Meetings of the Sub-Commission on Latin America
The Venice Commission has developed a wide range of co-operation activities with countries of Latin America through its Sub-Commission on Latin America. Established to promote research and exchange on constitutional reforms in progress in the region the Sub-commission has become since its creation a platform for dialogue and consultation on constitutional developments in Latin America. It has contributed to the establishment of a shared legal culture in the field of democracy, rule of law and human rights. Six meeetings of the Sub-Commission have been organised so far namely Mexico (2013), Brazil (2014), Chile (2015), Peru (2016), Italy (2017), Mexico (2018) and Italy (2019. They are usually preceded by international conferences organised on topical legal issues and attended by high level European and Latin American experts and Constitutional Courts representatives.
Sub-Commission meeting in Venice
10 October 2019, Venice, Italy
Venice – In a joint meeting held in the margins of the 120th plenary session of the Venice Commission, the members of the Sub-Commission on Democratic Institutions and the Sub-Commission on Latin America, examined the draft opinion on linking the constitutional amendments to the vote of no confidence, opinion which was requested by the president of the Peruvian Congress. The draft was discussed and submitted to the plenary session of the Venice Commission for adoption.
International Congress and meeting of the Sub-Commission for Latin America
29-30 November 2018, Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City – The Federal Electoral Tribunal of Mexico and the Venice Commission organised an international Congress “The guarantees of democratic processes: international standards and constitutional principles in a comparative perspective”. The 2018 meeting of the Sub-Commission for Latin America of the Venice Commission was held on the side-lines of the Congress.
Programme of the meeting of the Sub-Commission
Sub-Commission meeting in Venice
5 October 2017, Venice, Italy
Venice - The Sub-Commission meeting in Venice took place in the margins of the 112th plenary session of the Venice Commission. Members of the The Sub-Commission were informed about the opinion on legal issues raised by the decree issued by President Maduro on 23 May 2017 calling for the election of National Constituent Assembly in Venezuela and held an exchange of views with the representatives of the Organisation of American States. The participants were also informed about the proposals of co-operation with Mexico in 2018. Members of the Sub-Commission also had an opportunity to meet with Mr Luis Almagro, Secretary General, Organisation of American States and to have an exchange on the work of the OAS and its co-operation with the Venice Commission.
Sub-Commission meeting in Peru
24-25 October 2016, Lima, Peru
Lima - The Sub-Commission meeting in Lima took place in the margins of an international conference entitled “Constitutional reform and democratic stability: the role of Constitutional Courts” organised by the Venice Commission in cooperation with the Constitutional Court of Peru. The Sub-Commission meeting was also attended by the President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and allowed to discuss constitutional developments and co-operation activities with countries from the region.
Sub-Commission meeting in Chile
5 December 2015, Santiago de Chile
Santiago de Chile - The meeting of the Sub-Commission on Latin America was attended by representatives from Latin American countries, which are not members of the Venice Commission. The meeting touched upon issues such as: follow-up given to previous Venice Commission opinions, road-map for possible activities in Latin America in 2016 and creation of several joint Europe-Latin America experts groups. Ambassadors from all Latin American countries not members of the Commission were invited to the Sub-Commission meeting and to nominate a national representative/liaison officer, which would inform on constitutional reforms at national level. Besides, it was decided to translate and disseminate relevant Venice Commission opinions and reports into Spanish. The meeting also decided the creation of a working group on the issue of the implementation of International Human Rights decisions and the national margin of appreciation bringing together both European and the Inter-American experiences. At the December 2015 plenary session, Mr Juan Jose Romero Guzman (Chile) was elected President of the Sub-Commission on Latin America.
Sub-Commission meeting in Brazil
6 May 2014, Ouro Preto, Brazil
Ouro Preto - The meeting of the Sub‑Commission on Latin America was organised in the margins of an international conference "Protecting economic and social rights in times of crisis: what role for judges ?" was attended by representatives from Latin American countries not members of the Venice Commission. A growing number of countries from the region are interested in stepping up co-operation with the Commission. Participants discussed issues such as the follow‑up given to the previous opinions of the Venice Commission, the road‑map for the possible activities in Latin America in 2015‑2016 and the creation of a network of experts, which could intervene upon request from a given country with a study or an exchange of views on a specific topic. The President of the Sub‑Commission, Mr Joaquim Gomes Barbosa, announced that the Supreme Court of Brazil was ready to create a permanent secretariat of the Sub‑Commission. The Venice Commission elected in its December 2014 session Mr Lewandowski (Brazil) as the new Chair of the Sub-Commission as Mr Joaquim Gomes Barbosa resigned in 2014 from his position of member of the Venice Commission. At the same session, the Commission was informed of the creation of the permanent Secretariat of the Sub‑Commission on Latin America, under the supervision of Mr Fernando Cavalcanti.
Meeting of the Sub-Commission in Mexico
24 October 2013, Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City -This was the first meeting of the Sub-Commission on Latin America to take place outside Venice. Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Uruguay and Venezuela, as well as representatives of the Organisation of American States (OAS) attended the event. The meeting served to explore the various co-operation opportunities with Latin American countries which were not members of the Commission. Representatives of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts present were invited to join the World Conference on Constitutional Justice. OAS made a presentation on the new working group in the electoral field created in 2010 by the electoral courts of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the Dominican Republic. OAS proposed to continue regular exchanges of views with the Sub-Commission on Latin America in 2014.