Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Members Meet with MLA

The Commission members are in Belize to catch up with two Maya organizations and see how well Belize is doing in implementing court rulings. They’re also here to iron out any issues that are causing delays. Back in 2004, the Commission put out a report based on a petition from the MLA and TAA. Cristina Coc mentioned that this visit is happening because the MLA and TAA asked for it.

 

Cristina Coc, Spokesperson, MLA/TAA

“Last year, November, um, we held a working session or a compliance working session with the Inter American Commission in November. And it was at that compliance session that we asked the commission, Commission to come and visit Belize to do a site visit. We’ve been asking for this for the last 20 years, right? But it’s only until last year that the government accepted because they have to come at the as a guest of the government. And so the government approved the request and we plan for them to visit this year. Um, but, um, of course it’s the government’s prerogative on where they go. The only thing we have established. was that they would do a working session, an onsite working session with us  to assess, you know, where they are with their, with their recommendations to, to hold two seminars  or to hold a seminar, um, to help develop capacities around human rights and how the intersection with Indigenous Peoples rights, how that is a part of human rights. It comes right after the last compliance hearing of the CCJ consent order, which was on the 10th of October. And on the 10th of October, that was when we are, of course, before the CCJ, seeing what has happened in terms of the advancement of the implementation. That was the first time we learned of the changes in the, uh, my customer land tenure policy that we have been negotiating for some time now.  And the context in that regard is that for some time now we have been deliberating on what the policy will look like. The policy is supposed to be the guiding instrument that will inform the development of the legislation. So it’s a very important document. It will tell you what the parameters are.  of where the law will find its place. And so for us, it’s important that the policy captures the spirit of the judgment of the courts, captures the essence of the bundle of rights that Maya people are afforded or that the recognition affords.”