The Coalition of Organizations for Human Rights in the Americas, as well as other regional and global networks of civil society, want to show our concern about the serious financial crisis facing the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). That's why we signed this letter, appealing to all member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) to take the necessary measures to ensure their immediate and adequate funding. Likewise, we call urgently to the creation of sustainable financing fund to the Inter-American System of Human Rights (ISHR), to address the precarious situation that has been going on for years, in both the Commission and the Inter-American Court of human rights.  

The IACHR is one of the principal organs of protection whose mandate is to promote the observance of human rights in the region and act as an advisory body to the OAS in this matter. It is the only regional mechanism that monitors the obligations of all member countries of the OAS in this matter, and is the last line of defense against violations of fundamental rights on the continent. The Commission is an international benchmark for their great work protection to thousands of defenders of human rights, threatened and criminalized living in the Americas. This body, protects the rights of indigenous peoples and Afro - descendants, women and girls, people with disabilities and people LGTBI, among other groups, in their struggle to eradicate discrimination. The role of the Commission, not only in the field of protection of human rights but also in action to promote compliance, reaches nearly one billion inhabitants throughout the region. However, the Inter-American Commission has had, historically, with a meager budget, which has now reached the point of compromising the effective performance of its core functions and mandate, assigned by the Member States of the OAS. 

The Commission itself announced that on July 31, 2016 the contracts of 40% of its staff due and that does not have the funds nor the expectation of receiving them , to renew them . He also reported the suspension of the country visits planned for this year as well as the Sessions 159 and 160, originally scheduled for July and October this year. In contrast to other organs of protection of human, national and international rights , funding received by the Commission from the regular fund of the OAS, ie the member States, is inconsistent with the wishes of the countries aspiring to a more democratic region. In 2016, the fund was assigned an amount of about 5.4287,9 million, which constitutes 6.44% of the total annual budget of the OAS ⎯the Council of Europe allocates 41.5% of its budget to the promotion and protection of human rights.  

While the General Assembly of the OAS, has previously passed resolutions pledging to address this situation, they have not materialized with the necessary increase in resources to enable both the Inter-American Commission as the Court ⎯la which, if nothing changes, you will see its budget reduced a third by the end of this año⎯, have adequate funding to carry out their mandates.  Thus, this request is aimed not only that the Commission can continue with their scheduled for the current year, you can renew the contracts of 40% of your personal activities and carry out their periods 159 and 160, but also you can definitely create a structure that becomes practice sustainable financing of this body and of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, significantly increasing the budget that the OAS assigns to the ISHR.