Republic and that Violeta Bosica would be able to continue attending school. The Commission gave the State 15 days to submit all pertinent information. 9. On 17 September 1999, the Commission received a request from the State to extend the above-mentioned period. On 30 September 1999, the State submitted its comments, indicating that the petitioners had not exhausted domestic remedies. This information was passed on to the petitioners on 7 October 1999. 10. On 5 October 1999, during its 104th Regular Session, the Commission met with the parties in a hearing in which precautionary measures were discussed. The State announced that the measures requested by the Commission were being carried out. The petitioners stated that the information they had received indicated that the girls had not been deported from the Dominican Republic and that Violeta Bosica was regularly attending school. 11. On 1 November 1999, the Commission decided to offer its good graces to help the Parties reach a friendly solution. In a letter dated 22 November 1999, the State indicated that it would be willing to undertake such a proceeding. On 11 January 2000, the petitioners also accepted to begin proceedings aimed at a friendly solution as proposed by the IACHR. 12. In a hearing on 6 March 2000, the petitioners outlined their proposals for a friendly solution. The State, however, disputed each and every fact set forth by the petitioners, distancing itself from the friendly solution framework proposed by the IACHR. 13. On 2 May 2000, the petitioners submitted additional information to the Commission, which was in turn remitted to the State on 4 May 2000. The State responded on 7 June 2000 by repeating that domestic remedies had not been exhausted and that Article 47(1)(a) of the Convention should be applied. In accordance with normal procedures, this information was passed on to the petitioners on 7 July 2000. III. POSITIONS OF THE PARTIES A. Position of the Petitioners 14. The petitioners maintain that the Dominican Republic has refused to issue belated declarations of birth to Dilcia Yean and Violeta Bosica, both of whom were born in the territory of the Dominican Republic to Dominican women of Haitian descent. 2 The petitioners claim that the State has violated their right to nationality and that deprived of such legal identity, the girls are in danger of imminent expulsion from the country. 15. The petitioners also point out that deprived of the right of having their births registered, the girls are unable to obtain recognition of their legal personality and cannot enroll in school because they have no identity document. 3 Moreover, the petitioners maintain that upon coming of age, the girls will not be able to exercise their right to vote and will be deprived of their political rights. The petitioners go on to claim that the State has deprived the alleged victims of the right to the protection of the family, the rights of the child, the right to a name and to nationality, and the rights to private property, to freedom of movement and residence and to equal protection of the law, all enshrined in the American Convention. The petitioners argue that the plaintiffs are being deprived of their rights because of their race and their Haitian descent. 2 Dilcia Yean and Violeta Bosica are girls born in the Dominican Republic and their respective mothers are Dominican. Dilcia was born on April 15, 1996 at the Maternidad del Seguro hospital in Sabana Grande de Boyá, District of Monte Plata, Dominican Republic. Dilcia’s mother (Leonidas Yean) and her maternal grandmother are Dominican citizens. Violeta Bosica Cofi was born on March 13, 1985 in Sabana Grande de Boyá. Her mother, Tiramen Bosica Cofi, was born in Batey Las Charcas and is a citizen of the Dominican Republic, as is her maternal grandfather, Arnold Bosica 3 In 1990 at five years of age, Violeta began studies in the local school of Batey las Charcas. Six months later she moved to Batey de Palabé, Monoguayabo, National District. For the next two years she was not allowed to attend school because the school administration demanded that she submit a birth certificate. Violeta attempted to enroll in the local school several times, but was unable to for lack of a birth certificate. Finally she was allowed to attend adult education classes in a school in Palabé. 2