Since its establishment, the REDESCA has played an active and collaborative role at both international and regional levels, carrying out promotional, work, and in loco visits in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, El Salvador, Ecuador, the USA, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Its participation in events or sessions of the Permanent Council or the General Assembly of the OAS, along with collaboration with political bodies and spaces within the same organization, has strengthened its impact and presence. Additionally, the REDESCA has extended its influence by collaborating with a variety of international bodies and participating in significant events such as the Summit of the Americas and international conferences relevant to the mandate. This expansion of its network includes the formation of strategic alliances with the United Nations and cooperation with countries outside the American region. A highlight of its work is the active contribution to the Working Group of the Protocol of San Salvador (GTPSS), where the current Special Rapporteur brings his specialized knowledge, representing the IACHR.
Furthermore, the REDESCA has generated detailed observations and recommendations on ESCER, derived from its in loco visits to countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. This effort extends to the preparation of specific reports on Haiti and other thematic reports addressing various aspects of ESCER. Moreover, the Special Rapporteurship prepares an annual report analyzing the situation of ESCER in the region, also contributing to Chapters IV.B and V of the IACHR's annual report.
Since 2018, the REDESCA has carried out approximately 343 training and promotional activities, reaching a wide spectrum of the population across the region. This includes members of civil society organizations, public officials, and representatives of national human rights institutions. From 2021, the Rapporteurship has contributed to more than 96 public hearings, demonstrating its commitment to fostering dialogue and the defense of ESCER. Additionally, since 2017, it has issued 118 press releases and maintained an active presence on social media to promote and protect human rights in the American continent. Since 2018, it has drafted 37 letters under Article 41 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 18 of the IACHR Statute, strengthening its role in the supervision and promotion of human rights.
The REDESCA has played a key role in the development and contribution to a series of thematic reports covering a broad spectrum of critical human rights issues. Notable reports include Poverty and Human Rights (2017), Business and Human Rights: Inter-American Standards (2019), and ESCER of Afro-descendant People (2021). Additionally, the development and/or contribution to the Declaration on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy (2021) and the Compendium on ESCER, Inter-American Standards (2022). Recently, it addressed Non-Communicable Diseases and Human Rights (2023), the links between poverty, climate change, and ESCER in the context of mobility in Central America and Mexico (2023), the protection of environmental defenders in Northern Central America (2023), the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in Nicaragua and Northern Central America (2023), and Labor and Union Rights in Cuba (2023).
The REDESCA has been fundamental in responding to contemporary challenges through the publication and approval of key resolutions, reflecting its leadership in the IACHR's strategy in crisis situations. Among these, Resolution 1/20 on the Pandemic and Human Rights in the Americas, Resolution 4/20 on the Human Rights of People with COVID-19, Resolution 1/21 on COVID-19 vaccines within the framework of inter-American human rights obligations, and Resolution 3/21 on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights stand out.
The REDESCA has strengthened its work through technical cooperation with States and public institutions, highlighted by its participation in the development of the National Plan on Business and Human Rights in Ecuador and Peru, and the drafting of technical notes addressed to parliaments on bill projects. This cooperation extends to interaction with high courts as well as with academic institutions.
In relation to the petitions and cases system, the REDESCA has provided specialized advice within the IACHR since 2018, collaborating on 196 report projects at the admissibility and/or merits stages until 2023. Moreover, it has provided expert advice on 235 projects, memos, or resolutions on requests for precautionary measures until the same date. It stands out for its participation before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR Court) in significant cases, such as the Case of the Tagaeri and Taromenane Peoples vs. Ecuador and the Case of the Community of La Oroya vs. Peru.
The REDESCA has also been instrumental in the development of inputs for the observations submitted to the IACHR Court, including its leadership in the request for Advisory Opinion 27/21 on rights to union freedom, collective bargaining, and strike from a gender perspective, and in the request for an advisory opinion by Chile and Colombia on state obligations in the face of the Climate Emergency. This effort involved close collaboration with the Deputy Executive Secretariat for Petitions and Cases, culminating in the submission of documents endorsed by the full IACHR. Furthermore, the REDESCA has contributed to the request for an Advisory Opinion on the right to care and its interrelation with other rights, demonstrating its commitment and essential contribution to the inter-American human rights protection system.