Strengthening the Inter-American Human Rights System
It is widely recognized in the Americas and beyond that the Inter-American system in general and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in particular, have played a crucial role in protecting human rights and democracy in the region. Nevertheless, the weakening of the IACHR has been at the top of the agenda of a number of Member States attending the OAS General Assembly last week in Cochabamba, Bolivia. By introducing certain reforms, some OAS Member States sought to eliminate precisely those mechanisms that made possible the protection of thousands of people throughout the hemisphere, including the protection of the human rights of those living in the countries who are now the main critics of the IACHR. This dangerous initiative was implicitly supported by the silence of and general failure to react on the part of a number of other Member States. This week’s events were the culmination of a process started many years ago that reached a dangerous turning point last year with the establishment of the “Special Working Group to Reflect on the Workings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with a view to Strengthening the Inter-American Human Rights System”. Conscious of the risks associated with this latest initiative, and aware of the unprecedented confrontational attitude taken by some Member States, DPLF decided to actively monitor the process and give voice to civil society’s stance on the issues under discussion.
DPLF firmly believes in the incredible achievements, in terms of international human rights law and standards, obtained by the IACHR, thus the need to protect and preserve it from attempts to weaken the way in which the Commission carries out its work. While any institution is subject to improvement, and DPLF acknowledges that the IACHR could bear improving, any changes and reforms in the operation of the Commission should be oriented towards enhancing the protection of the rights of all citizens in our continent and not the contrary. We at DPLF believe that the new phase of the process promoted by the resolution approved during the General Assembly should promote a real dialogue, in form and spirit, involving all the stakeholders in the system, including civil society and victims. It bears remembering that the IACHR was created to protect the rights of people from the power of the State with independence and in compliance with its mandate, rather than protecting the States. Any decisions made in the coming months should keep this in mind, sustaining the autonomy and independence of the IACHR, which has been widely recognized by OAS Member States as an essential element in the inter-American system for the protection of human rights.
As part of our advocacy and outreach activities, last March, DPLF launched the Spanish version of a special edition of AportesDPLF, dedicated to last year’s review initiative and those areas where the IACHR could be strengthened: Reflexiones para el fortalecimiento del Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos. Today we launch the English version of this special issue: Reflections on Strengthening the Inter-American Human Rights System.