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Working Group of the Protocol of San Salvador Holds 16th Period of Sessions

The Working Group to examine the national reports envisioned in the Protocol of San Salvador (WGPSS) held its 16th Period of Sessions on July 27 and 28, in Washington, D.C.

The WGPSS evaluates the reports of the States Parties to this inter-American instrument. The national reports are developed considering a system composed of 714 progress indicators for measuring rights under the Protocol of San Salvador. Since its entry into operations, the WGPSS has evaluated 30 national reports from 13 States Parties.

During its 16th Period of Sessions, the members of the WGPSS: Urenna Best (Panama), Alberto Coddou (Chile), Johanna Cortés (Colombia), Juan Pablo Delgado (Mexico), Santiago Guayasamín (Ecuador), Laura Elisa Pérez (Mexico) and Soledad García Muñoz, (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights), elected Juan Pablo Delgado as its Chair and Johanna Cortés as its Vice Chair. The Group also recognized the work carried out by Soledad García Muñoz, as outgoing Chair and recognized her tenure as the first Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The 16th Period of Sessions also served as an opportunity to present the "Practical Guide for the operationalization of the indicators of the Protocol of San Salvador from a transversal perspective to indigenous peoples", (available in Spanish) a document that is part of the series "Measuring all gaps" that aims to provide a differentiated analysis for groups in situations of vulnerability. Also, the WGPSS announced the publication of a new series of regional studies that systematize the information accumulated after three reporting cycles. The first study in this series is the "Study on the regional situation of the right to culture in Latin America" (available in Spanish) developed with the support of the University Program on Human Rights of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (PUDH-UNAM).

During its meeting with Secretary General Luis Almagro, the experts recounted the work of almost a decade in the monitoring of ESCERs in the region. The Secretary General recommended to the Group the preparation of an academic study to identify the main barriers that affect the guarantee of ESCERs in the continent, in addition to suggesting that the WGPSS joins the Electoral Observation Missions of the organization.

Moreover, the Group invited the States Parties of the Protocol of San Salvador to dialogue about perspectives on the challenges for the guarantee of ESCER, as well as possible alternatives for the financial support of its activities.

The WGPSS will meet for its XVII Period of Sessions in the cities of Guadalajara, Jalisco and León, Guanajuato (Mexico) in November 2023.

Reference: E-042/23