the Americas

---

Wrongful convictions in the criminal justice system are not only a Canada problem, but an issue present around the world.  The problem of wrongful conviction has become an accepted reality in most common law jurisdictions. High profile cases tend not only to draw our attention to the detrimental effects of a wrongful conviction, but also to point out how aspects of the criminal justice process have failed

 While all prisoners must learn to cope with the pains of imprisonment, the impact of imprisonment on the wrongly convicted appears to have effects that go beyond those experienced by other long-term prisoners, exacerbated by the unjust nature of their wrongful  incarceration,  mental deterioration; the indeterminate nature of sentences;  including violence, cooperation, withdrawal,  and the prison environment itself  

 Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of social justice when we promote gender equality, or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability

The International Labour Organization unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008.   The Declaration comes at a crucial political moment, reflecting the wide consensus on the need for a strong social dimension to globalization in achieving improved and fair outcomes for all. FAAVM has a key role to play to promote and achieve progress and social justice 

FAAVM is an advocate for human rights for everyone. Complaints may be brought by individuals and/or third parties on behalf of individuals, provided they have given their written consent, without requirement as to its specific form. In certain cases, a third party may bring a case without such consent, for example, where a person is in prison without access to the outside world or is a victim of an enforced disappearance

The ability of individuals to complain about the violation of their rights in an international arena brings real meaning to the rights contained in the human rights treaties. If you believe that you have been the victim of a Civil or Human Rights wrongful action, or wrongful conviction, and want to file a complaint with the FAAVM to have the organization investigate your complaint, you MUST submit a formal Complaint Form

Once a complaint is received, FAAVM determines if it has the legal authority to review and investigate the complaint. At the end of the investigation, FAAVM issues a letter presenting its decision on whether your rights have been violated.  If FAAVM determines your rights have been violated, the organization, entity,  or local or federal government agency that violated your rights is granted a specific time period to correct the violation or provide FAAVM with a plan of correction

FAAVM enforces nondiscrimination regulations that apply to programs, employment, government services, and socioeconomic and cultural activities under The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and other international human rights laws and treaties bodies (CCPR, CERD, CAT, CEDAW, CRPD, CED, CMW, CESCR and CRC) . The protection of minorities is one of the oldest concerns of international law. The root of the minority problem lies in discrimination, oppression, and exclusion