IACHR
Press Release
IACHR Announces That It Will Still Be Holding Its 175th Period of Sessions in Haiti
February 26, 2020
Washington, D.C. - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it will be going ahead with its decision to hold the 175th Period of Sessions in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, between March 2 and 8, 2020, and to hold hearings and working meetings on March 5 and 6 at the Hotel Karibe.
The violence that took place during demonstrations in Port-au-Prince on Sunday February 23 forced the IACHR to assess whether it was appropriate to go ahead with its plans to hold its next period of sessions in Haiti. To this end, the IACHR made immediate contact with government authorities, key stakeholders from local and international civil society, international human rights organizations, and the OAS Haiti Office. Once it had confirmed that the recent tensions had subsided, the IACHR welcomed the Haitian government’s commitment to strengthening the security measures needed to ensure that meetings run smoothly, particularly the measures to guarantee the security of those taking part in the event. This commitment was expressed formally in a written note dated today, February 26, which the IACHR received through Haiti’s Mission to the OAS, in which it provided the IACHR guarantees of security and transportation for all those taking part in the period of sessions. Both the Haitian government and the IACHR will assign designated coordinators to help achieve this. Participants will be informed of their names and contact details shortly.
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. 050/20