VII Meeting of the Board Directors
Santiago on October 17 and 18 of the year 2002, met the Board of Directors of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA), with the presence of the Councilors Alvear, Callizo, Cassel, Hudson Phillips, Nagel and Elected Councilor Thomson and the participation of the Executive Director and Secretary of the Board, the following resolutions are agreed under article 13 of the Statute and 18 and 19 of the respective Regulations:
1.-Take note of the letter sent by the Ovalle Counselor, who states his inability to attend this seventh meeting and his words of thanks and appreciation for the time served in the Council. He also appreciates his valuable contribution, proposal and effort deployed in the beginning of functions of the Council and JSCA, transmitting this gratitude to the Government of Mexico for his successful nomination. In this same sense, he expresses his gratitude to the services rendered by the Councilor Carl Justice Rattray regretting his retirement from the Council, renewing this same sentiment to the Government of Jamaica for his propitious candidacy.
2.- To congratulate the reelection of the Councilor Hudson Phillips and to give the most cordial welcome to the elected Councilor George Thomson. Both were appointed to the Council, in the framework of the last General Assembly of the OAS.
3.- To thank the efforts made by the Government of Chile through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice and, especially, the concern of the Director Soledad Alvear for the prompt and effective processing and approval of the Headquarters Agreement with the JSCA . In turn, he uses this occasion to salute the contribution of that Government for the regular financing of the JSCA and to express his conviction on the need to maintain this delivery as a regular contribution to finance the Center’s tasks.
4. To entrust the Executive Director and Secretary of the Council with the search for possible spaces and modalities for a timely intervention of the JSCA in the framework of the Thirty-Third Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly, which will take place in Santiago in June next year. In this same sense, he expresses his gratitude to the offices offered by the Councilor Soledad Alvear, in order to support this participation.
5. To instruct the Executive Director to prepare a document that addresses some aspects related to the topic of Hemispheric Security with a view to its presentation at the next Inter-American Conference on the subject, to be held in Mexico during the first half of the year. 2003. This work will be previously sent to each of the Directors in order to incorporate the indications and comments that they deem appropriate to add, before their submission.
6.- To congratulate the Executive Director and his staff for the presentation of the Annual Activity Report for 2002 and projects for 2003, as they show a substantive work on the proposals and significant results. For its part, the Council agrees with the diagnosis delivered regarding the success in maximizing tasks assumed from a proportionally smaller budget. For its part, the Council expresses its satisfaction for the efficient use of the limited resources available to JSCA, Santiago on October 17 and 18, 2002, when the Board of Directors of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA) met. with the presence of the Directors Alvear, Callizo, Cassel, Hudson Phillips, Nagel and the Elected Director Thomson and the participation of the Executive Director and Secretary of the Board, the following resolutions are agreed under article 13 of the Statute and 18 and 19 of the Regulations respective.
7.- Take note of the letter sent by the Ovalle Counselor, who expresses his inability to attend this seventh meeting and his words of thanks and appreciation for the time served on the Board. He also appreciates his valuable contribution, proposal and effort deployed in the beginning of functions of the Council and JSCA, transmitting this gratitude to the Government of Mexico for his successful nomination. In this same sense, he expresses his gratitude to the services rendered by the Councilor Carl Justice Rattray regretting his retirement from the Council, renewing this same sentiment to the Government of Jamaica for his propitious candidacy.
8.- To congratulate the reelection of the Councilor Hudson Phillips and to give the most cordial welcome to the elected Councilor George Thomson. Both were appointed to the Council, in the framework of the last General Assembly of the OAS.
9.- To thank the efforts made by the Government of Chile through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice and, especially, the concern of the Director Soledad Alvear for the prompt and effective processing and approval of the Headquarters Agreement with the JSCA . In turn it uses this occasion to salute the contribution of that Government for the regular financing of the JSCA and to express its conviction in the need to maintain this delivery as a regular contribution for the financing of the Center’s tasks.
10. To entrust the Executive Director and Secretary of the Council with the search for possible spaces and modalities for a timely intervention of the JSCA in the framework of the Thirty-Third Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly, which will take place in Santiago in June next year. In this same sense, he expresses his gratitude to the offices offered by the Councilor Soledad Alvear, in order to support this participation.
11. To instruct the Executive Director to prepare a document that addresses some aspects related to the topic of Hemispheric Security with a view to its presentation at the next Inter-American Conference on the subject, to be held in Mexico during the first half of the year. 2003. This work will be previously sent to each of the Directors in order to incorporate the indications and comments that they deem appropriate to add, before their submission.
12.- To congratulate the Executive Director and his staff for the presentation of the Annual Activity Report for 2002 and projects for 2003, as they show a substantive work on the proposals and significant results. For its part, the Council agrees with the diagnosis delivered regarding the success in maximizing tasks assumed from a proportionally smaller budget. For its part, the Council expresses its satisfaction with the efficient use of the limited resources available to JSCA, maximizing its use to obtain a high impact with the activities carried out.
13.- Recognize the presentation of the Evaluation and Follow-up Report on Criminal Procedure Reforms in the countries of Costa Rica, Chile, Paraguay and the Province of Córdoba, applauding the solidity of its diagnosis and impact, exhorting the Studies Coordinator to explore the feasibility to consider in a future report, the analysis of traditional common-law systems such as those existing in the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean, the United States and Canada.
14.- To approve the Financial Report presented by the Executive Director, renew confidence in the continuity of the contribution of the countries that currently contribute to JSCA’s financing, as is the case of Chile and Canada and those that have committed a forthcoming delivery, as Costa Rica. In this context, the Executive Director and the Secretary of the Board are requested to prepare a document containing the guidelines, under which JSCA reiterates, bilaterally and multilaterally, the settlement of these contributions, for which the scale may be considered. it rules in the OAS.
15. Entrust the Executive Director and the Secretary of the Board with the preparation of an organic and functional proposal of an Advisory Group for the best exploration of resources for JSCA. Said presentation should consider a preliminary list of persons or institutions that potentially can perform in this Group.
16.- To express their satisfaction with the designed diagnosis and proposals submitted by the Director of Studies on the occasion of the Cooperation with the Caribbean Project, encouraging a quick prioritization of activities and a visit to Trinidad and Tobago by two JSCA professionals to agree Application methodologies with partners and local actors. The Council appreciates the valuable help and indispensable assistance that the Councilor Hudson Phillips has had in this initiative.
17.- To consider that, within the framework of the policy of publication of reports and documents by means or channels of JSCA, the following criteria are considered for the purposes of editing responsibility, namely:
17.1 Personal and exclusive responsibility for work carried out under the signature of clearly individualized experts.
17.2 Legal responsibility of the Executive Director for disseminated studies that do not bear a signature or any identity assignment. These criteria should guide the presentation of an ad-hoc proposal by the Executive Director and Secretary of the Board for the next meeting of the Board of Directors.
18.- To entrust the Executive Director with the timely dispatch to the members of this Board of the Audit Report for the year 2002 and the Work Plan for the year 2003.
19.- Request the Secretary of the Board to draft a proposal to amend the Statute, which considers the possibility that the Permanent Council intervene in the appointment of JSCA Directors under certain circumstances.
20.- Grant its ratification to the agreements signed by JSCA with the institutions presented by the Secretary and its approval to IMEJ’s request to become an Associate Member of JSCA, all in accordance with articles 8 and 10 of the Statute.
21.- To congratulate the work and commitment of the Executive Director and the JSCA team.
22.- Convene a future meeting of the Board of Directors at a date prior to the next OAS General Assembly. Likewise, Councilor Thomson points out the need to include in the same call a tentative date for a ninth meeting of the Council, for the sake of better planning and convening of its members.