New York, United States - April, 7 to 10

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a visit to New York, United States, from April 7 to 10, 2014. The delegation was led by the IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child, Commissioner Rosa Maria Ortiz, accompanied by staff attorneys of the Executive Secretary of the IACHR from the Office of the Rapporteurs on the Rights of the Child and Adolescents and on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty. The delegation talked to state authorities in Albany including Acting Commissioner of the New York Department of Corrections, Anthony Annucci, with the Chair of the Correction Committee of the State Assembly, Danny O´Donnell, and was welcomed by the New York State Assembly. The delegation also met city officials in New York City, including Member of the NYC Board of Corrections Bryanne Hamill and Executive Director Cathy Potler. In addition, they also received information from the Assistant Commissioner of the Correctional Health Services, Homer Venters. The delegation visited the Robert N. Davoren Complex (RNDC) in Rikers Island jail in New York City. The Rapporteur was welcomed by the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections, Joseph Ponte, and the Warden of the Complex, James Perrino, as well as the Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and the complex’s school principal and other high ranking officials from the NYC Department of Corrections and the Mayor’s Office.

• Press Release: IACHR Conducted a Visit to New York, United States

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Dominican Republic, February 23 to March 2, 2013

Commissioner Rosa María Ortiz was invited to participate in a workshop by the Coalición de ONG’s por la Infancia in the Dominican Republic. She was invited in her capacity as Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child. The Rapporteur also participated in the presentation of the IACHR’s Report on Corporal Punishment and Human Rights of children and adolescents and a follow up on the Report on Juvenile Justice in the Americas, with UNICEF. The Rapporteur also had several meetings with State Authorities, international organizations and civil society members in which she discussed issues related to the rights of the child.

Haiti, February 27 to March 2, 2012

Commissioner Ortiz, in her capacity as Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child, was invited by UNICEF to participate, along with the Chairman of the Committee on the Rights of the Child of the United Nations, on an observation visit on the issue of international adoptions in Haiti. The visit took place February 27 and 28. Also, from February 29 to March 2, Commissioner Ortiz, in her capacity as Rapporteur for Haiti, together with a staff member of the Executive Secretariat, held meetings with authorities, international agencies, and civil society, in which she introduced herself as the new Rapporteur and collected information on various issues.

Chile, November 25 and 26, 2009

On November 25 and 26, 2009, Commissioner Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, in his capacity as Rapporteur on the Rights of Children, made a two-day visit to Chile at the invitation of the Chilean Network of Childhood and Youth NGOs and with the support of UNICEF. The purpose of the visit was to promote the IACHR’s report on “Corporal Punishment and the Human Rights of Children and Adolescents.” The Rapporteur presented the report to a range of bodies, including: La Frontera University, in the city of Temuco, where he also met the rector and representatives of the Citizens’ Observatory, of the Ethical Commission against Torture, and the Network of Childhood and Youth NGOs; and the Law School of Andrés Bello University in Santiago, at a colloquium that was attended by representatives of various international agencies, including the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Latin American and Caribbean Network for the Defense of the Rights of Children and Adolescents.

During his visit Rapporteur Pinheiro also met with the representative of UNICEF in Chile, and he attended the municipality of Prado’s launch of its guidebook Violence Hurts Families, published by the Chilean government’s Solidarity and Social Investment Fund (FOSIS) and UNICEF.

More information on the visit to Chile:
Press Release 80/09 - IACHR visits Chile

Eastern Caribbean and The Bahamas, May 2009

A subregional meeting on juvenile justice was held for the Eastern Caribbean and The Bahamas in May, with the support of the UNICEF subregional office. Participants in the meeting included Rapporteur Pinheiro, as well as representatives of the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucía, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Haiti, May 24 to 29, 2009

The IACHR made a working visit to Haiti on May 24 to 29, 2009. The delegation was led by Commissioner Sir Clare K. Roberts in his capacity as Rapporteur for Haiti. The main aim of the visit, which was carried out in conjunction with UNICEF, was to gather information on public security and juvenile criminal justice in the country.

The delegation met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, the Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR), the Minor Protection Division of the National Police, the central directorate of the Judicial Police, the Prisons Administration, prison officers, and the Citizens’ Protection Office. It also met with two members of the Juvenile Court. In addition, the delegation visited the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and met with local and international NGOs active in public security and juvenile criminal justice issues in Haiti. The delegation also held a conference on the IACHR and the inter-American human rights protection system at the State University in Port-au-Prince.

During this working visit, the delegation visited the Haitian National Penitentiary, the Delmas Police Station, the Delmas Detention Center for Minors, the Pétion-Ville Women’s Prison, and the Le Carrefour Shelter for children in Port-au-Prince. On May 27, 2009, the delegation traveled to the city of Gonaïves where it met the Government Commissioner, the Chief of Police, and representatives of civil society. It visited the police station there, which, following a fire at the local prison in 2004, is being used to house detainees and in connection with which the IACHR granted precautionary measures in June 2008.

Caribbean countries (Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Haiti)

The Rapporteur’s office led visits to the Caribbean and met with government officials and NGOs from Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Haiti. Detention centers for minors in all those countries were also visited, to gather information for the thematic report on juvenile justice in the Americas.

Argentina, August 20 to 22, 2008

From August 20 to 22, 2008, the Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he met with government authorities and representatives of civil society organizations. During this visit, the Rapporteur made a presentation on the issue of “Challenges for the Full and Effective Compliance in the Hemisphere of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography”; this was part of the Preparatory Meeting for the World Congress III on Sexual Exploitation which was held in the Argentine capital from August 19 to 22.

Uruguay, August 19, 2008

On August 19, 2008, the Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, visited Montevideo, Uruguay, where he met with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture, UNICEF, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child–Uruguay.

Brazil, August 21 and 22, 2007

In the context of preparing a special report on juvenile justice in the Americas, intended to identify obstacles and strengths encountered in the national specialized juvenile justice systems, the Rapporteur for Children’s Rights, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, organized two working meetings to evaluate the content of a proposed questionnaire for use in preparing that report. These meetings were held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 21 and 22, 2007.  On the first day, a meeting was held with regional experts and officials from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the topic of juvenile justice; and on the second day, Commissioner Pinheiro and the Secretariat’s delegation met with representatives from civil society organizations working in this area.

Paraguay, April of 2006

The Special Rapporteur on Children, Commission member Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, visited the Republic of Paraguay in April of 2006 at the invitation of the Government of that country.  During the visit the Rapporteur gathered information on the situation of street children in Ciudad del Este (a town in the interior of the country, near the border with Argentina and Brazil).  Additionally, the Rapporteur met with street children, with human rights organizations that work on issues related to the rights of children and adolescents, and also with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme Court, and various local and national authorities.

Haiti, November 2 to 5, 2005

 A third visit to the Republic of Haiti was conducted from November 2 to 5, 2005 by the Commission together with UNICEF’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.  The delegation was headed by Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, IACHR Commissioner and Children’s Rapporteur and the United Nations Secretary General’s Independent Expert for the Global Study on Violence against Children, and by María Jesús Conde, UNICEF’s Regional Advisor on Child Protection for The Americas and the Caribbean. During its visit, the delegation met with the Minister of Justice, United Nations agencies, representatives of international organizations and of civil society, and with Haitian children and adolescents. The delegation also visited children’s detention centers and the border with the Dominican Republic. At the end of its November visit, the delegation expressed its profound concern at the grave violations of the human rights of Haitian children and adolescents being committed as part of the ongoing violence in the country and drew attention to the effects on children of the lack of an adequate justice system.

More information on the visit to Haiti:
Press Release 37/05 – IACHR and UNICEF Regional Office in Latin American and the Caribbean conclude their visit to Haiti

Press Release 36/05 – IACHR and UNICEF Regional Office in Latin America and the Caribbean to conduct a visit to Haiti

El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, December 4, 2004

On December 4, 2004, the Commission and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) undertook a joint visit to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The IACHR delegation was comprised of the Rapporteur on Children, Commission member Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Detained Persons, Commissioner Florentín Meléndez, assisted by staff of the Commission’s Secretariat. UNICEF was represented by Dr. María Jesús Conde, Child Protection Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean. The main objectives of the visit were to gather information on the situation of boys, girls, and adolescents involved with groups known as maras or pandillas (gangs), and to study the living conditions of persons deprived of freedom.

At the conclusion of the visit, the IACHR and UNICEF expressed concern over the human rights situation of thousands of boys, girls, and adolescents who belong to the maras or pandillas, or did so in the past.  While indicating that they were aware of the violence and insecurity caused by the gangs and offering their solidarity to the victims of such actions, the Commission and UNICEF also emphasized that the right and the obligation of states to ensure public safety are not incompatible with respect for human rights, including in particular the special protections to which children are entitled under international law and international norms and principles governing the treatment of detainees and prisoners.

More information on the visit to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras:
Press Release 26/04 - IACHR and UNICEF express concern over situation of boys, girls and adolescents involved with gangs in el Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras