Bustamante Code

Abstract: At the first meeting of the Commission of Jurists in 1912, seventeen nations were represented The period of its most fruitful work was during its 1927 meeting, when it prepared and approved twelve projects on public international law and approved the Bustamante Code of private international law At the seventh Pan-American Conference in Montevideo in 1933, provision was made for the creation of National Commissions to Codify International Law, whose members were to be nominated by the governments of the American Republics An Inter-American Commission of Experts composed of seven jurists was also organized This Commission of Experts was the predecessor of the Inter-American Juridical Committee Its first meeting was held in the Pan American Union in Washington, D C on April 5, 1937 In 1939 the Inter-American Neutrality Committee was created by a resolution of the First Meeting of Consultation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Panama At the Third Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro in January 1942, Resolution XXVI provided for the organization of the Inter-American Juridical Committee The sixth paragraph of this resolution outlined the competence of the Committee, which in general was to prepare, study, develop, and co-ordinate the work of codifying international law, formulate recommendations to the governments, and also to continue a work commenced by the Inter-American Neutrality Committee regarding war claims Finally, at the Ninth Inter-American Conference at Bogota in 1948, provision was made in the Charter of the Organization of American States for the present organization of the Inter-American Council of Jurists and the Inter-American Juridical Committee