IACHR announces changes to its membership

January 1, 2026

Washington, DC—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announces changes to its membership and a new institutional cycle. As of January 1, 2026, Commissioners Rosa María Payá (Cuba and the United States) and Marion Bethel (The Bahamas) will be joining the IACHR, and Commissioner José Luis Caballero Ochoa will continue for a second term. All three were elected during the 55th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly for the period January 2026 to December 2029.

Commissioners Stuardo Ralón, Andrea Pochak, Gloria De Mees, and Riyad Insanally will continue serving their current terms. Information on the professional backgrounds of all Commissioners is available at /en/iachr/default.asp .

On December 31, 2025, the terms of Commissioners Roberta Clarke and Carlos Bernal Pulido came to an end. Both carried out outstanding work in their respective offices as country and thematic rapporteurs.

The IACHR and the Executive Secretariat staff express their gratitude to Commissioner Roberta Clarke, who also served as President of the IACHR, for her dedication and leadership, particularly in advancing women’s rights and in highlighting the importance of the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS) in Caribbean countries. The IACHR also thanks Commissioner Carlos Bernal Pulido, a member of the Board of Directors and Rapporteur on Disability Rights, for his valuable contributions to the work of the IACHR and the IAHRS.

In accordance with articles 6, 7, and 8 of the IACHR’s Rules of Procedure, the new Board of Directors will be elected during the first session of the upcoming Period of Sessions, to be held on March 2, 2026. Until then, the Board will continue to be composed of Commissioners José Luis Caballero Ochoa (President), Andrea Pochak (First Vice President), and Stuardo Ralón (Second Vice President). On January 8, 2026, the IACHR will reassign the offices of its country and thematic rapporteurs.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS on the matter. The IACHR is made up of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 001/26

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