TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments 5 Disclaimer 5 Foreword 7 INTRODUCTION 15 PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS 21 1.1 The Organization of American States: The development of the Human Rights System 23 1.2 The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 1.2.1 Composition and Powers 1.2.2 Reports and On-Site Visits a. Country and thematic reports b. On-site Visits c. Thematic rapporteurships and units 1.2.3 Individual petitions a. System of individual petitions under the American Convention b. System of individual complaints under the American Declaration c. The legal nature of recommendations of the Inter-American Commission 27 27 30 30 34 37 37 1.3 The Inter-American Court of Human Rights 1.3.1 Contentious jurisdiction 1.3.2 Advisory jurisdiction 45 46 50 PART 2: SUBMITTING A COMMUNICATION 51 2. Submitting a communication 53 2.1 Initiating the proceedings 2.1.1 How to file a petition? 2.1.2 What should the structure of a petition be? 2.1.3 What kind of information is needed? 54 54 55 59 2.2 Admissibility 60 38 43 44 11