Country: Peru

IACHR meets European counterparts at a critical time

Posted on by fredsaxo

The Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) – Organization of American States (OAS), Paulo Abrão will cross the Atlantic to meet his European counterparts this week.

A series of high-level meetings will be held with EU and EU Members States officials as well as international CSOs, which have been supporting both politically and financially the inter-American system, particularly during last year’s financial crisis.

Abrão will also take the opportunity to present its recently approved Strategic Plan, which various CSOs contributed to, including FIAN International’s section in Ecuador on behalf of all FIAN entities.

Need for real commitment

In a context where States and the private sector (particularly transnational corporations) are increasingly pushing for voluntary guidelines to take over internationally binding human rights instruments and standards, it is crucial to genuinely reinforce the political and legal role of regional human rights systems. This is particularly imperative for OAS Member States that have progressively been withdrawing their financial and political support to the IACHR, thereby leading the latter to its worst crisis in history. 

The lack of political commitment by OAS States is also reflected on some of their sponsored candidates, whose competences are questionable, for the two seats that the 47 Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly will choose in June. The 163rd Period of IACHR Sessions in July will also see the appointment of the first rapporteur on economic, social, cultural and environmental rights, which could suppose a positive change for communities across the Americas. 

Guarani and Kaiowá, seeking justice in IACHR

The Inter-American system is crucial for fighting injustice and structural inequalities against most marginalized groups, especially indigenous communities. This is the case of the indigenous peoples Guarani and Kaiowá in Brazil, who have been facing evictions and violence throughout their struggle for the right to ancestral territory as well as to food and nutrition, and whose situation has only worsened following the Parliamentarian coup d´état.

Last December, the Guarani and Kaiowá’s great assembly Aty Guasu, with the support of CIMI, FIAN International and its Brazilian section, as well as Justicia Global, filed a petition to the IACHR against the State of Brazil. Not only this petition will contribute to further developing standards on the right to food and nutrition in connection with the right to ancestral territory, but also to the IAHRC rapporteurship on economic, social, cultural and environmental rights.

FIAN International hopes that OAS Member States strengthen and prioritize their political and financial support to the IACHR. In addition, this should be reflected on the dialogue and cooperation between the EU and its Member States with the OAS, as regional systems are a crucial element for the development and implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders and EU Action Plans on Human Rights.  

The organization will engage in the IACHR visit, together with the European CSOs network CIFCA to keep supporting the consolidation of regional human rights systems. 

For more information, please contact castaneda-flores[at]fian.org 
For media enquiries please contact delrey[at]fian.org 

A billion people need fully functioning IACHR

Posted on by fredsaxo

Last Monday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) broke the astonishing news about its financial crisis. The Commission announced that 40 percent of its personnel will not be renewed beyond July and that its 159th and 160th sessions will be suspended, unless it receives funds or the commitment for donations before June 15. Such drastic changes would have a serious impact on its ability to fulfill its mandate and carry out its basic functions, thereby risking the human rights protection of the billion people living in the Americas.

Reacting to the news, several NGOs from all over the world has issued an Open Letter whereby it appeals to all member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) to take the necessary measures to ensure the immediate and adequate funding of IACHR.

FIAN International recalls that the Inter-American Human Rights system is the result of people’s struggles in the Americas. They delegated their sovereignty to the States to create a system that ensures protection against abuse and injustice. Therefore,  it is the obligation of OAS member states to ensure sustainable financial fund for the Commission to remain fully operational as last resort against violations of fundamental rights in the continent and an international reference for its great efforts in protecting thousands of affected people and communities.

You can read the Open Letter here.

The European Parliament prioritises trade interests over human rights and sustainable development

Posted on by fredsaxo

The European Parliament has prioritised trade over human rights and sustainable development today in a vote that brings into force two agreements between the European Union and Central America, and Colombia and Peru. 

The agreements will do nothing to address human rights abuses in Latin America, and do not take into consideration the asymmetries between the two regions, according to broad group of civil society organisations, including FIAN International.Download the joint press release below.

Peru: Mining project “Río Blanco” threatens the human right to food and water of the population living in the northern part of Peru

Posted on by fredsaxo

In 2001, the mining company Minera Majaz, a subsidiary of the British company Monterrico Metals, obtained eight mining concessions in the northern part of Peru. One of these concessions is for the mining project “Río Blanco”, of 6472 hectares, aimed at exploiting a copper and molybdenum site. The peasant communities of the area strongly oppose this project, since it is a major threat to the agriculture and thus to their human rights to food and water.  

The project would have a negative impact in the farming activities of the peasant communities living in the area and of the population living in the lower parts, since the mining activities and other adjacent mining projects waiting for the project “Río Blanco” to start are located at the source of the most important rivers in the region. The environmental degradation produced by the mining exploitation would affect thousands of people. Since the affected communities have not been properly informed, the mining activities do not comply with the requirements foreseen by the Peruvian legislation. Please, write formal letters to the political authorities in Peru, in order to support the communities threatened by the mining activities in their resistance and struggle for the defense of their right to food, water and to an adequate environment.

Peru: Water contamination (rivers Chambira and Hormiga) by the Argentinean oil company Pluspetrol S.A in the area of the indigenous communities of the Urarinas district

Posted on by fredsaxo

The right to food of 75 families of the indigenous communities of Pijuayal, Santa Carmela, Nueva Porvenir and San Pedro is being violated by the contamination of the rivers Hormiga and Chambira (in  the north of the Urarinas district) through the dumping of oil waste residues. Their food sources are based on fishery, hunting and growing crops for their subsistence. Therefore, the nutritional habits of these communities depend on the waters of the Hormiga and Chambira rivers. The water contamination also affects the drinking water supply of the families. The Argentinean oil company Pluspetrol Norte S.A refuses to admit that company activities are taking place within the borders of the indigenous communities´ territory,  and that the waters of both rivers are being contaminated, destroying the main food sources  of those communities.  

Regarding this serious situation, it is very important to put pressure on Peruvian authorities so that they will undertake measures to protect the right to food of these communities as well as their right to clean water and to cultivate their staple food free from oil waste residues.  Please send a letter to the mayor of the district of Urarinas and send copies to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Peru, the director of Pluspetrol Norte S.A. and to the organisation CEDIA (Centro para el Desarrollo del Indígena Amazónico), which is supporting the action.