Documents and information

Petitions and precautionary measures

Guides and forms for petitions and precautionary measures before the OAS and the UN.

Organization of American States · OAS

Petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)

Guide to filing complaints before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for violations against individuals in member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS), and for requests for precautionary measures. By filing a petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), people who have suffered human rights violations can obtain assistance. The Commission investigates the situation and may issue recommendations to the responsible State so that the enjoyment of rights is restored as far as possible, so that similar events do not recur in the future, and so that the facts are investigated and remedied.

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Request for precautionary measures before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)

In compliance with its mandate to "promote the observance and defense of human rights," the Inter-American Commission has, for more than 30 years, requested the application of protective measures in order to prevent irreparable harm to individuals whose rights are at imminent risk. In 1980, precautionary measures were formalized in the IACHR's rules of procedure, establishing a specific procedure around this mechanism.

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United Nations Human Rights Council · UN

Guide and complaint procedure form before the United Nations Human Rights Council

On June 18, 2007, the Human Rights Council adopted the President's text entitled 'United Nations Human Rights Council: institution-building' (resolution 5/1), through which a new complaint procedure was created to address consistent patterns of gross and reliably attested violations of all human rights and fundamental freedoms occurring anywhere in the world and under any circumstances.

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Individual complaint form – Torture

In view of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which establish that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and with the aim of making the fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment more effective worldwide, we provide here the form to submit a petition if you or another person are being subjected to torture.

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