The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (“OAS”) whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere. It is composed of seven independent members who serve in a personal capacity. Created by the OAS in 1959, the Commission has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Together with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (“the Court” or “the I/A Court H.R.), installed in 1979, the Commission is one of the institutions within the inter-American system for the protection of human rights (“IASHR”).

The IACHR has a special Rapporteurship that includes the mandate of statelessness.  The IACHR has emphasized the importance of the right to nationality, and repeatedly called on States to adopt measures to guarantee this right. 

The Rapporteurship establishes its mandate as follows:

“The Rapporteurship on the Rights of Migrants of the IACHR is focused on promoting the respect and protection of stateless persons as well as other vulnerable groups in the context of human mobility. To fulfill this mandate, the Special Rapporteur performs the following functions pertaining to statelessness:

– Raise awareness about the obligations of States to respect and ensure the human rights of stateless persons.

– Monitor the human rights of stateless persons and make visible the violations of their rights.

– Provide consultancy and make recommendations on public policy to the Member States of OAS, as well as to political bodies of the OAS, related to the protection and promotion of human rights of stateless persons so that measures may be taken on their behalf.

– Prepare reports and specialized studies with recommendations directed to Member States of the OAS for the protection and promotion of human rights of stateless persons.

– Act promptly on petitions, cases, requests for precautionary measures and elevation for provisional measures before the Inter-American Court where it is alleged that the human rights of stateless persons are violated in any of the OAS member States.”