UN transitional justice expert Pablo de Greiff in first official visit to Uruguay

GENEVA (25 September 2013) – United Nations transitional justice expert Pablo de Greiff will visit Uruguay from 30 September to 4 October 2013 to assess the measures adopted by the authorities in relation to the serious human rights violations perpetrated during the dictatorship of the 70s and 80s.

“Truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence are the four pillars of my mandate as UN Special Rapporteur,” explained Mr. de Greiff, “and their implementation aims to redress the legacies of massive human rights abuses, assist in providing due recognition to victims, foster trust and reconciliation, and strengthen the rule of law.”

“I hope my visit will provide an opportunity to examine the transitional justice measures adopted so far to address the atrocities occurred during the dictatorship period,” said the independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.

The Special Rapporteur will focus his visit on identifying existing gaps and challenges, in order to formulate recommendations. “Uruguay has the opportunity to become an example for other countries,” the independent expert stressed.

During his mission, Mr. de Greiff will meet with a wide range of stakeholders in Montevideo, including representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as civil society representatives, associations of victims and academics.

At the end of the visit, on 4 October 2013 at 12:30, the Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference at the United Nations’ offices in Montevideo (UPAEP Building, ground floor conference room, Barrios Amorín 870), to share his preliminary observations and recommendations with the media.

The expert will submit a final report on the visit to the UN Human Rights Council in 2014.

Pablo de Greiff was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as the first Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence in 2012. A human rights expert from Colombia, Pablo de Greiff has extensive professional and academic expertise on transitional justice issues. He has been the Director of Research at the International Center for Transitional Justice since 2001. As a Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government and serves in his individual capacity. For further information, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/TruthJusticeReparation/Pages/Index.aspx

For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva (before and after the visit): Amanda Flores (+ 41 22 917 9186 / aflores@ohchr.org) o escriba a srtruth@ohchr.org
In Montevideo (during the visit): Esteban Zunín (+598 2412 3357 ext. 314 / esteban.zunin@one.un.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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