On November 20th, the Academy on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law hosted an engaging panel discussion on the precautionary measure procedure, a critical tool employed by the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to address urgent situations involving imminent risks of irreparable harm. The event brought together attorneys and experts working daily with these Inter-American bodies to provide attendees with an in-depth understanding of this vital mechanism.

Speakers:

• Fernanda dos Anjos, Coordinator, Precautionary Measures Mechanism, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
• Rita Lamy, Attorney, Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
• Juliana Mendonca, Human Rights Specialist- Precautionary Measures Section- IACHR and LLM Student AUWCL
• Moderator: Gabriel Ortiz, Program Coordinator Academy on Human Rights AUWCL

Topics Discussed:

• The criteria used by the Inter-American System to determine whether a situation warrants precautionary or provisional measures.
• The legal complexities involved in drafting and refining decisions to address potential human rights violations.
• Challenges faced by the Inter-American bodies in addressing cases that fall outside the strict parameters of urgency, seriousness, or imminence but still involve significant human rights concerns.
• The role of attorneys working with commissioners and judges in shaping the Inter-American System's human rights standards.

Format and Engagement:

The event, held in Room NT07 at the American University Washington College of Law, was attended both in person and online. Participants enjoyed a dynamic and interactive discussion.

Acknowledgments:

The Academy extends its gratitude to the distinguished speakers, Fernanda dos Anjos, Juliana Mendoncaand and Rita Lamy, for their expertise and to all participants who joined in person and virtually. This event underscored the importance of precautionary measures as a tool for safeguarding human rights and reinforced the Academy’s commitment to facilitating meaningful dialogues on critical human rights mechanisms.