Purpose of the Hearings

The purpose of general hearings is to receive information on the human rights situation regarding specific topics or issues, whether in particular countries or in the region as a whole, and to issue recommendations aimed at ensuring the respect for and enjoyment of human rights.

Intervention of the Parties

The Commissioner presiding over the hearing allocates the time for interventions and informs the parties of these allocations at the beginning of the session. As a general rule, the party that requested the hearing (civil society or the State) is given the floor first. In hearings convened ex officio, civil society is granted the floor first.

Each party has the same amount of time to intervene. The presiding Commissioner may decide to grant additional time to complete an intervention, which will always be equally extended to both parties.

Duration of Interventions

In thematic or general hearings concerning specific countries, each delegation (State and civil society) is granted an initial 20 minutes.

In regional hearings, each party delegation (State and civil society) is granted an initial 30 minutes.

Article 66(4) of the Rules of Procedure establishes that the Commission may invite other interested persons to participate in the hearings and shall notify the parties accordingly, including any changes in the distribution of time that may apply.

Attendance by the Public and Press

Journalists, media workers, and members of the general public may attend public hearings without prior registration. When hearings take place at the OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., security personnel will register attendees upon entry to the building.

When hearings are held outside headquarters, registration will be organized by the host country.

In all cases, the registration process may take time; therefore, it is recommended to arrive in advance.

Rules of Conduct

Mobile phones must be turned off or set to silent mode before entering the hearing rooms.

Attendees are asked to keep their voices low near the hearing rooms. Those arriving after a hearing has begun are requested to enter quietly.

Private Hearings

The IACHR may decide that a hearing be held in private. Both petitioners and the State have the right to request a private hearing. Such a request may be made even at the beginning of the hearing, as the Rules of Procedure do not set specific time limits for this purpose.

When a hearing is private, it is neither broadcast nor recorded, and no third parties are allowed to enter.

Live Broadcast

Public hearings of the IACHR are broadcast live on the IACHR website. Media outlets, organizations, and institutions wishing to rebroadcast the hearings are authorized to do so, provided they give credit to the IACHR/OAS.

Languages

Public hearings include interpretation into Spanish and English, and, when required by the official language of the country concerned, into Portuguese and French, and occasionally into Creole.

For each period of sessions, the IACHR announces through its website and social media the interpretation formats and languages available, as well as details on access and format.

Rebroadcast on External Websites

Embedding the live broadcast as an integrated video on external websites is authorized, in accordance with the transmission format.

Access to Hearing Recordings

Recordings of public hearings are made available for later viewing. Videos can be accessed through YouTube and the IACHR’s Period of Sessions webpage.

Photographs

The IACHR provides photographs of in-person public hearings through its Flickr page and the “IACHR: Sessions” site. Public access is open, provided that the IACHR/OAS is properly credited.

Press

Access to hearings is public. The IACHR may require prior registration for informational purposes to facilitate access through security services. Journalists are permitted to enter hearings and may use recording devices and laptops, provided these do not interfere with the normal conduct of the hearing. All mobile phones must be turned off or silenced before entering the room.

Cameras and Television

Television channels and other interested individuals or institutions may film the hearings. However, cameras must not interfere with the normal proceedings or obstruct the visibility of participants.

Minutes and Transcripts

The IACHR does not provide minutes or transcripts of the hearings.