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IACHR
Press Release
IACHR Announces Schedule for its 150th Session
March 14, 2014
Washington, D.C.—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is announcing the program for its 150th regular session, which will take place from March 20 to April 4, 2014. The hearings will be held on March 24, 25, 27, and 28, and will take place in the General Secretariat Building of the Organization of American States (OAS), located at 1889 F Street NW, Washington, D.C.
The opening ceremony of the 150th session will take place on March 21 at 2:30 p.m., in the Simón Bolívar Room of the OAS Main Building, located at 17th Street and Constitution Avenue in Washington. Representatives of the OAS Member States and of civil society organizations from the region have been invited to the ceremony, which will be webcast live via the IACHR website.
“This year marks 55 years since the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was created. Along with this milestone, we are celebrating our 150th period of sessions, which is a very significant indicator of the intense work the Commission does on an ongoing basis to defend and promote human rights in the region,” said IACHR Executive Secretary Emilio Alvarez Icaza L. “During its sessions, the Commission examines cases, takes decisions, adopts reports on cases, and holds working meetings and hearings with representatives of the States and civil society from the 35 OAS member countries.”
By virtue of the Inter-American Commission’s open, ongoing dialogue with all actors in the inter-American human rights system, the IACHR will hold meetings with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Permanent Representatives of the OAS Member States, and civil society representatives. The meeting with civil society will take place on Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will be webcast live.
In addition, three thematic reports published recently by the Commission will be presented during its 150th session. The “Report on the Use of Pretrial Detention in the Americas” will be presented on March 26 at 1 p.m. in the Rubén Darío Room. The report “Children’s Right to Family” will be presented at 6 p.m. that same day, in the Padilha Vidal Room. Another report, called “Guarantees for the Independence of Justice Operators,” will be presented on March 27 at 6 p.m. in the Rubén Darío Room.
The IACHR will webcast all public hearings live on its website. This page has important information for the public and members of the media who plan to attend the hearings or follow them online.
A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (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 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.
No. 26/14