IACHR Launches Participatory Process to Draft Its Strategic Plan 2022–2026

March 1, 2022

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has launched the participatory process to draft its Strategic Plan 2022–2026. This process will serve as a roadmap to ensure compliance with the IACHR mandate in the face of current and future challenges and address, promote, and protect human rights in the Americas. The Plan is expected to establish the Commission's practical and strategic goals, as well as its institutional programs.

The development of the new Strategic Plan will be participatory and will bring together both States and civil society in the Americas, users of the inter-American system, and the general public, as well as the IACHR's Executive Secretariat and the Organization of American States. All of these stakeholders will be asked to make their contributions, whether online or in workshops, meetings, forums, and in-depth interviews.

The first step will involve a situational diagnosis, along with goal-setting and strategic guidance, to define expectations for the planning process based on its expected outcomes, as well as to develop a clear understanding of the work of the IACHR and the current context of human rights in the Americas. The recommendations made in the assessment of Strategic Plan 2017–2021 will be considered at this stage in the process.

The second step will seek to collect data with the participation of Member States of the OAS, representatives of civil society organizations, experts, academics, representatives of international organizations, and donors. This stage, set to end in May 2022, will include remote consultations where participants are expected to identify priority topics concerning the human rights of specific groups in the Americas.

The third step, set to take place in June–July 2022, will involve drafting the final contents of the Strategic Plan 2022–2026, along with guidelines to monitor and assess the Plan's implementation and impact.

The IACHR invites States and civil society, as well as all inter-American system users, to take part in this process. The Commission will constantly report on its methods, both on its website and on various other dedicated communications channels.

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 IACHR 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. 041/22

4:00 PM