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RCC is pleased to announce this talk by María Díaz Crego, Visiting Fellow at the Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School.
The situation of the United States of America in relation to the Inter-American Human Rights System is characterised by its reluctance to engage fully in the system. The United States is one of the few OAS Member States that has not yet ratified the American Convention on Human Rights neither has accepted the jurisdiction of the Inter- American Court of Human Rights. It is only bound by the human rights obligations stated in the Charter of the OAS and the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, as interpreted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Even though, the USA government has manifested in different occasions that the American Declaration is “a non-binding instrument that does not itself create legal rights or impose legal obligations on signatory states”, thus challenging the legal force of the Declaration. In this context, several questions arise: Is there any legal reason that might explain the position of the USA towards the Inter- American system? And, despite the official position of the USA government, has the Inter- American system had any impact at all in USA law and practices?
For more information please contact: María Díaz Crego