Abstract
The Inter-American human rights system is one of the major regional human rights systems globally. In spite of the availability of human rights instruments in the region, some of which are legally binding, the spate of human rights abuse still leaves a sad commentary. The objective of this paper therefore is to take a critical survey of the human rights instruments in the region with a view to assessing their strengths and constraints. The method of research is basically doctrinal and utilizes the major human rights instruments in the region such as the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of man, and the American Convention on Human Rights in its evaluation. It is the finding of the paper that the Inter-American system indeed has a number of positive features such as the emphasis placed on democratic governance and third party interventions in the adjudicatory process among others. The paper has also identified a number of weaknesses in the system including that the Inter-American Commission lacks the power to refer a case to the Inter-American Court where the State concerned has not ratified the American Convention on Human Rights; and further, the Commission’s recommendations are not legally binding. Therefore, the paper recommended among other things that the Commission be able to transmit a case directly to the Court whether or not the party concerned has ratified the American Convention.
Highlights
Human rights have been defined in a number of terms
The method of research is basically doctrinal and utilizes the major human rights instruments in the region such as the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of man, and the American Convention on Human Rights in its evaluation. It is the finding of the paper that the Inter-American system has a number of positive features such as the emphasis placed on democratic governance and third party interventions in the adjudicatory process among others
The paper has identified a number of weaknesses in the system including that the Inter-American Commission lacks the power to refer a case to the Inter-American Court where the State concerned has not ratified the American Convention on Human Rights; and further, the Commission’s recommendations are not legally binding
Summary
Human rights have been defined in a number of terms. They are those claims made by man for themselves or on behalf of other men, supported by some theory, which concentrates on the humanity of man, on man as a human being and a member of humankind (Dowrick, 1979). Taking a clue from the United Nations after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, most regions of the world made bold efforts to crystallize human rights within their regions for a greater and progressive impact of its widely acknowledged gains. This was so when the United Nations appeared to have gone into slumber over practical steps in the enforcement of international human rights after its conclusion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which spirit and letters were merely hortatory and inspirational at the time of its adoption. The organization is concerned with the resolution of disputes and peacekeeping and with human rights It discharges its functions through various organs such as the General Assembly and the Permanent Council. The inter-American system has made significant contributions to global human rights and this paper is intended to appraise its frontiers and constraints in this connection
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