NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Fabio de Sá e Silva, an associate professor of international studies and Wick Cary Professor of Brazilian Studies at the University of Oklahoma, has been nominated by the Brazilian government to run for a seat on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for the 2026–2029 term.
In an interview, Sá e Silva emphasized the IACHR’s broader role as a guardian of human dignity across the Americas, highlighting not only its well-known mechanism for individual petitions and state accountability, but also its regional mandates for monitoring, best-practice promotion and building a shared human rights consciousness.
“The Commission’s work goes far beyond the emblematic cases that make headlines,” he said. “It must also address the structural and historical roots of violations through monitoring and multi-stakeholder engagement. The full use of its mandate is what makes it a transformative institution in our region.”
Seven candidates are competing in the upcoming election, nominated by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, the United States, Peru, and the Bahamas. If elected, Sa e Silva notes, he would serve not as a representative of Brazil, but as an independent commissioner, in accordance with IACHR rules that prevent nationals from handling cases involving their own countries.
The election, which will fill three of the Commission’s seven seats, is scheduled for June 25–27 during the General Assembly of the Organization of American States in Antigua and Barbuda. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will promote Sá e Silva’s candidacy in diplomatic meetings across the Americas in the lead-up to the vote.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
The University of Oklahoma Honors College hosted its 38th annual Undergraduate Research Day on April 16 in the Thurman J. White Forum Building. Over 300 people attended, and 175 students presented their posters and projects to visitors, faculty members, judges and peers.
The Collaborative Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership offers emerging leaders across Oklahoma’s PK–12 public education system a doctoral experience designed to be as relevant as it is rigorous.
A study published today in PLOS Medicine has identified two new genetic pathways that contribute to cardiometabolic disease, which includes heart disease, obesity and diabetes. The research, led by Dharambir Sanghera, Ph.D., of the University of Oklahoma, represents a step toward targeting the diseases more precisely.
