PRESS RELEASE

Nº 26/07

IACHR RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS OF AFRICAN DESCENT AND AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION VISITS COLOMBIA 

Washington, D.C., May 11, 2007.  The Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Commission member Clare K. Roberts, will visit Colombia from May 14 to 18, 2007.

This visit, at the invitation of the Government of Colombia, will be to ascertain the situation of Afro-Colombian persons and communities, hold meetings with Colombian Government authorities and civil society organizations working in this field, and conduct activities promoting the inter-American human rights system.

Accompanying the Rapporteur will be the Assistant Executive Secretary of the Commission, Ariel E. Dulitzky, human rights specialists Karin Mansel and Andrea Repetto, and administrative assistant Ana Cecilia Márquez-Rey.

The IACHR is the principal human rights organ of the Organization of American States (OAS).  It enjoys independence and autonomy to fulfill its chief mission of promoting and protecting human rights in the Hemisphere. The seven members of the Commission are elected in their personal capacity by the OAS General Assembly for a four-year term.

The Commission appreciates the cooperation and assistance provided by the Colombian Government and the civil society organizations in preparation for its visit.