Petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

This petition was withdrawn in May, 2004, and is currently under revision for resubmission. For further information regarding the status of the petition contact the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. It is available here as a model for those individuals and groups interested in pursuing petition mechanisms at the Inter-American Commission.

In 2003, CESR worked with a number of other groups to bring a petition before the Inter-American Commission. The other groups included the Economic Human Rights Campaign of West Virginia, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic at CUNY Law School.

June 9, 2003

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Organization of American States

1889 F Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20006

United States

Dear Ambassador Cantón:

Economic Human Rights Campaign of West Virginia, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign,¹ the Center for Economic and Social Rights, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the International Women’s Human Rights  Clinic at CUNY Law School bring this petition before the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (hereinafter the “Commission”) against the United States of America for violating the rights of Ms.Jane Doe and her children under article II (Right to equality before the law),  article VI (right to establish a family, the basic element of society, and to receive protection therefore), and article XVI (Right to social security), of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (hereinafter “the American Declaration”).  Ms. Doe and her children suffered the above-mentioned violations as a result of having her welfare benefits arbitrarily and discriminatorily terminated under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The US government estimates there are 231,000 families who may soon be placed in Ms. Doe’s situation.²