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Conservatives could take over key inter-American human rights body

Countries will this week elect members to the Americas’ most important institution for protecting human rights

By Angelina de los Santos
Conservatives could take over key inter-American human rights body
Representative of the IACHR during a protest in Colombia - Juancho Torres/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images. All rights reserved
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Governments across the Americas are set to take part in a crucial vote that could decide the future of a body that has been vital in protecting human rights in the region for more than 60 years.

Since 1959, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has guided countries in establishing legal standards and assisting millions of victims of violence and inequality.

It is responsible for investigating human rights violations – including unfair trials, extrajudicial executions and violence against women and vulnerable populations – and submitting cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR, founded in 1979). Both bodies comprise the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS).

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0