IACHR Holds Virtual Workday on Facilitating Friendly Settlement Processes

March 28, 2022

Related links

Contact info

IACHR Press Office

[email protected]

Distribution List

Subscribe to our distribution list

Washington, D.C. – Over the period March 24–25, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held 11 working meetings to promote processes to negotiate and implement friendly settlement agreements on matters at different stages in this procedure.

IACHR President Julissa Mantilla Falcón, the Commission's Rapporteur for Argentina, facilitated dialogue between the parties in Case 13,595—Amanda Graciela Encaje, Case 12,182—Florentino Rojas, and Case 12,854—Ricardo Javier Kaplun, all of them involving Argentina. Commissioner Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño facilitated talks regarding ongoing negotiations on Case 13,050—Q'oq'ob Community in the Municipality of Santa María Nebaj, with regard to Guatemala.

Commissioner Carlos Bernal, IACHR Rapporteur for Honduras, led negotiations concerning friendly settlement agreements in Case 4,285—Iris Janeth Tejeda Varela, Case 11,545—Marta Saire, and Case 11,562—Dixie Urbina, all of them involving Honduras. Finally, at the Commission's request, Marisol Blanchard, Assistant Executive Secretary for Petitions and Cases, facilitated dialogue in processes linked to Petition P-687-11—Gabriela Blas and Her Daughter and to Case 12,904—Chusmiza-Usmagama Aymara Community and Its Members, both with regard to Chile; to Case 11,426—Marcela Alejandra Porco, Bolivia; and to Case 12,699—Pedro Antonio Centurión, Paraguay.

In these meetings, the parties made progress—facilitated by the Commission—toward opening channels for bilateral dialogue, developing work teams and joint plans, and identifying interests to negotiate and implement friendly settlement agreements. The Commission commends the victims of human rights violations and their representatives and the civil society organizations who took part in these talks, for their good disposition and openness to work with States to identify appropriate formulas to negotiate and implement agreements that enable progress toward providing comprehensive reparations to victims and ensuring they have access to the inter-American justice system. The IACHR—through its country rapporteurs and Executive Secretariat, and particularly through its Assistant Executive Secretary for Petitions and Cases—also values the efforts made by the States of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay to pursue various ongoing procedures to negotiate and implement friendly settlement agreements.

The Commission remains willing to continue to support the parties in the various ongoing friendly settlement processes, and particularly to monitor the commitments made in that framework until full compliance is attained.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 064/22

2:15 PM