The Argentine government welcomes the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)

This morning, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Germán Garavano, with the Deputy Foreign Minister, Pedro Villagra Delgado, welcomed the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to Argentina.

The event, attended by the president of the IACHR, Francisco Eguiguren, inaugurates the Commission’s 162^nd Extraordinary Period of Sessions. This is the first time that Argentina will serve as the host country for the body.

During the opening, Minister Garavano underscored that “the challenge we face as a society is to eliminate all forms of violence and embark on a journey so that we can all work jointly on human rights. The Commission’s opinions steer us in the right direction; it is an honour to welcome its members.”

 “We must leave individualism behind and move towards a more peaceful society, based on respect and a full-fledged democracy,” he added.

For his part, Deputy Foreign Minister Villagra Delgado recalled that “September will be the 38^th anniversary of the beginning of the historic visit by the IACHR to Argentina in the context of one of the darkest periods in Argentine history in terms of human rights. During that visit, the IACHR was a beacon of hope in the midst of the darkness cast by the ruling dictatorship in Argentina at the time.”

Villagra Delgado explained that “it shed light on a terrible truth by revealing the nature of the regime to the Argentine people and to the world. It also set a major precedent as regards the fight against impunity during the restoration of democracy in 1983, in the context of the presidency of Raúl Alfonsín, as well as in terms of human rights policies set forth by that administration and by subsequent democratic governments.”

“Upon the restoration of democracy, the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP) was created, the military juntas were put on trial and reparation policies were established. Thus, the IACHR, through its reports and decisions, progressively contributed to the process of memory, truth, justice, reparation and the fight against impunity in Argentina,” he concluded.

The IACHR is a body of the Organization of American States that seeks to promote and safeguard human rights in the American continent.

The 162^nd Extraordinary Period of Sessions will take place on May 22-26 in Buenos Aires. On those dates, public hearings will be held, which will address the state of Human Rights of transsexuals in Chile; Human Rights, imprisonment and drug policies in Brazil; the institutionalization of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in Peru, the independence of the judiciary in Uruguay, and the state of Human Rights of migrants in the Southern Cone, among other issues.

When the IACHR holds extraordinary periods of sessions outside headquarters, it refrains from conducting hearings and releasing statements on local issues. For this reason, no matters pertaining to Argentina will be addressed on this occasion.

Seminar at the University of Buenos Aires

In the context of its visit to the country, the body will hold a seminar on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to be held on 23-24 May at the School of Law of the University of Buenos Aires. Minister Garavano will participate in the inauguration of the event.

The seminar is free and open to the public, and will discuss matters related to extractive industries and Human Rights, violence against the LGBTI community, as well as respect for and protection of women’s rights, among other issues.

Press release No. 199/17

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