Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo inaugurated, on behalf of the President of the Republic, the 153rd Ordinary Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which takes place in Montevideo between October 10 and 21. On the occasion, he highlighted the importance of this meeting being held in our country and recalled Uruguay’s commitment to the cause of human rights.
The opening ceremony was held on Tuesday 11 in the special events room of the Legislative Palace. The Vice President of the Republic, Beatriz Argimón; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Bustillo; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, John Pérez Brignali, and the head of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Ricardo Pérez Manrique.
Argimón welcomed the authorities and mentioned that the Legislative Palace is the place that represents Uruguayan democracy and that when entering there one feels “the weight of our richest history, but also the commitment to build a future.” In addition, he considered it an honor to witness the start of the organization’s regular session.
The vice president added that it is an important sign that this prestigious plenary is taking place in our country and that it maintains an open and decentralized policy. Likewise, she maintained that she hopes that they will be fruitful sessions, in which significant issues are discussed, and that Uruguay has advanced, in recent years, in the institutional framework of human rights.
Bustillo indicated that ours is a nation committed to the cause and recalled that it is part of the multilateral and inter-American system for the protection and promotion of human rights and a firm collaborator with its procedures and mechanisms. He also stated that the Inter-American Court embodies the ideal of justice that allows citizens to see their rights protected more effectively and to have greater guarantees for their effective enjoyment.
He added that Uruguay today renews its historical commitment to the values and principles that inspired the American Convention on Human Rights and the creation of the aforementioned body and that this event also contributes to raising awareness among people about the cause and the functioning of the inter-American system in the matter. , in particular, the jurisdictional role of the court.
Pérez Manrique said that, in times of crisis, “the levels of violence” cannot be forgotten or undermined and that “the setbacks in the labor rights of women, the workers who lose their sources of employment and the boys and girls who do not they can continue studying are just some examples”. He stated that, in these cases, it is necessary to “put human rights back at the forefront.”
Pérez Brignali pointed out the importance of the Inter-American Court being chaired by a Uruguayan, a former member of the Supreme Court of Justice.
