In February, the MERCOSUR Institute of Public Policies on Human Rights (IPPDH, its initials in Spanish) and the Auschwitz Institute renewed their Cooperative Agreement on Human Rights, signed for the first time in August of 2016. The agreement’s objective is to promote training and the development of networks for knowledge development and the exchange of experiences within the MERCOSUR sphere on the topic of human rights. This is accomplished through the development of training and capacity building measures for officials and key stakeholders on human rights public policy.
During a virtual event on February 23, the IPPDH’s Executive Secretary Ariela Peralta and AIPG’s Executive Director Tibi Galis signed the renewed agreement. Representing each institution, the signatories highlighted the importance of mutual cooperation and joint work carried out in the region. The renewal of this agreement represents an opportunity to continue honoring the mandates of both organizations and promoting collaborative endeavors. As it has until this point, the agreement will provide a framework for strengthening existing cooperative ties to expand exchanges of knowledge and of experiences while prioritizing a view toward the historic and current challenges to human rights work in the region.
The IPPDH was created in 2009 by MERCOSUR’s Common Market Council to contribute to the strengthening of the rule of law among the organization’s member states. The Institute of Public Policies on Human Rights accomplishes this through the design and monitoring of public policies on human rights, while working to consolidate these efforts as a fundamental element of the regional bloc’s identity and development. The IPPDH’s functions include technical assistance, applied research, and training in public policy on human rights, carrying out activities for the promotion and protection of human rights. Doing so allows the IPPDH to represent a permanent space for reflection and dialogue between public officials and civil society organizations.