Ariela Peralta Distéfano
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Ariela Peralta Distéfano I. EDUCATION DEGREES LL.M Master of Laws in International Legal Studies American University (Washington College of Law) Washington, D.C., U.S. 2005 Transitional Justice and Human Rights Accountability Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program American University (Washington College of Law) Washington, D.C., U.S. 2005 Public Notary (Escribana Pública) Universidad de la República, Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales, (Law School) Montevideo, Uruguay 1990 Juris Doctor (Abogada) Universidad de la República, Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales, (Law School) Montevideo, Uruguay 1987 Procurator (Procurador) Universidad de la República, Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales, (Law School) Montevideo, Uruguay 1985 LANGUAGES Spanish: Native speaker English: Fluent in reading, writing and speaking (advanced) Portuguese: Oral and reading comprehension Italian: Oral and reading comprehension French: Basic knowledge II. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Institute of Public Policies on Human Rights (IPPDH), MERCOSUR Executive Secretary Buenos Aires, Argentina 2020-Present *The Executive Secretary is the institutional representative of the Institute of Public Policies on Human Rights (IPPDH) of the MERCOSUR, responsible for the fulfillment of the tasks attributed to the Institute and for its technical, administrative, financial and patrimonial management. The ES is a national of one of the States Parties, designated by the Common Market Group (GMC), on the proposal by the High Level Human Rights Authorities Meeting (RAADH), being members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The objective of the IPPDH is to contribute to the strengthening of the Rule of Law in the States Parties through the designing and monitoring of public policies on human rights for the consolidation of human rights as a fundamental core of the identity and development of MERCOSUR. Organization of American States (OAS) Office of the Secretary of Legal Affairs Consultant Washington, D.C., U.S. 2018-2019 1-Ariela Peralta Distéfano National Human Rights Institution and Ombudsperson Office (NHRI or INDDHH) President Uruguay 2016-2017 National Human Rights Institution and Ombudsperson Office (NHRI or INDDHH) Board of Directors, Director Uruguay 2012-2017 *The National Human Rights Institution and Ombudsman Office (Institución Nacional de Derechos Humanos y Defensoría del Pueblo – INDHH-) created by law in 2008 is directed by a Board of five members elected by Congress majority. It was established in 2012, in accordance with the Paris Principles, as an independent and autonomous body of the State conducting its tasks and decisions. Created with a broad mandate, the NHRI helps the community to interact with government agencies, addresses complaints of human rights violation, and issues recommendations for the compliance by the State agencies, performs investigations and inspections (providing recommendations), provides advice and guidance to Government agencies, offers training to the public sector agencies, conducts outreach activities, works closely with international counterparts, oversees the compliance of international human rights legal framework at the domestic level, contributes to implement observations and recommendations of the human rights treaty bodies and of the special procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The INDDHH in Uruguay also acts as the National Preventive Mechanism of Torture (according to UN/ OPCAT), supervising the conditions of deprivation of liberty. As a member of its first Board of Directors and as President of the INDDHH, my responsibilities included personally addressing complaints and issuing recommendations, as well as of monitoring the compliance, coordinating actions with the political system and State agencies and with civil society, presenting reports for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and at the human rights treaty bodies and special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council, following up on State’s reports and public policy on human rights, representing the INDDHH at the national and international levels. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) Academic Director Post Graduate Degree: “Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law” Uruguay 2014-2017 Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) Deputy Executive Director Washington D.C., U.S. 2006-2012 *As second in command, the Deputy Executive Director oversees all of CEJIL’s areas of work, working in tandem with the Executive Director to decide which cases to bring to the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, seeking redress for the victims and changes on legislations or States policies to reverse the violations that occurred. As Deputy Executive Director, I led and directed the legal representation of numerous cases and thematic hearings at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. CEJIL together with more than 400 partner organizations represents more than 10,000 victims and beneficiaries of protective measures in more than 300 cases before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. CEJIL has consultative status before the OAS and the United Nations (UN), and observer status before the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. Examples of Notable Cases Litigated: * I/A Court H.R., Case of Uzcátegui et al. v. Venezuela. Merits and reparations. Judgment of September 3, 2012. Series C No. 249. * I/A Court H.R., Case of Gonzalez Medina and Family v. Dominican Republic. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of February 27, 2012. Series C No. 240. * I/A Court H.R., Case of the Barrios Family v. Venezuela. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of November 24, 2011. Series C No. 237. * I/A Court H.R., Case of Gelman v. Uruguay. Merits and Reparations. Judgment of February 24, 2011. Series C No. 221. * I/A Court H.R., Case of Gomes Lund et al. ("Guerrilha do Araguaia") v. Brazil. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations, and Costs. Judgment of November 24, 2010. Series C No. 219. 2-Ariela Peralta Distéfano * I/A Court H.R., Case of Anzualdo-Castro v. Peru. Preliminary Objection, Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of September 22, 2009. Series C No. 202. * I/A Court H.R., Case of the Rochela Massacre v. Colombia. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of May 11, 2007. Series C No. 163. * I/A Court H.R., Case of La Cantuta v. Peru. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of November 29, 2006. Series C No. 162. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Development Program National Consultant on Human Rights and Legislative Policy Montevideo, Uruguay 2005 * The UNDP and the OHCHR carried on the Project: “Asistencia Técnica al Parlamento de Uruguay” (URU/04/010), (“Proyecto de Asistencia Técnica”). The general objective of the Project was to assist the Uruguayan Congress to enforce its capacity to respond efficiently to the challenges that a modern Parliament faces as well as enhance its role in the promotion and protection of human rights. Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) Programmer Officer for the Americas Geneva, Switzerland 2004 Service of Peace and Justice, NGO (SERPAJ) Director of Civil and Political Rights Department Montevideo, Uruguay 1994-2004 Service of Peace and Justice- Latin America (SERPAJ-AL) Executive Secretary Montevideo, Uruguay 1998-2002 * SERPAJ: Latin America Latina has consultative status with the UN in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). “Life and Education” NGO Alternative Programs for Incarcerated Young Children’s Attorney Montevideo, Uruguay 1996-1998 Uruguay Bar Association Center of Promotion for the Rights of Children and Adolescents Attorney Montevideo, Uruguay 1996-1998 Private Practice Attorney and Notary, Extensive pro-bono work Montevideo, Uruguay 1998-2004 In 2017, I was nominated by the Uruguayan Executive Branch as the Uruguayan candidate to serve as judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the 2018-2027 mandate. https://parlamento.gub.uy/noticiasyeventos/noticias/node/86871 ; https://parlamento.gub.uy/noticiasyeventos/noticias/node/86870 The following is the Report of the Advisory Committee on Nominations of Judges of the ICC, October 10, 2017, to the Assembly of States Parties ICC-ASP/16/7, with its positive assessment of the candidate Dr. Peralta, can be read in the following link: https://asp.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP16/ICC-ASP-16-7-ENG.pdf 3-Ariela Peralta Distéfano III. ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, THROUGH APPOINTMENTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND PARTICIPATION UPON SPECIAL INVITATIONS CERTIFICATES Regional Seminar for Latin American Members of the Parliamentarian Commissions of Human Rights The OHCHR Regional Office for South America, School of Government, House of Representatives, Legislative Branch, Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay 2015 Forum: State Terrorism Trials. Dialogues between the Academy, Social Organizations and the State [Original Title: Juicios al Terrorismo de Estado. Diálogos entre la Academia, las Organizaciones Sociales y el Estado] Facultad de Psicología, Facultad de Derecho y Observatorio Luz Ibarburu,Montevideo, Uruguay 2015 Seminar Raphael Lemkin, Genocide and Mass Atrocities Prevention Latin America Network, the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation Santiago de Chile, Chile 2015 Mandela Dialogues on Memory