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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
The
new Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights (IACHR), Emilio Álvarez Icaza, today expressed before the
Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) his
willingness to establish a relationship "on the best terms" with the
Member States of the hemispheric organization.
During his first address to the Permanent Council, Álvarez Icaza
said that “we are more than willing to generate operational synergies
with the Member States,” in line with the position taken by the
Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, at the last Permanent
Council meeting on the subject. “We want to work with each of the
Member States in reviewing cases that they have, and also in reviewing
processes to help us generate synergies which allow the points of common
interest to be addressed,” added Álvarez Icaza, who took office on
August 16.
The IACHR Executive Secretary explained that the Commission has
established three major stages in the context of the ongoing process of
the strengthening of the Inter-American System of Human Rights, which is
being carried out in compliance with the mandate adopted by the General
Assembly held in Cochabamba in June.
The first consisted of seminars in Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago, where representatives of civil society,
victims and public officials took part. Álvarez Icaza said that in the
seminar in Colombia, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos took part,
while at the seminar in Mexico, the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, the
Deputy Foreign Minister of Venezuela, and the Undersecretary for
Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico all took part.
The second stage, according to Álvarez Icaza, has to do with “a
framework document that has been presented on the methodology” of the
strengthening process; and said that “it has opened a consultation so
that the users” of the Inter-American System “can provide different
opinions.” In that context, Álvarez Icaza said “the consultation has
been extended until October 5,” “following the decision of the Permanent
Council to extend the time.”
The third stage mentioned by the IACHR Executive Secretary
refers to the participation of the OAS Member States in a "formal
hearing" of the Commission on October 30, to be held within the
framework of the next session of the IACHR.
Special Meeting of Permanent Council for Presentation of IACHR Executive Secretary
From left to right:
Hugo de Zela, Chief of Staff of the OAS Secretary General
Albert R. Ramdin, OAS Assistant Secretary General
Stephen Charles Vasciannie, Chair of the OAS Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the OAS
Emilio Álvarez Icaza, Executive Secretary (CIDH)
Date: September 24, 2012
Place: Washington, DC
Credit: Maria Patricia Leiva/OAS
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On another issue, the IACHR Executive Secretary referred to the
“genuine budgetary limits” of the Commission and, referring to the
debates being held by the Permanent Council on the organization’s 2013
budget, expressed his thanks for “the will you may have to advance a
message of making human rights a priority,” as has been mentioned
“initially by the Secretary General” Insulza.
Finally, Álvarez Icaza recalled that he has taken part in a
series of meetings with the General Secretariat and the Office of the
OAS Assistant Secretary General to “be able to carry out the best
activities to generate synergies in terms of the processes that
challenge all of us.”
The representatives of Chile, Guatemala, the United States, Haiti, Peru, Brazil,
Canada,
Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina
and Bolivia all participated in the meeting of the Council.
© Copyright 2012 by thebahamasweekly.com
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