Writing a foreword to this or any other work written by Dr. Cecilia Medina, an academic who has made a vast and decisive contribution to the strengthening and enhancement of the Inter-American system for the protection of human rights, is a challenging and complex task. For many years, and in the course of both her extensive academic research and output and her time as a Judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Cecilia Medina has been enriching the theory and practice of international human rights law.

This edition, to which I have the honor of writing the foreword, faithfully reproduces the invaluable contributions made by Cecilia Medina Quiroga as an outstanding jurist, researcher, member of human rights protection bodies, and Judge and President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

We find herein the fruits of a life committed to the study and systematization of the interpretive, substantive and procedural criteria of the theory and practice of the Inter-American system of human rights. But also, the personal experience of someone who appreciates the significance of the paramount need for the defense and protection of human rights.

During the hardships of an exile that lasted almost two decades (1973 – 1991), as a result of the coup d’état against the democratic government of Salvador Allende, Cecilia would not rest until she concluded her studies dedicated to the development of international human rights law with the highest honors. She obtained her doctorate from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and her doctoral thesis, “The Battle of Human Rights. Gross, Systematic Violations and the Inter-American System” was published (Utrecht, Netherlands Institute for Social and Economic Law Research, 1988).

Always with the clear goal of justice and a profound understanding and empathy for the particular situation of victims, Cecilia’s strong vocation and training as a jurist extended far beyond the lecture halls of a university.

In the universal sphere, she formed part of the Human Rights Committee from 1995 to 2000, and presided this body in 1999 and 2000. While a member of the Committee, she made a significant contribution to the strengthening of progressive standards for women’s rights.