Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ( IACHR ), Spanish: Comisión de Derechos Humanos Interamericana ( IACHR ), founded in 1959 is an independent organ of the Organization of American States (OAS ), headquartered in Washington, DC
Together with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, it forms the system of protection of human rights of the OAS.
She comes to ordinary and extraordinary meetings several times a year. Your responsibilities are from three documents: the Charter of the OAS, the American Declaration of Human Rights and obligations and the American Convention on Human Rights. Also, are or have been established ombudsman or observers mandates for the IACHR in several bilateral agreements.
History of the Inter-American legal system
The Inter-American system for the protection of human rights evolved from the adoption of the American Declaration of Human Rights and duties in April 1948. It was the first general human rights instrument and went to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 6 months ahead.
The IACHR was founded in 1959 and held its first meeting the following year. The first on-site visit to examine the situation of human rights in any of the OAS member states took place in 1961 in the Dominican Republic.
An important step in the development of the system was set in 1965, when the Commission was expressly authorized to examine specific cases of human rights violations. Since then, the IACHR has received thousands of petitions and processed over 12,000 individual cases.
In 1969, the guidelines of the American Declaration were reshaped and re-recorded in the American Convention on Human Rights. This convention, the binding applies at the time of 24 of the 35 OAS member states, defines the human rights, the need to respect and guarantee the Member States. Furthermore, the establishment of the Inter- American Court of Human Rights was disposed therein.
Functions of the IACHR
The Commission's main task is the promotion of attending and defending human rights in America. For this purpose,
- Receives, analyzes and examines them individual petitions asserting violations of specific, protected by the American Convention on Human Rights human rights.
- Observe the general situation of human rights in the OAS Member States and - if necessary - prepares and publishes country-specific Human Rights Reports.
- Performs on-site visits in Member States in order to examine the general situation of human rights or specific cases.
- Encouraged public awareness on human rights and related issues throughout the hemisphere.
- Etc. to inform Holds conferences, seminars and meetings with governments, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions around on risks of the Inter-American legal system matters and to arouse attention.
- Issues recommendations to Member States, which, if carried out, strengthen human rights.
- Prompts in urgent cases that States put preventive measures in order to prevent serious and irreparable harm to the human rights.
- Forwards cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and processed there.
- Ask the Inter- American Court to issue advisory opinions concerning the interpretation of the Convention and related instruments.
Composition
The highest officials are ( to be with the possibility of re-election once ) the seven commissioners who are elected by the OAS General Assembly for four years. This should not represent their respective state, but " all Member States " and must be " persons of high moral and recognized competence in the field of human rights" be.
No State may have two of its citizens at the same time in the Commission and in turn may not be involved in cases involving their home country.
Negotiated cases
- Barrios Altos massacre (Peru )
- Lori Berenson (Peru )
- The Last Temptation of Christ ( Chile)
- Community of Moiwana ( Suriname)
- Myrna Mack Chang ( Guatemala)
- Plan Sánchez Massacre (Guatemala)
- El Caracazo (Venezuela )
- La Nación (Costa Rica)