IACHR Press Office
Washington, D.C. - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hold its 182nd Period of Sessions online between the 6th and 17th of December, 2021. The adoption of the virtual format aims to fulfill the IACHR mandates and functions in the face of the seriousness of the situation currently affecting the health of thousands of people in the region and the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In accordance with its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR will receive requests for public hearings through the system opened today September 20 until October 11, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. local time at the IACHR Washington, DC. Applications will be received related to all member states of the Organization of American States (OAS). The system is the only way to submit requests and is available in the four official OAS languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese and French.
Up to one month before the hearings, the IACHR will send the decisions regarding the requests. The calendar of hearings will be posted on it IACHR Webpage approximately two weeks before the start of the sessions, until ten days before the beginning of the Period of Sessions.
Online meetings with the IACHR will be held using a secure, easy-to-access platform that will be announced in due course. The IACHR will notify the parties of joining details and security guidelines for the meetings.
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 the observance and defense of 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.
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