Second Latin American Congress on Reproductive Rights Law in San José, Costa Rica
In November 2011, the Center for Reproductive Rights participated in the 2nd Latin American Congress on Reproductive Rights Law in San
José, Costa Rica. Over 300 dedicated human rights advocates interested in reproductive rights law from around the world attended the Congress,
including members from the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The Congress brought together government officials, lawyers, judges, medical practitioners, students, and human rights advocates, and enabled them to
share their experiences and lessons learned from working to advance reproductive freedoms through a human rights framework in Latin America. It opened
with statements from Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and current Executive Director of UNWOMEN, and Anand Grover, Special Rapporteur on
the Right to Health. The Center’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mónica Arango, presented at a two-day panel on
conscientious objection, and discussed the Center’s efforts in Colombia as an example of our recent work on the issue, as well as international
human rights standards around it. Alejandra Cárdenas, Legal Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean, gave a workshop on the “Use of the
Inter-American System for the Promotion and Protection of Reproductive Rights,” in which she used the Mamérita Mestanza v. Peru, Paulina Ramírez v. Mexico, and F.S. v. Chile cases as examples of the Center’s engagement with the Inter-American System
to protect and advance reproductive rights. Katrina Anderson, Human Rights Counsel for the U.S. Legal Program, co-facilitated a workshop that
identified linkages between legal efforts to address sexual violence and reproductive rights, and made recommendations for advocates in each field to
work more collaboratively.
