ABSTRACT
Both the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Inter-American Commission) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Inter-American Court) have addressed consular notification and access. These two bodies are organs of the Organization of American States, the inter-state organization of the Western Hemisphere. The Inter-American Court, based in San Jose, Costa Rica, hears cases filed by one OAS state against another. It has the power as well to issue advisory opinions at the request of an OAS member state. The Inter-American Commission, based in Washington DC, U.S.A., receives and decides upon complaints of rights violations filed against OAS member states on behalf of individuals. These two organs stand in no hierarchical relationship to the ICJ, or to any other organ of the United Nations. The OAS and UN are independent of each other.
