AG/RES. 1546 (XXVIII-O/98)

EVALUATION OF THE WORKINGS OF THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM FOR THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WITH A VIEW TO ITS STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT

(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on June 2, 1998)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Permanent Council on evaluation and improvement of the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights (AG/doc.3718/98), presented in compliance with resolution AG/RES. 1488 (XXVII-O/97);

BEARING IN MIND that the member states of the Organization of American States have proclaimed in Article 3 of the Charter of the Organization, as one of its principles, respect for the fundamental rights of the individual, without distinction as to race, nationality, creed, or sex;

AWARE that the promotion and international protection of human rights enhances and complements the protection offered by the internal law of member states and is based upon the dignity of the individual; and

CONSIDERING:

That it would be desirable to continue efforts to strengthen and improve the inter-American human rights system, including the possibility of evaluating applicable legal instruments and the working methods and procedures of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights;

That this year marks the 50th anniversary of both the signing of the OAS Charter and the adoption of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, instruments that gave rise to the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights and have had a decisive influence on its subsequent development; and

That the Heads of State and Government expressed in the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile, in April 1988, the need to strengthen and improve the inter-American human rights system by way of concrete initiatives,

RESOLVES:

1. To promote concrete initiatives and measures to strengthen and improve the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights, in order to strengthen its institutional structure and promote its ties with national systems and regional bodies that promote and protect human rights. 2. To instruct the Permanent Council to continue, through its Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs, its comprehensive consideration of the various aspects of strengthening and improving the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights, issuing recommendations, should it see fit, through the relevant bodies, on possible amendments to applicable legal instruments, among other subjects.

3. To instruct the Permanent Council to promote dialogue, through its Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs, to strengthen and improve the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights, with appropriate cooperation from the agencies and entities of the inter-American system and, when fitting, from the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights and, also when fitting, from other governmental and nongovernmental organizations and institutions.

4. To forward this resolution to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

5. To request the Permanent Council to report on the implementation of this resolution to the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth regular session.