OAS IAHRC Session & Permanent Council Meeting on the Situation of People of African Descent in the Western Hemisphere
Through the U.S. Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS), the United States worked in partnership with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHRC) to host a regional forum on March 14, 2011 that discussed best practices as well as current regional efforts to promote the human rights of people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere. As the 2011 Chair of the OAS Permanent Council, the United States also chaired a special meeting of the Council to celebrate the International Year for People of African Descent. There was civil society and high-level OAS member state participation in both of these activities. We continue to encourage effective multilateral engagement between the OAS and the African Union to bolster continued inter-regional dialogue on democracy and human rights for all people – including people of African descent.
