IACHR Releases Schedule of Public Hearings for 188th Period of Sessions

October 20, 2023

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released the schedule of public hearings for its 188th Period of Sessions, set to take place between October 30 and November 10, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

The 33 public hearings in this period of sessions have been scheduled for the period November 6–10 and are to be conducted in person at the IACHR headquarters. These hearings are to address various issues concerning the rights of women, children and adolescents, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant persons, rights defenders, journalists, LGBTI persons, individuals who are deprived of liberty, and persons with disabilities in Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) and in the Americas as a whole. Twoo of these public hearings are set to address efforts to monitor cases that are being handled by the IACHR, while a further hearing is to discuss efforts to monitor precautionary measures.

Beyond these public hearings, the 188th Period of Sessions is also set to feature several events that will be open to the general public:

• An event to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, on November 2–3 (further details available here)
• Launch of the report Refugees and migrants from Venezuela, on November 8 (6:00–7:30 PM)
• Launch of the report Closure of Civic Space in Nicaragua, on November 9 (6:00–7:30 PM)

All hearings and meetings are set to be recorded, in keeping with Article 68 of the IACHR's Rules of Procedure. These events will be public and are to be broadcast on the Commission's institutional accounts on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Anyone interested may attend (no prior registration required), subject to space availability.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS on the matter. The IACHR is made up of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 249/23

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