The permanent need for a transparent mechanism for the election of the members of the IACHR and the IACtHR

Due to the impact of the work of the Inter-American Human Rights System, its bodies must have an adequate level of acceptance from the states as well as civil society and victims, who will be directly affected by these decisions. This article postulates that the election of magistrates and members of other bodies must be carried out through transparent processes that allow adequate participation of civil society. Such mechanisms are needed so that there is coherence with the standards of competence, independence, and impartiality that the Inter-American system demands from other state institutions and to guarantee its legitimacy and effectiveness. Public processes are also needed at the national level, as well as transparent voting within the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, to avoid practices that undermine legitimacy, such as vote-swapping.