Announcement of Candidate to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

The United States is pleased to announce the candidacy of Professor James L. Cavallaro of Stanford Law School to serve as a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for elections to be held during the June 2013 General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Antigua, Guatemala.

Professor Cavallaro is currently Professor of Law and founding director of Stanford Law School’s International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic as well as the Stanford Human Rights Center. Before his appointment at Stanford, Cavallaro was professor of law and executive director of the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School. Highly respected in the areas of human rights and international law, Professor Cavallaro has extensive knowledge of the Inter-American human rights system and the operation of both national and international adjudicatory processes.

The independent and autonomous IACHR promotes and defends human rights in all member states of the OAS. It impacts thousands of lives in the hemisphere through the issuance of reports on petitions and cases, as well as recommendations, to OAS member states to improve the human rights’ conditions in their countries.

Over the last half century, the IACHR has played a critical role in monitoring and supporting OAS member state adherence to human rights commitments. Its seven Commission members are recognized experts in human rights elected in their own right as individuals, not as representatives of governments. Their members’ political autonomy and objectivity distinguish the IACHR as a leading human rights body.

The promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as embodied in the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. The United States is pleased to be a strong supporter of the IACHR, and is committed to continuing support for the Commission’s work and its independence. Preserving the IACHR’s autonomy is a pillar of our human rights policy in the region.

(2013-02-22/state)