Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Description

The IACHR is an autonomous human rights organ of the Organization of American States, based in Washington, D.C. Also known by its Spanish acronym CIDH, it reviews human rights complaints from across the Americas.

The Commission was established in 1959, held its first session in 1960 and carried out its first on-site visit, to the Dominican Republic, in 1961. Its mandate rests on the OAS Charter, the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the American Convention on Human Rights, which is binding on 24 of the OAS’s 35 member states.

The IACHR receives and investigates individual petitions alleging human rights violations, seeks friendly settlements, and can refer unresolved cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. It monitors the general human rights situation in member states, publishes country and thematic reports, conducts on-site visits, and can request precautionary measures to prevent serious and irreparable harm.

It runs thematic rapporteurships on groups including indigenous peoples, women, migrants, children, human rights defenders, people deprived of liberty, Afro-descendants, LGBTI persons and older people, plus dedicated offices on freedom of expression and economic, social and cultural rights. A Press and Outreach Office issues regular statements on cases and situations across the region.