This week, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced a severe financial crisis<\/a> that could lead to their collapse if funding or donation commitments are not received before June 15, 2016. The announcement provoked a wave of fear, anger and solidarity from civil society organizations, academics, international bodies and other human rights defenders from across the Americas region. Social media networks continue to be filled with the hashtags #IACHRinCrisis<\/a> and #SavetheIACHR<\/a>. The situation is a sad reflection of the lack of State commitment to the respect and fulfillment of human rights. The reduction in IACHR staff as a result of the crisis will no doubt have a significant impact on access to justice for the many victims of serious human rights violations that are seen throughout the region. Dismanteling of the IACHR will equal the loss of important mechanisms to monitor, report and fight against human rights violations\u2013including the violation of the right to personal liberty.<\/p>\n \u2018We demand that governments and the Organization of American States (OAS) respond to the IACHR\u2019s financial crisis with serious, structural proposals. Weakening of the IACHR will have a negative impact on the human rights situation in the countries of the region.\u2019 \u2013Joint statement<\/a> from civil society organizations and networks in more than 20 countries<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The IACHR\u2019s leadership and strength<\/a> in advocating for alternatives to immigration detention are essential to the construction of migration management policies that guarantee and protect people\u2019s rights in the context of human mobility. The IACHR helped to increase visibility of the issue of immigration detention, from a regional perspective at a thematic hearing<\/a> held in October 2014. The hearing was requested by the IDC in collaboration with 162 networks, organizations and experts from 24 countries. Since, the IACHR has issued numerous recommendations to States<\/a> to eliminate the use of detention as central to migration policy and develop alternatives to detention. The IACHR has also addressed the need for alternatives to detention in their on-site visits <\/a>(see Mexico 2016), precautionary measures <\/a>(Bahamas 2015), in their thematic reports<\/a> (seeHuman Rights of Migrants and Other Persons in the Context of Human Mobility in Mexico<\/em>, 2014; and Refugees and Migrants in the United States: Families and Unaccompanied Children, <\/em>2015) and also in their country reports<\/a> on the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Mexico (2016).<\/p>\n \u201cThe Commission has also contributed to raising awareness within public opinion and providing tools to local organizations, victims and States to aid them in guaranteeing respect for human rights\u201d -Press release from Mexican civil society organizations (original in Spanish<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n