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Photograph of Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon

Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon Adjunct Professor WCL Adjunct Faculty

Degrees
J.D., Universidad de los Andes School of Law 1989
LL.M., American University Washington College of Law 1994
S.J.D., George Washington University School of Law 2002

Bio


Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón (J.D., LL.M., S.J.D.) is Professorial Lecturer in Residence and Co-Director of the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law (WCL). He is also Co-Director of the LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at WCL. He teaches courses in the fields of international law and human rights law. He served
a member of the United Nations Committee against Torture under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, from 2018 to 2021. He served as Ad Hoc Judge in the Inter-American Court on Human Rights of the Organization of American States from 2007 to 2011. As correspondent for the British periodical Butterworths Human Rights Cases (Lexis-Nexis), Professor Rodríguez-Pinzón covers the Americas. He has served as international legal consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the Organization of American States (OAS), among other institutions. He was also staff attorney at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS and Officer for Latin America at the International Human Rights Law Group (later Global Rights), a Washington DC based non-governmental organization.


His recent articles include Selected Issues Related to the Interaction of International Human Rights Conventions with a Proposed Treaty on Pandemics, American University International Law Review: Vol. 36: Iss. 5 , Article 10 (2021); Brief overview of the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the Inter-American Human Rights System, in: Sir Malcolm Evans and Dr Jens Modvig, Research Handbook on Torture, Edward Elgar Publishing (2020); The Inter-American Human Rights System: The Inter-American Commission, and El Sistema interamericano de Derechos Humanos: La Comisión Interamericana, United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law (AVL), http://legal.un.org/avl/faculty/Rodriguez-Pinzon.html (2018); Introductory Note to the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Rights of Older Persons (International Legal Materials (ILM), American Society of International Law, 2017); Building Prevention to Protect: The Inter-American Human Rights System (co-author with Carlos Portales) (Anuario Colombiano de Derecho Internacional, 2017); The Inter-American Human Rights System and Transitional Processes, in Transitional Jurisprudence The ECHR and Other Regional Human Rights Approaches to Transition, (Michael Hamilton & Antoine Buyse eds, Cambridge University Press 2014); Precautionary Measures of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in Revista Aportes (Due Process of Law Foundation, 2014); and also in Haeck,Y., McGonigle, B., Burbano-Herrera, C., and Contreras-Garduno, D. (eds.), The Realization of Human Rights: When Theory Meets Practice: Studies in Honour of Leo Zwaak (Intersentia, Antwerp, 2014); Precautionary Measures of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Legal Status and Importance (Human Rights Brief, Volume 20, Issue 2, Winter 2013); La Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos: Apuntes sobre su Labor de Supervisión, (Escuela Libre de Derecho, México, 2013); The Inter-American System: Landmark cases at the Inter-American Commission, Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, (Utrecht, The Netherlands, Intersentia 2012); Selected Examples of the Contemporary Practice of the Inter-American System in Confronting Grave Violations of Human Rights: United States and Colombia, in Asbjorn Eide et al (eds.) Making Peoples Heard: Essays on Human Rights in Honour of Gudmundur Alfredsson, (Leiden.Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2011).


His most recent books are El Debido Proceso Legal: Análisis desde el Sistema Interamericano y Universal de Derechos Humanos (Vol. I and Vol. II), (co-author with Claudia Martin, Fabian Salvioli, et al), Ministerio Público Fiscal de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina (forthcoming 2022); Lo Humano como Derecho - De lo internacional a lo Local (co-editor) (AU-WCL and UCAB 2016); Human Rights of Older People: International and Regional Legal Perspectives (with Claudia Martin and Bethany Brown) (Springer SMB Publishers 2015); The Prohibition of Torture and Ill-treatment in the Inter-American Human Rights System (with Claudia Martin) (OMCT, Geneva 2014); El Debido Proceso Legal: Análisis desde el Sistema Interamericano y Universal de Derechos Humanos (Vol I and Vol II) (Due Process of Law: Analysis from the Perspective of Inter-American and Universal Human Rights) (with Claudia Martin, Fabian Salvioli, et al) under the auspices of the Ministerio Público Fiscal de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina (2013); Advocating for Human Rights (with Claudio Grossman & Claudia Martin) (Brill Publishers Spring 2008); and The Prohibition of Torture and Ill-treatment in the Inter-American Human Rights System (with Claudia Martin) (2006), published in three languages –English, Spanish and Portuguese–, and Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos (International Human Rights Law), (co-editor), (2004). He co-authored (with Claudio Grossman, Robert K. Goldman and Claudia Martin) the casebook The International Dimension of Human Rights: A Guide for Application in Domestic Law published by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB 2001).

Areas of Specialization
International Human Rights/Humanitarian Law
International/Comparative Law
International Organizations
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

AU Experts

Area of Expertise

Human rights; Latin America/Colombia; international law; United Nations; Organization of American States; international litigation; comparative law; consular protection; legal education

Additional Information

Biography Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón (J.D., LL.M., S.J.D.) is Professorial Lecturer in Residence and Co-Director of the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law (WCL). He is also Co-Director of the LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at WCL. He teaches courses in the fields of international law and human rights law. He is currently member of the United Nations Committee against Torture under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. He served as Ad Hoc Judge in the Inter-American Court on Human Rights of the Organization of American States from 2007 to 2011. As correspondent for the British periodical Butterworths Human Rights Cases (Lexis-Nexis), Professor Rodríguez-Pinzón covers the Americas. He has served as international legal consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the Organization of American States (OAS), among other institutions. He was also staff attorney at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS and Officer for Latin America at the International Human Rights Law Group (later Global Rights), a Washington DC based non-governmental organization. His recent articles include Introductory Note to the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Rights of Older Persons (International Legal Materials (ILM), American Society of International Law, 2017); Building Prevention to Protect: The Inter-American Human Rights System (co-author with Carlos Portales) (Anuario Colombiano de Derecho Internacional, 2017); The Inter-American Human Rights System and Transitional Processes, in Transitional Jurisprudence - The ECHR and Other Regional Human Rights Approaches to Transition, (Michael Hamilton & Antoine Buyse eds, Cambridge University Press 2014); Precautionary Measures of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in Revista Aportes (Due Process of Law Foundation, 2014); and also in Haeck,Y., McGonigle, B., Burbano-Herrera, C., and Contreras-Garduno, D. (eds.), The Realization of Human Rights: When Theory Meets Practice: Studies in Honour of Leo Zwaak (Intersentia, Antwerp, 2014); Precautionary Measures of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Legal Status and Importance (Human Rights Brief, Volume 20, Issue 2, Winter 2013); La Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos: Apuntes sobre su Labor de Supervisión, (Escuela Libre de Derecho, México, 2013); The Inter-American System: Landmark cases at the Inter-American Commission, Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, (Utrecht, The Netherlands, Intersentia 2012); Selected Examples of the Contemporary Practice of the Inter-American System in Confronting Grave Violations of Human Rights: United States and Colombia, in Asbjorn Eide et al (eds.) Making Peoples Heard: Essays on Human Rights in Honour of Gudmundur Alfredsson, (Leiden.Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2011). His most recent books are Lo Humano como Derecho - De lo internacional a lo Local (co-editor) (AU-WCL and UCAB 2016); Human Rights of Older People: International and Regional Legal Perspectives (with Claudia Martin and Bethany Brown) (Springer SMB Publishers 2015); The Prohibition of Torture and Ill-treatment in the Inter-American Human Rights System (with Claudia Martin) (OMCT, Geneva 2014); El Debido Proceso Legal: Análisis desde el Sistema Interamericano y Universal de Derechos Humanos (Vol I and Vol II) (Due Process of Law: Analysis from the Perspective of Inter-American and Universal Human Rights) (with Claudia Martin, Fabian Salvioli, Federico Di Bernardi, James Vertiz Medina) under the auspices of the Ministerio Público Fiscal de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina (2013); Advocating for Human Rights (with Claudio Grossman & Claudia Martin) (Brill Publishers Spring 2008); and The Prohibition of Torture and Ill-treatment in the Inter-American Human Rights System (with Claudia Martin) (2006), published in three languages –English, Spanish and Portuguese--, and Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos (International Human Rights Law) , (co-editor), (2004). He co-authored (with Claudio Grossman, Robert K. Goldman and Claudia Martin) the casebook The International Dimension of Human Rights: A Guide for Application in Domestic Law published by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB 2001).

For the Media

To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

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