On November 9, 2019, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) approved Resolution 3/19 "Principles on Public Policies on Memory in the Americas" during its 174th Period of Sessions, held in Quito, Ecuador.

The IACHR decided to issue the resolution considering the need to develop guidelines for the design, preparation, and implementation of public memory policies following the state's obligations to provide truth, justice, reparation, and measures of non-repetition of serious human rights violations.

Through this Resolution, the IACHR adopted a guide for the States based on standards developed in the Inter-American Human Rights System and on good practices observed in the countries of the region. In the same way, it presents general principles for a public policy on the matter and develops guidelines regarding memory initiatives of an educational, cultural, or other nature; as well as regarding memory sites and files.

The Principles are the result of a public consultation process started in 2017, the first one held in Montevideo, on October 21, by the then Thematic Unit on Memory, Truth, and Justice; the second one carried out with the support of the Network of Latin American and Caribbean Sites of Memory (RESLAC) and the Latin American Network of Transitional Justice (RLAJT) in Sucre on February 14, 2019; as well as the dialogue with experts on October 23 in São Paulo.