Regional Human Rights seminar convenes
A two-day seminar aimed at promoting the Inter-American treaties and procedures for protecting human rights got underway this morning at the Radisson. In opening the session Attorney General Godfrey Smith said that participants should come away with a better understanding of the operations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Godfrey Smith, Attorney General
“I hope that the conference will go some ways to dispelling the misconception and perhaps misapprehension held by many people in the Caribbean that human rights and human rights bodies are entirely directed and focused towards the abolition of the death penalty and the right to life issues. For indeed these international human rights bodies and the Privy Council deal with and cover the entire spectrum, a broad shelter of human rights issues that exist for the protection and benefit of all human beings in the region. Finally, I would hope that coming out of the two days of deliberations would be an understanding discussion of how the Inter-American Commission as well as other human rights bodies can serve as a mechanism if you will, that filters or percolates international and emerging human rights norms down to our domestic jurisdiction.”
On Friday, delegates are expected to take part in a simulated commission hearing based upon a sample petition which raises issues including capital punishment, gender discrimination, domestic violence and freedom of expression. Over seventy participants from Belize and the English speaking Caribbean are attending the conference.
