The Inter-American Human Rights System: Impact Beyond Compliance (Studies of the Americas)

This volume brings together innovative work from emerging and leading scholars in international law and political science to critically examine the impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS). By leveraging a variety of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, the contributors assess the impact of the IAHRS on domestic human rights change in Latin America. More specifically, the book provides a nuanced analysis of the System’s impact by examining the ways in which the IAHRS influences domestic actors and political institutions advancing the realisation of human rights. This work will be of interest to students and scholars of human rights and Latin American politics, as well as to those engaged with the nexus of international law and domestic politics and the dynamics of international and regional institutions. Praise for The Inter-American Human Rights System 6 Editor’s Preface 8 Contents 11 Notes on Contributors 13 List of Charts 18 List of Tables 20 Chapter 1: Introduction: Rethinking the Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System 21 Introduction 21 The Inter-American Human Rights System Beyond Compliance 23 Perspectives on the Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System 29 The Future of the Inter-American Human Rights System: Prospects and Comparative Reflections 35 References 40 Chapter 2: Mobilising the Inter-American Human Rights System: Regional Litigation and Domestic Human Rights Impact in Latin America 43 Introduction 43 The Inter-American Human Rights System and Legal Mobilisation 45 Transnational Opportunity Structures and Resource Mobilisation 45 Issue Framing and Identity Formation 48 Strategically Engaging the Inter-American Human Rights System 50 Petitioning the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 51 Mobilising the Inter-American Human Rights System: Three Case Studies 56 Peru 57 Colombia 62 Brazil 66 Conclusion 69 References 75 Chapter 3: Friendly Settlements in the Inter-American Human Rights System: Efficiency, Effectiveness and Scope 79 Introduction 79 Advantages and Disadvantages of Friendly Settlements in Human Rights Matters 82 The Victims’ Perspective 82 The Perspective on the Basis of the General Protection of Human Rights 83 The Perspective of States 86 Questions and Data 86 Friendly Settlements in the Inter-American Human Rights System: Background and General Overview 89 Efficiency 91 Effectiveness 93 Scope 97 Conclusion 102 References 107 Chapter 4: The Impact of Precautionary Measures on Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Americas 109 Introduction 109 Precautionary Measures in the Inter-American Human Rights System 111 Precautionary Measures with Special Focus on Persons Deprived of Liberty 114 Prisoners Sentenced to Death 115 Health Conditions in Detention 115 General Detention Conditions 116 Assessing the Impact of Precautionary Measures 117 Conclusion 122 References 132 Chapter 5: From Compliance to Engagement: Assessing the Impact of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Constitutional Law in Latin America 134 Introduction 134 Fundamental Rights and Constitutional Engagement with the Inter-American System 136 Receiving the International: Comparing Engagement and Convergence/Resistance 140 Inter-American Court Rulings on Impunity Provisions Adopted by Military Regimes 141 Chile: Harmonising Engagement 141 Brazil: Resistance 143 Inter-American Court Rulings on Impunity Provisions Adopted by Democratic Regime and in Ordinary Legislation 147 Mexico: Convergence 147 Uruguay: From Harmonising to Dissonant Engagement 149 Conclusion 153 References 158 Chapter 6: Institutional Empowerment and Progressive Policy Reforms: The Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System on Intra-state Conflicts 161 Introduction 161 The Inter-American Human Rights System, Institutional Empowerment and Intra-state Conflicts 162 Institutional Empowerment in Practice: An Empirical Assessment 165 Conclusion 175 References 182 Chapter 7: Bridging the Gap: National Human Rights Institutions and the Inter-American Human Rights System 185 Introduction 185 National Human Rights Institutions in Latin America 187 National Human Rights Institutions and the Inter-­American Human Rights System 189 Mapping Connections: National Institutions and the Inter-American Human Rights System 191 National Human Rights Institution Implementation Activities at the Domestic Level 191 National Human Rights Institution Compliance Activities at the International Level 193 The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and National Human Rights Institutions 193 The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and National Human Rights Institutions 195 The Experience of the Peruvian Human Rights Ombudsman: From Exit to Internalisation 197 1996–2001: Exhausting Domestic Remedy and Exit 200 2000 Onwards: Pursuing Domestic Remedy and Internalisation 204 Means, Motive and Opportunity for Enhancing Interaction 207 Conclusion 208 References 214 Chapter 8: Transnational Activism and Coalitions of Domestic Interest Groups: Reflections on the Case of Brazil 217 Introduction 217 Brazil and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 221 Processing Brazil: State Responses to the Inter-­American Commission 223 Land Conflict, Rural Violence and Mobilisation of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 228 Conclusion 232 References 237 Chapter 9: Transitional Justice and the Inter-American Human Rights System in Peru: The Role of Anti- and Pro-compliance Constituencies 238 Introduction 238 Peru and the Inter-American Human Rights System 240 Regime Collapse and the Impact of the Inter-­American Human Rights System: Advancing the Agenda of Pro-compliance Constituencies 242 The Role of Non-governmental Organisations 243 The Role of the Judiciary 246 The Renewed Strength of Pro-violation Constituencies 250 Political Interference in Courts 251 Anti-compliance Judicial Actors 253 Undermining Domestic Human Rights Prosecutions 254 Conclusion 256 References 262 Chapter 10: Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System in the Fight Against Impunity for Past Crimes in El Salvador and Guatemala 264 Introduction 264 Background2 265 Approaches to Truth, Justice and Reparation 267 Truth 267 Justice 268 Reparation 269 The Inter-American Human Rights System and Cases of Past Crimes 270 Truth 271 Justice and Reparation: Cases with an Inter-American Court of Human Rights Ruling 272 The Inter-American Human Rights System as the Cause and Effect of Different Transitional Justice Mechanisms Trajectories 278 Conclusion 282 References 287 Chapter 11: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Effects of Overlapping Institutions: A Preliminary Study 289 Introduction 289 A Dense Network of Overlapping Human Rights Institutions 292 Why Focus on Institutional Design 293 Principals, Agents and the Possibility of Overlap/Conflict in Human Rights Recommendations 293 States’ Responses to Different Institutions and Different Types of Recommendations 296 Case Selection and Methods 300 Mapping the Prevalence of Accountability and Anti-­impunity Recommendations 301 State Responses to Anti-impunity Measures at the IAHRS and the United Nations 308 Moving the Research Forward 313 References 315 Chapter 12: Impact in the African and Inter-American Human Rights Systems: A Perspective on the Possibilities and Challenges of Cross-Regional Comparison 319 Introduction 319 Cross-Regional Learning 320 Judicial and Political Oversight 320 Normative Frameworks 324 Common Procedures: Interim Measures 326 Nature and Scope of Remedies 326 Regional Perspectives Informing Global Human Rights 328 Institutional Design 329 Political Reactions 333 Domestic Actors 335 Conclusion 337 References 341 Index 343 Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi Introduction: Rethinking the Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System (Par Engstrom)....Pages 1-22 Mobilising the Inter-American Human Rights System: Regional Litigation and Domestic Human Rights Impact in Latin America (Par Engstrom, Peter Low)....Pages 23-58 Friendly Settlements in the Inter-American Human Rights System: Efficiency, Effectiveness and Scope (Natalia Saltalamacchia Ziccardi, Jimena Álvarez Martínez, Brianda Romero Castelán, María José Urzúa Valverde)....Pages 59-88 The Impact of Precautionary Measures on Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Americas (Clara Burbano-Herrera, Yves Haeck)....Pages 89-113 From Compliance to Engagement: Assessing the Impact of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Constitutional Law in Latin America (Marcelo Torelly)....Pages 115-141 Institutional Empowerment and Progressive Policy Reforms: The Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System on Intra-state Conflicts (Oscar Parra-Vera)....Pages 143-166 Bridging the Gap: National Human Rights Institutions and the Inter-American Human Rights System (Tom Pegram, Nataly Herrera Rodriguez)....Pages 167-198 Transnational Activism and Coalitions of Domestic Interest Groups: Reflections on the Case of Brazil (Rossana Rocha Reis)....Pages 199-219 Transitional Justice and the Inter-American Human Rights System in Peru: The Role of Anti- and Pro-compliance Constituencies (Bruno Boti Bernardi)....Pages 221-246 Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System in the Fight Against Impunity for Past Crimes in El Salvador and Guatemala (Elena Martínez Barahona, Martha Gutiérrez)....Pages 247-271 The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Effects of Overlapping Institutions: A Preliminary Study (Courtney Hillebrecht)....Pages 273-302 Impact in the African and Inter-American Human Rights Systems: A Perspective on the Possibilities and Challenges of Cross-Regional Comparison (Frans Viljoen)....Pages 303-326 Back Matter ....Pages 327-340 Rethinking The Impact Of The Inter-american Human Rights System / Par Engstrom -- Mobilising The Inter-american Human Rights System : Regional Litigation And Domestic Human Rights Impact In Latin America / Par Engstrom, Peter Low -- Friendly Settlements In The Inter-american Human Rights System : Efficiency, Effectiveness And Scope / Natalia Saltalamacchia Ziccardi, Jimena Álvarez Martínez, Brianda Romero Castelán, María José Urzúa Valverde -- The Impact Of Precautionary Measures On Persons Deprived Of Liberty In The Americas / Clara Burbano-herrera, Yves Haeck -- From Compliance To Engagement: Assessing The Impact Of The Inter-american Court Of Human Rights On Constitutional Law In Latin America / Marcelo Torelly -- Institutional Empowerment And Progressive Policy Reforms : The Impact Of The Inter-american Human Rights System On Intra-state Conflicts / Oscar Parra-vera -- Bridging The Gap : National Human Rights Institutions And The Inter-american Human Rights System / Tom Pegram, Nataly Herrera Rodriguez -- Transnational Activism And Coalitions Of Domestic Interest Groups : Reflections On The Case Of Brazil / Rossana Rocha Reis -- Transitional Justice And The Inter-american Human Rights System In Peru : The Role Of Anti- And Pro-compliance Constituencies / Bruno Boti Bernardi -- Impact Of The Inter-american Human Rights System In The Fight Against Impunity For Past Crimes In El Salvador And Guatemala / Elena Martínez Barahona, Martha Gutiérrez -- The Inter-american Court Of Human Rights And The Effects Of Overlapping Institutions : A Preliminary Study / Courtney Hillebrecht -- Impact In The African And Inter-american Human Rights Systems : A Perspective On The Possibilities And Challenges Of Cross-regional Comparison / Frans Viljoen. Par Engstrom, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book critically examines the impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS). Going beyond traditional state compliance models of human rights impact, it develops a contextual understanding of how the IAHRS shapes political struggles between actors and institutions seeking to advance the realization of human rights and those who resist such social and political change. Par Engstrom is Senior Lecturer in Human Rights at the Institute of the Americas, University College, UK, and the academic coordinator of the International Network on the Inter-American Human Rights System Intro; Praise for The Inter-American Human Rights System; Editor's Preface; Contents; Notes on Contributors; List of Charts; List of Tables; Chapter 1: Introduction: Rethinking the Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System; Introduction; The Inter-American Human Rights System Beyond Compliance; Perspectives on the Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System; The Future of the Inter-American Human Rights System: Prospects and Comparative Reflections; References