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Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announces its decision to convene on its own initiative (ex officio) a regional public hearing on “Human rights, development and freedom of association.” The hearing will take place on May 8, 2019, from 11:30 to 12:30 (local time in Kingston), which will take place during the 172 Period of Sessions, to be held May 2 to 10, 2019, at the regional headquarters of the University of West Indies, in Kingston, Jamaica.
As of today, the Commission welcomes expressions of interest in taking part in those hearings. Expressions of interest should be submitted via this system, before midnight on April 17, 2019 (time in Washington, D.C.). Pursuant to Article 66 of the IACHR’s Rules of Procedure, anyone interested must properly identify themselves and explain why they would like to take part in the hearings.
The IACHR will announce at a later date the list of organizations and persons summoned, who will need to cover any expenses they incur in to take part in the hearings. The IACHR invites any organizations and persons who are not summoned for these hearings to submit, in writing, any documentation or information they deem relevant to the topic of the hearing.
Pursuant to Article 68 of the IACHR’s Rules of Procedure, the hearings will be public. Anyone interested may attend freely without prior registration, subject only to space restrictions in the hearing room. The public hearings will be livestreamed on the Commission’s Website.
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 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.
No. 094/19