Washington, D.C. — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) concluded its first promotional visit to the Commonwealth of Dominica, which took place from June 22 to 23, 2022. This visit was conducted with the purpose of strengthening and deepening the Commission’s collaboration with the State, as well as promoting the Inter-American human rights standards and collecting information on the State’s human rights policies.

The Commission’s visit to Dominica is carried out in keeping with the IACHR’s priorities according to the objectives of its Strategic Plan 2017-2021. The focus on strengthening capacities and building closer connections with the Caribbean Community continue to guide the development of the Commission’s proposed Strategic Plan for 2022-2026.

In recent years, the work of the Commission regarding the Caribbean reflected an increased use of various Inter-American mechanisms for guaranteeing the protection of human rights in the region, as well as efforts to work towards the universalization of the Inter-American instruments. The mechanisms applied by the IACHR for strengthening its work in the region included: the processing of petitions, cases, and precautionary measures; increased collaboration with States and non-state actors; expanded training and technical cooperation and a more comprehensive and effective monitoring.

The IACHR delegation was led by Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay, second Vice-President, Rapporteur on the Rights of Older Persons and on the Rights of People of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination, as well as Country Rapporteur for Dominica. It also included specialists from the IACHR Executive Secretariat.

During the visit, the delegation met with the Acting Prime Minister of Dominica, the Honourable Reginald Austrie, and with authorities from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Diaspora Relations, the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, the Electoral Office and the Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs. The delegation also conducted meetings with civil society and international organizations based in Dominica.

“The first visit in its history that the Commission made to Dominica was successful. The State has made clear its commitment to cooperate with the IACHR. We are looking forward to working closely with the State and its population for the effective protection of human rights in the country”, pointed out Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay, second Vice-President of the Commission.

The Commission thanks the State of Dominica for its logistical support during the visit, its commitment to strengthening the dialogue with the IACHR and the protection of human rights. The IACHR would also like to thank the civil society and the International Organization for Migration for the information shared with the delegation.

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.