The IACHR announces the beginning of the Specialized Academic Network for Technical Cooperation

March 2, 2021

Washington, D.C.- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announces that it has completed its process of selection of the participants of the Specialized Academic Network for Technical Cooperation (Academic Network). The call for participation and the deadline to present proposals were announced on July 22, 2020. The IACHR appreciates the participation of all the universities that have submitted proposals.

It is important to highlight that a total of 26 universities from eight different countries submitted proposals. Of those, 11 proposals were finally chosen. The selected universities are expected to develop a working plan with one or more rapporteurships or sections of the IACHR, according with the themes originally proposed and negotiated with them.

The proposed academic projects will produce inputs that will provide technically support to the work performed by the Thematic Rapporteurships as part of their monitoring, promotion and, protection of human rights; and/or to the activities performed by the IACHR to measure the level of compliance, and impact and effectiveness of its recommendations and decisions, thereby contributing with the Impact Observatory. In addition, these academic projects will produce inputs that will be used to provide information to the SIMORE database, in order to map successful cases, good practices, and lessons learned in the implementation of recommendations by the Member States, among other issues.

The Academic Network's implementation complies with Program 12 of the Strategic Objective 3 of the IACHR Strategic Plan for 2017-2021. The Strategic Objective 3 provides for the creation of a Specialized Academic Network of the Inter-American System of Human Rights (ISHR). The creation of this Network intends to contribute to the implementation of studies, and research projects among other joint activities, to deepen knowledge and generate information that can contribute with the promotion as well as with defense and protection of human rights in the region. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the call for proposals requested that the participant universities took into consideration the pandemic scenario when creating its products/services.

The integration of the Specialized Academic Network will also contribute to the implementation of the Program 5 of the Strategic Objective 2 of the IACHR's Plan, whose main goal is not only to improve the scope but also the impact of the Commission's work in monitoring the human rights situation in countries of the region pursuing a thematic approach, and through the articulation of its several functions and mechanisms. The Network will also facilitate the mapping of trends and structural situations in human rights matters and those generated because of the pandemic. Likewise, the Network will serve to generate inputs that will support the Special Program 21 of the Strategic Plan, referring to the follow-up of the recommendations of the IACHR.

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 respect for and to defend 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.

No. 048/21