Complexity and compliance in the Inter-American Human Rights System

• Grant number: 16/08756-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: March 31, 2017
• End date: April 07, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Cristiane de Andrade Lucena Carneiro
• Grantee: Cristiane de Andrade Lucena Carneiro
• Visiting researcher: Roger Michael O'Keefe
• Visiting researcher institution: University College London (UCL), England
• Host Institution: Instituto de Relações Internacionais (IRI). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research project investigates the link between institutional complexity and compliance, with respect to the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS). We understand institutional complexity as "the presence of nested, partially overlapping, and parallel" international institutions, following the contribution by Alter and Meunier. This project takes a fresh look at institutional complexity in the IAHRS, and proposes an indicator of regime complexity based on two distinct dimensions and the demands these dimensions impose on state behavior. In a first step, we analyze the development of the IAHRS through the notion of institutional complexity and assess the impact of institutional complexity on compliance with the prohibition of torture. (AU)