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PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT HAITI

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will discuss the crisis in Haiti and problems in other countries of the region during its three-week session now underway at the Organization of American States (OAS).

During the opening session yesterday, IACHR President José Zalaquett called for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Haiti, which has claimed dozens of lives, and stressed the need to overcome, in accordance with international law, the deepening humanitarian crisis in that country. Zalaquett said the Commission will also discuss its advisory role in the recently announced OAS mission to support the peace process in Colombia.

Although the main responsibility for institutional crises falls to the political bodies of the OAS, Zalaquett said, the Commission on Human Rights has the tools to act “for the sake of protecting people in the Americas when their rights are violated.” He noted that during its 119th regular session, the Commission will undertake a thorough review of how to strengthen the inter-American human rights system.

Zalaquett said that new human rights challenges in the hemisphere include ensuring that the rule of law is in effect and that economic, social and cultural rights are protected. In a region that is “so unequal,” such as the Americas, “the exclusion from the benefits of progress, as well as the lack of access to basic needs and education, make large social sectors especially vulnerable,” he said.

Both Zalaquett and the OAS Permanent Council Chairman, Ambassador Paul Durand of Canada, noted the serious budgetary restraints the IACHR faces as it tries to comply with the growing number of mandates from the region’s political authorities.

For his part, Enrique Lagos, OAS Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs, welcomed the four new members of the Commission – Florentín Meléndez, of El Salvador; Evilio Fernández Arévalo, of Paraguay; Freddy Gutiérrez, of Venezuela; and Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, of Brazil – who were elected during the 2003 General Assembly in Chile. Lagos stressed that OAS Secretary General César Gaviria, whose second term ends this year, has consistently supported the IACHR and respected its independence.

During its current session, the Commission will devote the bulk of its time to considering reports on petitions and individual cases which are in different processing stages, such as admissibility, friendly settlement, merits or consideration for referral to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Commission has scheduled more than 60 hearings on cases and petitions received from individuals, organizations and representatives of OAS member countries who will present information on the general human rights situation in the or on particular issues within the purview of the Commission.

Reference: E-027/04