|
Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
The
Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis
Almagro, today expressed his support for a proposal to double the budget
of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The Secretary General welcomed the September 30 communiqué
from the Commission announcing that it had overcome the immediate and
severe financial crisis which threatened to limit its capacity to comply
with basic duties in 2016. At the same time, the Secretary General
remains focused on the need to place both the Commission and the Court
of Human Rights on a sound, long-term financial footing to allow both
bodies to plan and execute their work in a predictable and sustainable
manner.
In this context, in a letter also dated September 30,
2016, the Presidents of the Commission and the Court jointly wrote to
the Secretary General proposing that the budgets of the two human rights
bodies be doubled. The joint proposal seeks to provide medium and
long-term sustainability and ensure that the Commission and the Court
fulfill their mandates in an effective and timely manner by increasing
contributions from OAS member states and relying less on contributions
from permanent observers and other donors.
The Secretary General
fully endorses the joint proposal, especially as it would allow the
Court and the Commission to hold more sessions; would allow the
Commissioners and the Judges more time to review, analyze and render
judgements; would allow for the creation of a Special Rapporteur for
Economic and Social Rights as well as the strengthening of the existing
Rapporteurs; would help to ensure long-term stability for staff members
of the Secretariats to both organs and would lead to an increase in the
number of cases resolved by the Commission and the Court.
The
Secretary General believes that the member states have a responsibility
to ensure that the Inter-American Human Rights System is adequately
funded to that it can fulfill its responsibilities under the OAS
Charter, the American Convention on Human Rights, and other
Inter-American human rights instruments, and hopes that member states
will accept the proposal from the Commission and Court.
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of Page