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Secretary General Highlights Strength and Validity of the Inter-American System on Human Rights Day

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today emphasized the strength and validity of the Inter-American System upon joining the commemoration of International Human Rights Day, in memory of the signing in 1948 in Paris of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.

The leader of the hemispheric Organization highlighted that the Americas as a region was a pioneer in the field, as the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man was signed six months earlier. "It was followed by the creation in 1959 of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in 1978 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and in 1980 the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, which, together with the OAS, make up the Inter-American System of Human Rights that today has just as much force and impact as the day it was created, or even more, if possible," he said.

Secretary General Insulza recalled that human rights are one of the four pillars of the OAS along with democracy, security and development, and that a debate over how to strengthen the system among the member states recently came to an end after nearly two years, the conclusions of which were adopted at the Special General Assembly held on March 23, 2013. From that debate, he added, "there emerged a more defined and dynamic Inter-American system, with the confirmation that the member states are committed to its principles and operation."

He argued that on Human Rights Day we must remember, " the significant progress made by the states of the Americas in terms of recognition of diversity, multiculturalism and the right of all people to live free from discrimination." He recalled that in 2013 the OAS adopted two framework conventions, the Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance, "which will support in an indispensable way the ability of any person to exercise their rights in a world of equality, justice and access, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status or physical ability."

These two conventions, and other activities of the agencies of the Inter-American System in the last twelve months "continue and reinforce the global legacy of Nelson Mandela, hero and tireless fighter for human rights whose work impacted in an irreversible way the course of human history. Nelson Mandela died last Thursday at age 95, but his message and his example of peace, tolerance and non-discrimination have a permanent echo in every individual working to defend human rights in the world. "

Finally, the Secretary General called on member states and the governments of the world to "renew and deepen their commitment to these inalienable principles, which were sealed across the world on a day like this 65 years ago."

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-478/13