UN rights office warns lack of funding for inter-American rights body News
UN rights office warns lack of funding for inter-American rights body

A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] warned [UN News Centre report] Friday that the severe financial crisis facing the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) [official website] is negatively impacting its ability to function. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the OHCHR issued a briefing [press release] Fridaymorning in which she stated that if the IACHR does not receive additional funds, the ability of the rights systems currently in place to respond to potential violations could be severely curtailed. Shamdasani said, “[w]e urge States to reaffirm their commitment to human rights by providing the Commission with the required resources to fulfil its crucial mandate and indeed to strengthen this key institution. The Commission’s robust defence of human rights in the region should be encouraged—not punished.”

The IACHR is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States whose mission [backgrounder] is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere. The IACHR reported earlier this week that financial restraints will force it to lay off [press release] nearly half of its staff at the end of July.