Strengthening the cooperation amongst national human rights institutions in the Americas
In recent years, human rights have been under extraordinary pressure in the Americas. Indigenous peoples continue to be at great risk throughout the region, violence against women remains prevalent, and attacks on human rights defenders are widespread.
This poses a tremendous challenge for the national human rights institutions of the region who often find themselves on the frontline of the crisis.
Several national human rights institutions and their representatives have been unduly politically pressured and, in some cases, intimidated and harassed.
In 2021, the secretariat of RINDCHA, the regional network of national human rights institutions in the Americas, inaugurated its permanent office in Panama. It is expected that it will strengthen the cooperation amongst the national human rights institutions in the region and their capacity to act regionally regarding the many human rights challenges in the region’s 18 countries.
The Institute has supported the establishment of the secretariat and the office in Panama as part of a global project, named the NHRI EU project, running from 2016-2021.
In 2022, RINDHCA organised a conference to discuss and find a common position on national human rights institutions under political attack. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), RINDHCA and the Institute also facilitated a meeting among national human rights institutions in the region and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Michelle Bachelet.
Both RINDCHA and GANHRI have played a crucial role in raising international awareness of the harassment and threats that many national human rights institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean are facing.