IV Inter-American System
| Author | Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón |
| Published date | 01 March 2006 |
| Date | 01 March 2006 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/016934410602400108 |
| Subject Matter | Part B: Human Rights News |
IV INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM
Diego Rodrı
´guez-Pinzo
´n
1. INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
During 2005, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR or
Commission) of the Organization of American States (OAS) continued to discharge
its mandate by reviewing and processing individual cases and closely monitoring the
general human rights situation in several States of the region. The Commission is
currently composed of Commissioners Vı´ctor E. Abramovich Cosarı´n, Evelio
Ferna´ndez Are´valos, Paolo Carozza, Freddy Gutie´ rrez, Florentı´n Mele´ndez, Paulo
Se´rgio Pinheiro and Clare K. Roberts.
Recently, Eduardo Bertoni, the first Special Rapporteur for Freedom of
Expression of the IACHR, announced his resignation from the position. This was
the first Rapporteurship of the Commission entrusted to a full time expert who is
not a member of the Commission and Mr. Bertoni was the first Rapporteur. It
remains to be seen what the future of the recently established mechanism will be.
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General Activities during the Second Semester of 2005
During the Fall of 2005, the Inter-American Commission developed a wide variety of
activities related with the promotion and protection of human rights. Additionally to
processing and adjudicating individual cases, the IACHR also expressed its public
concern in certain situations, resorting to press releases, among others. For
example, the Commission publicly celebrated the ratification of Inter-American
treaties by OAS member States or other advances in human rights issues, and often
expressed concern over current country conditions. At its headquarters in
Washington, DC, the IACHR held several activities which included reporting on
the human rights situation of the Americas at the conclusion of its session on
28 October and expressing concern about harassment of political dissidents in Cuba
on 29 July.
The IACHR also referred specifically to the human rights situation in Haiti. The
Commission made the following statements regarding Haiti: called for greater
international action on 22 April; expressed concern over the situation of Yvon
Neptune, former Prime Minister of Haiti, on 6 May; released preliminary
observations on its 15 April on-site visit to Haiti on 6 June; deplored escalating
violence on 23 June; and called for immediate measures to quell unprecedented
violence on 22 July. The Commission also performed a visit to Haiti together with
the UNICEF Regional Office in Latin America and the Caribbean on 2-5 November.
On 16 December, the IACHR indicted that it was alarmed by the retirement of five
Supreme Court judges. Also in Hispaniola, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of
Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, Vol. 24/1 (2006) 135
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Information about the Rapporteur can be found on the following website: www.cidh.oas.org/
relatoria/index.asp?lID=1.
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