Indigenous Peoples - March 2015

Training Seminar on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Inter-American System

From Monday, February 23 to Thursday, February 26, the Department of International Law held a "Seminar on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Inter-American System.", per invitation by the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Mexico. Participating were nearly 200 bilingual indigenous lawyers from a number of Mexican states, representing 68 of Mexico's indigenous peoples.

© Manuel Cristiani

The seminar afforded an up-to-date picture of developments in the field of indigenous peoples rights in the Hemisphere, identified the players and institutions involved, and highlighted the organs and legal instruments being applied to protect and promote human rights.

The training provided included both practical and theoretical aspects. Thus, it is hoped that participants will replicate what was learned during the face-to-face classes in their local communities and workplaces, and using their own resources.

The training was imparted by legal advisors of the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Secretariat of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the Department of International Law of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs in the Organization of American States. Also contributing to the training sessions was an indigenous Mexican academic with experience of inter-American system negotiations.

Since 2009, the Department of International Law has been training indigenous representatives, government officials (including members of the missions to the OAS), and members of civil society involved with indigenous peoples' rights, good governance, the inter-American system, and political participation of indigenous women.

This initiative forms part of the OAS Department of International Law's "Program of Action on Indigenous Peoples in the Americas" and was possible thanks to the financial support of the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Mexico.

» For additional information about the Department, please visit our Website