IACHR Releases Schedule of Public Hearings for 189th Period of Sessions

February 16, 2024

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released the schedule of public hearings for its 189th Period of Sessions, set to take place between February 26 and March 7, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

The 29 public hearings in this period of sessions have been scheduled for the period February 26–March 1 and are to be conducted in person at the IACHR headquarters. Three of these hearings have been convened ex officio by the IACHR to address the situation of the human rights of rights defenders and older persons and the situation of judicial independence in the Americas. Other hearings are to address various issues concerning the rights of women, children and adolescents, indigenous peoples, persons who are deprived of liberty, persons with disabilities, and migrant persons; freedom of expression and association; economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights; memory, truth, and justice; and democracy, both in Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) and in the Americas as a whole. Two of these public hearings are set to address cases that are currently being handled by the IACHR, while a further hearing is to discuss efforts to monitor precautionary measures.

All hearings are set to be recorded, in keeping with Article 68 of the IACHR's Rules of Procedure. These events will be public and are to be broadcast on the Commission's institutional accounts on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Anyone interested may attend (no prior registration required), subject to space availability.

A principal, autonomous body of the 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.

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. 034/24

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