Inter-American Yearbook on Human Rights, 1988

Book excerpt: This edition of the "Inter-American Yearbook on Human Rights," like the volumes that precede it, includes information concerning the activities of the Organization of American States in the promotion and protection of human rights. It begins with the composition of the Commission and Court, including the biographies of the members, 1988 activities of each body, reproductions of resolutions and reports by the Commission and historic correspondences and decisions by the Court. Also included is an update on the status of the American Convention on Human Rights, which reports the relation of each country to that instrument, followed by resolutions adopted in 1988 by the OAS General Assembly. The year 1988 distinguished itself particularly because the Inter-American Court of Human Rights made its first decision on a contentious case, the "Velasquez Rodriguez" case (Honduras). This historic decision is reproduced in Part Three of this volume. Another important 1988 development in the Inter-American system was the Protocol of San Salvador, or Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, reproduced in Part Four. Also included, in its entirety, is a report on the human rights situation in Haiti, a report requested by the Organization of American States Permanent Council in Resolution 502. The "Inter-American Yearbook on Human Rights" is completely bilingual (English and Spanish).