PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, May 17, CMC – The United States candidate for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Professor James L. Cavallaro, has held talks with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) seeking support for his candidacy.
CARICOM foreign ministers met here earlier this week under the chairmanship of Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign minister Winston Dookeran.
A statement issued by the US Embassy here said that the Stanford Law School lecturer also met with key civil society stakeholders discussing several topical human rights issues including corruption and transparency, equal protection under the law and press freedom.
“Trinidad and Tobago is recognized as a leader in the region. I believe that if I am elected to the Commission, we can work together to see that the IACHR places more emphasis on engagement with the English-speaking Caribbean.”
He also underscored the importance of strengthening IACHR friendly settlement efforts, while also ensuring representation of common law practitioners on the Commission and within its Secretariat staff.
The IACHR elections will be held during the June 2013 General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Antigua, Guatemala.
The independent and autonomous IACHR promotes and defends human rights in all member states of the OAS, including in the United States. It impacts thousands of lives in the hemisphere through the issuance of decisions and recommendations to OAS member states to improve the human rights conditions in their countries.
“The promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. The United States is a strong supporter of the IACHR, and is committed to helping advance the Commission’s work and its independence,” Washington said, adding that “ Cavallaro is highly respected in the area of human rights and international law.
“He has broad knowledge of the Inter-American human rights system. Before his appointment as 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, Cavallaro was professor of law and executive director of the Harvard Law School Human Rights Programme,” the US Embassy added.
