IACHR Concludes Working Visit to Brazil on the Precautionary Measures for UNIVAJA, Bruno Araújo Pereira, and Dom Phillips, and the Maria da Penha Case

July 2, 2024

Washington, D.C. — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (RFOE) visited Brasilia from June 5 to 7, 2024, to take part in an official event commemorating the work of indigenist Bruno Araújo Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips in the context of Precautionary Measure MC-449-22, and to follow up on recommendations regarding the Maria da Penha case.

The delegation was led by IACHR President Roberta Clarke, Rapporteur for Brazil, and met with the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira; the Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Silvio Almeida; the Minister for Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara; the President of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Roberto Barroso; and authorities from the National Council of Justice (CNJ).

The IACHR appreciated the invitation extended by the Brazilian State and its facilitation of the visit, as well as the open and constructive dialogue at the highest level with the State authorities. The IACHR acknowledged the strength of Brazilian institutions and their commitment to democracy, as well as the efforts being made to strengthen measures to protect human rights in the country.

On June 5, as part of the commemoration of the second anniversary of the deaths of Bruno Araújo and Dom Phillips, the IACHR participated in the ceremony in memory of Bruno Araújo Pereira and Dom Phillips at the Memorial of Indigenous Peoples, jointly organized by the State and civil society organizations representing MC 449-22 to honor the legacy and life of both individuals. At the memorial, Roberta Clarke reaffirmed the IACHR's commitment to continue monitoring the implementation of the precautionary measure.

During the visit, the IACHR encouraged the State to continue investigating the case and to guarantee the effective protection of the 11 members of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Vale do Javari (UNIVAJA), who are currently beneficiaries of the precautionary measure mentioned above. It also took part in the meeting of the Joint Working Group for MC 449-22, which followed up on the Action Plan approved by the IACHR. The meeting emphasized the need for transparency and for guarantees that all parties take part fully in the Working Group's activities.

The RFOE took part in the opening session of the Bruno Araújo Pereira and Dom Philips Conference and in a panel discussion entitled "Remembering Indigenism in the Javari Valley Through the Struggle of Human Rights Defenders, Media Workers, and Environmentalists." Special Rapporteur Pedro Vaca stressed that the authorities need to continue promoting investigations that consider specific hypotheses that take into account the victims' work as journalists and human rights defenders, as well as the role of journalism from and about the Amazon, especially in light of the challenges posed by the climate crisis. He also met with the Secretary of Digital Policies at the Secretariat of Social Communication to discuss the challenges of access to information in remote areas.

IACHR President Roberta Clarke also held a working session on the Maria da Penha case, which was attended by representatives of the government, Maria da Penha, and the petitioning organizations. At this meeting, they discussed the course of action that should be taken to reach agreements that would allow full compliance with the recommendations made in the merits report on the case.

On the last day of the visit, the IACHR Executive Secretariat team ran a training session on follow up to recommendations and precautionary measures from a gender perspective for officials from the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, the Ministry of Women's Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Program for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, and the Monitoring and Oversight Unit of the National Judicial Council.

Roberta Clarke took part in an event entitled "Social Participation: International Human Rights Monitoring and Follow-up Mechanisms," organized by the Institute for Development and Human Rights (IDDH), which was attended by representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Mercosur Institute for Public Policies on Human Rights (IPPDH), and the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH). The objective of the event was to share experiences and good practices on social participation in mechanisms to follow up on recommendations made by different bodies.

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. 154/24

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