Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Hold Public Hearings at Colorado Law

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hold its 169th period of sessions at the University of Colorado Law School from September 29 to October 5, marking the first time the commission has held public hearings in the United States outside of its Washington, D.C. offices and the first time hearings have been held at an American law school.

The hearings will be on human rights situations and cases of alleged human rights violations in countries throughout the Western Hemisphere. The hearings are open to the public and no prior registration is necessary. The schedule of public hearings is available on the IACHR's website.

See schedule of hearings

“The University of Colorado Law School is honored to host the first period of sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights taking place in the United States outside of the commission headquarters in Washington D.C,” said Colorado Law Dean S. James Anaya. “It is our privilege to welcome the work of the commission to the University of Colorado Boulder, as this opportunity will provide the campus, and Colorado more broadly, exposure to the important work the commission does to mitigate human rights violations in the Americas. Attendees will have the chance to witness human rights advocacy in action, gleaning a deeper understanding of the complex issues affecting humanity today, and learning how inter-governmental organizations, such as the Organization of American States, work to address these issues.”

The Inter-American Commission holds several sessions a year, an opportunity that brings together hundreds of human rights defenders as well as government delegations constituted by high-level human rights officials, academics, and others.

“The IACHR thanks the faculty of law of the University of Colorado for inviting the Commission to hold sessions in its facilities, expanding access to the Inter-American Human Rights System, bringing new people together and disseminating the work of the IACHR, in that case in a recognized academic environment,” the commission wrote in a press release.

Colorado Law last year announced a partnership with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights establishing an advanced program of study in international human rights that includes LLM and MSL degree programs.

About the IACHR

The Inter-American Commission, an agency of the Organization of American States, is the primary international mechanism overseeing compliance with basic rights in the Western Hemisphere. A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence. Learn more.