IACHR announces new competition for the position of Assistant Executive Secretary for the Petitions and Cases System

September 3, 2021

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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announces the publication of a new competition for applications for the position of Deputy Executive Secretary for the Petitions and Cases System.

The period for submitting applications will be open for 21 days, from September 3 to 24, and both internal and external candidates will be able to apply. The competition will follow the procedures established for selecting personnel in Article 44 of the General Standards of the GS/OAS, which determines that the person selected will have an initial fixed-term contract for one year, renewable annually and subject to satisfactory performance of his/her duties. It should be noted that this position reports directly to the Executive Secretary.

The initial competition for this position in question was published on May 31, 2018. However, the time elapsed without concluding the process, so the IACHR decided to cancel the same on January 21, 2021 and conduct it again.

The IACHR remains committed to promoting transparent, inclusive and participatory selection processes for its staff. Its commitment to these principles has motivated it to continue with the selection process of the person in charge of the Assistant Executive Secretariat for the System of Petitions and Cases. The Commission is fully convinced that by means of public competitions, progress is made in the institutionalization of staff appointments.

The Commission takes this opportunity to publicly recognize and thank Marisol Blanchard for her excellent work since September 2019. It is worth highlighting that, under her exceptional leadership, teams have been strengthened, work has been organized, and processes have been made transparent. Likewise, important human rights standards have been developed and more effective access to Inter-American justice has been granted to all victims of human rights violations in the region. Among its most notable achievements are unprecedented and high-impact results in combating the procedural backlog in the case and petition system, resolving landmark cases of great importance for the region. The significant progress made by the IACHR in petitions and cases is documented in the 2020 annual report.

Marisol Blanchard's remarkable work has been carried out in a context of good institutional relations, respect and work among the parties: victims, petitioners, OAS Member States and the staff of the Executive Secretariat. As a result, the IACHR requested that she remain in charge of the Assistant Executive Secretariat for Petitions and Cases while the outcome of the competition is being decided.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission is mandated to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR is composed 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. 233/21

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