PRESS RELEASE Nº
22/01
INTER-AMERICAN
COMMISSION HOLDS On
Thursday, 23 and Friday, 24 August 2001, in the Conference Room of the
Escuela Diplomática y Consular of the Department of Foreign Relations,
located at Avenida Independencia Nº 752, in Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will
hold a Seminar on the inter-American dystem for the protection and promotion of
human rights. This
event, convened at the invitation of the Government of the Dominican
Republic, will be attended by a delegation of the Commission composed
of: Dr. Juan Méndez (Argentina), First Vice Chair of the IACHR, Dr. Hélio
Bicudo (Brazil) and Dr. Julio Prado Vallejo (Ecuador) members of the
IACHR; Dr. Bertha Santoscoy, Senior Human Rights Specialist; Dr. Raquel
Poitevien, Human Rights Specialist; and Mrs. Gloria Amanda Molina,
Administrative Assistant. The Inaugural Session of the Seminar will be
attended by the following representatives of the Government of the
Dominican Republic: the President of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Hipólito
Mejía; the Secretary of Foreign Relations, Dr. Hugo Tolentino Dipp; and
the Attorney General, Dr. Virgilio
Bello Rosa. The
objective of the Seminar is to promote the inter-American treaties and
mechanisms for the protection of human rights in OAS member states. Participants will include parliamentarians, public
prosecutors, ombudsmen, judges, lawyers, law professors and students,
police officers, correctional officers, representatives of
nongovernmental organizations and members of civil society.
“This Seminar is of great importance for the promotion of
respect for and observance of human rights in the Dominican Republic as
well as the rest of the Americas”, explained the Executive
Secretary of the IACHR, Dr. Santiago Alejandro Canton. The
Commission is a principal organ of the OAS entrusted with promoting,
protecting, and defending human rights in the Americas and acting as an
advisory body to the OAS in these matters. The Commission derives its
authority from the OAS Charter, the American Declaration of the Rights
and Duties of Man, the American Convention on Human Rights, and the
Statutes and Regulations of the Commission.
The Commission is composed of seven Commissioners who are elected
in their personal capacity by the OAS General Assembly and do not
represent their countries of origin or residence. As part of its
mandate, the Commission analyzes individual petitions alleging
violations of rights protected under the American Convention, in respect
of member states having ratified that treaty, and rights enshrined in
the American Declaration in respect of other OAS member states. The
Commission also studies the human rights situation in countries of the
Hemisphere, examines specific questions subject to its competence, and
prepares and publishes reports accordingly. The Commission wishes to
express its appreciation and congratulations to the Government of the
Dominican Republic for offering to host this event. Washington, D.C., August 17, 2001 |