Media Center

Press Release

OAS SECRETARY GENERAL WARNS STRENGTHENING OF DEMOCRACY IN THE AMERICAS STILL FACING OBSTACLES

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) opened its 126th regular session at the Organization of American States (OAS) with the Organization’s Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, warning that despite gains in strengthening democracy and the rule of law in the Americas, there were still challenges.

Secretary General Insulza was addressing the opening session, at which the OAS Permanent Council Chair, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador Marina Valere, presided. IACHR Chairman Evelio Fernández Arévalos also addressed the session.

According to Insulza, the challenges are often complex and include structurally weak justice systems; race, class and ethnic discrimination; obstacles to economic, civil and political rights; and a crisis of governance. He said the main challenge is to strengthen member states’ capacity to “tackle major governance challenges, and in that sense a human rights system such as ours can serve an invaluable purpose.”

Insulza said building an effective hemispheric human rights system equipped to tackle the current challenges means total independence of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Commission and Court of Human Rights to carry out their responsibilities and manage their human and financial resources. He further noted that for the this multi-national human rights protection system to be effective, the member states must fully and effectively comply with the Court’s and the Commission’s decisions. He also urged member states to be real guardians of this system through their political institutions, and to take the necessary legislative steps to facilitate incorporation of the decisions of the Commission and the Court into domestic legislation.

He suggested the OAS should work together with the states and civil society not only to prevent human rights gains from being eroded, but also to adopt public policies necessary to make the region a better place for all citizens. He added: “That is how we came to have special rapporteur offices to address issues such as discrimination against minorities, people of African descent, indigenous peoples, and gender discrimination.”

On the IACHR’s financial situation, Insulza called for the very wide gap between resources allocated in the regular budget and the Commission’s real operational needs to be closed, and cited new and increasingly complex challenges, among them the situation of indigenous peoples and people of African descent, freedom of expression, discrimination against women, children’s rights, and the situation of human rights advocates.

In his remarks, IACHR Chairman Fernández Arévalos noted the vital role of human rights, citing the Inter-American Democratic Charter which establishes the observance of human rights and fundamental liberties as essential features of representative democracy.

He added that it is precisely such a democratic system in which rights and freedoms are fully respected that should respond to the disturbing reality in groups of OAS countries that are “the most unequal in the world, characterized by exclusion from the benefits of development and where basic needs go unmet and the lack of education altogether leave large segments of the populations especially vulnerable.”

The Permanent Council Chair, meanwhile, praised the achievements of the Human Rights Commission, and reaffirmed the member states’ commitment to supporting the Commission. Ambassador Valere stressed the need for steps to be taken “not only to ensure that our officials can listen to the public and civil society organizations in the appropriate fora, but also to encourage them to initiate proper investigations, within the framework of national legislation and the relevant international obligations, and to take all necessary measures to avoid irregularities such as extended violations of human rights.”

During the current regular session, the Commission will hold some fifty hearings on cases and petitions filed with it, under a new format of three two-week sessions per year.

Reference: E-222/06