Its first meeting took place in 1912, although its period of greatest importance was during the year 1927, when twelve draft conventions on public international law were approved, as well as the Bustamante Code in the field of private international law.

on, in 1933, during the 7th Pan-American Conference of Montevideo, the National Commissions for Codification of International Law was installed, as well as the Inter-American Commission of Experts, whose first session was held in the city of Washington, D.C., in April 1937.

From 26 September to 3 October of 1939 was held the 1st Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics, on which occasion was set up the Inter-American Committee for Neutrality. This Committee was active for more than two years until 1942, when it was transformed into the Inter-American Juridical Committee through resolution XXVI of the 3rd Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Rio de Janeiro. It was also determined that the Inter-American Juridical Committee would have its headquarters in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

In 1948, the 9th American International Conference held in Bogotá adopted the Charter of the Organization of the American States, through which was created the Inter-American Council of Jurisconsults, with one representative for each Member State with functions involving consultation and juridical development in juridical matters of the OAS. Its permanent commission would be the Inter-American Juridical Committee itself, comprised of nine jurists from the Member States and assigned with full technical autonomy to undertake preparatory studies and work commissioned by certain bodies of the Organization.

Later on, in 1967, the 3rd Extraordinary Inter-American Conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, approved the Protocol for Reforms of the Charter of the Organization of American States, or the Protocol of Buenos Aires, which closed the Inter-American Council of Jurisconsults, whose functions were transferred to the Inter-American Juridical Committee, thus raising it to the level of principal agency of the OAS.

The Inter-American Juridical Committee, according to article 99 of the Charter, has the following basic attributes:

... to serve the Organization as an advisory body on juridical matters; to promote the progressive development and the codification of international law; and to study juridical problems related to the integration of the developing countries of the Hemisphere and, insofar as may appear desirable, the possibility of attaining uniformity in their legislation.

According to article 100 of the Charter, it is also competent to:

... undertake the studies and preparatory work assigned to it by the General Assembly, Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, or the Councils of the Organization. It may also, on its own initiative, undertake such studies and preparatory work as it considers advisible, and suggest the holding of specialized juridical conferences.

The Inter-American Juridical Committee has its headquarters in the city of Rio de Janeiro, but in special cases it may hold meetings elsewhere, opportunely designated after consulting with the corresponding Member State. Furthermore, it is comprised of eleven national jurists from the Member States of the Organization, which represent the whole of the States and enjoy full technical autonomy.