The Academy of Human Rights, with DPLF, hosted the launch of the International Observation Mission (MIO-Ecuador)
On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the Academy of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, in collaboration with the Due Process of Law Foundation and Ecuador's Observatory of Rights and Justice, organized a launch forum for the International Observation Mission (MIO-Ecuador). The event took place on the campus of American University Washington College of Law and attracted various international participants, as well as students from our LL.M. program.
You can learn more about DPLF's work here: https://dplf.org/en
You can learn more about the work of the Observatory of Rights and Justice in Ecuador here: https://odjec.org/
Professor Claudia Martín of WCL, Co-Director of the Academy, delivered the conference’s initial remarks. Claudia underscored the significance of democracy and its impact on the transparency of the Judicial Power, all contributing to an equitable legal system. Professor Martin also shared her experience as a member of the MIO-Honduras. More information about the MIO-Honduras is available here: https://dplf.org/en/resources/mision-csj-honduras
Ursula Indacochea, DPLF Program Director, served as the panel’s moderator. She opened the discussion by highlighting the challenges and efforts that DPLF has directed on this initiative of creating diverse international missions integrated by renewed experts to supervise the rule of law and human rights protection throughout America’s region.
Subsequently, members of the MIO-Ecuador took the floor. The Mission is composed of Diego García-Sayán (Peru), Claudia Escobar (Guatemala), José Antonio Guevara (Mexico) and supported by a high-level Executive Secretariat from DPLF led by Jaime Arellano (Chile), who is also part of other missions coordinated by DPLF. You can view their profiles at the following link: https://dplf.org/sites/default/files/biografias_-_mision_internacional_de_observacion_mio_ecuador.pdf
Claudia Escolar, former Guatemalan judge and director of "Be Just," shared her experience within the judicial system in Guatemala, recalling her own struggles against corruption in her home country. She highlighted how she personally faced undue pressures from the Ecuadorian Executive Power seeking to undermine her role as a judge. Claudia provided guidelines and indicators on how the independence and impartiality of the Judicial Power can be preserved, contributing valuable insights to the work of the MIO-Ecuador.
Diego García-Sayán, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and former President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights emphasized the importance of the objectivity of judge selection processes. Immediately following, José Antonio Guevara, a Mexican academic and member of the UN Committee on Arbitrary Detention, spoke about paradigmatic cases that illustrate the reality of justice systems at the regional level.
Jaime Arellano, Chilean academic and former director of the Center for Studies of Justice in the Americas (CEJA), who will serve as the Director of the MIO, presented the mission's vision. He emphasized that the objectives pursued by MIO-Ecuador are unique in relation to the work of other organizations internally in Ecuador. In particular, he mentioned that MIO-Ecuador reflects a solid commitment to transparency and objectivity. Its work encompasses a methodical and thorough evaluation of the development of this significant event based on publicly available information. The Mission is a civil society initiative at both national and international levels, inspired by previous successful experiences of independent evaluation of the selection processes of high authorities in both national and international courts.
Additionally, Arellano added that the Mission's mandate is aimed at ensuring the promotion of a selection process guided by international standards and best practices in judicial independence, transparency, and access to information. Furthermore, it seeks to evaluate the level of commitment of the responsible bodies conducting the selection process to their own regulations.
To learn more about MIO-Ecuador and its work, visit the following link: https://dplf.org/en/mio-ecuador-2023
The event was held in person and online, being broadcast via YouTube. You can watch the event’s recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fiY6Pcpjww.
The Academy of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law is honored to support the work of organizations like DPLF, which have dedicated a significant portion of their efforts to promoting the rule of law in the Americas. We will continue organizing events in the future to promote human rights education for our hemisphere.