An approach to the reform process to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights: context, development and perspectives to an ongoing process

Abstract

The IACHR is relevant organ in the Inter American System of Human Rights. As was foreseeable, it work and powers has caused a significant tension among the state- members that has increased in recent years. This tension is due to the clash between two different paradigms in international relations, on one hand, the liberalism paradigm that emphasized in the idea of cooperation and human rights, and, on the other, the realistic paradigm that is focus in the notion of sovereignty and self- interest of the States on the international level. Recently, this stress has been growing and a reform process has been opened with the purpose to make some changes in the work of the Commission. On one side, the Commission and some organizations of the civil society want to preserve their autonomy, independence and powers. On the other side, some States want to restrict the powers of the Commission and are threatening to block the system. This article tries to address this tension giving to the reader some key elements about the context and some perspectives of a process that is still ongoing and could implied significant effects to the international protection of human rights in the region.