The Legacy and Current Challenges of the Inter-AmericanCommission on Human Rights

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Commission) of the Organization of American States (OAS) has had a central role in the development of the international law of human rights in these areas, and its work and influence is very much linked to the recent history of our region. In order to better understand the way forward when facing the Commission’s current challenges, it is worth considering the three phases that have defined its work throughout the last five decades, as well as its outstanding contribution to the protection of human rights through its recommendations to OAS Member States.