Category: Legal Judicial

Manama, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Theyab bin Saqr Al Nuaimi received South African military attaché -residing in Riyadh- Colonel Norman Kesten.

The meeting discussed topics of common interest.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The African Union on Sunday said it was worried about the deteriorating security situation in the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where rebels have made fresh gains.

In a joint statement, AU Chairman Macky Sall and AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat said expressed “extreme concern” at the failing security and appealed for calm and dialogue.

They called “on all the parties to establish an immediate cease-fire, respect international law, the safety and security of civilians,” the statement said.

The M23 rebels seized more territory in the vast, mineral-rich DRC on Saturday, prompting the U.N. peacekeeping mission to increase its “troop alert level” and boost support for the army.

The latest advance came as diplomatic relations between neighbors DRC and Rwanda worsened. The authorities in Kinshasa, who accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, on Saturday announced the Rwandan ambassador would be expelled, a move Kigali said was regrettable.

The AU urged all the parties to engage “in a constructive dialogue” to ensure peace in the troubled region.

M23, a mostly Congolese Tutsi group, resumed fighting in late 2021 after lying dormant for years, accusing the government of having failed to honor an agreement over the demobilization of its fighters.

It has since captured swaths of territory in North Kivu, including the key town of Bunagana on the Ugandan border in June.

Source: Voice of America

Policymakers from around the world met Monday and Tuesday in Senegal to discuss Africa’s most pressing security challenges. This year, attendees of an annual conference focused on redefining the role international partners play in promoting stability in Africa.

More than 1,000 people participated in the eighth edition of the International Forum of Dakar on Peace and Security.

Attendees included the heads of state from Cape Verde, Angola and Guinea-Bissau, as well as high-ranking officials from Japan, Saudi Arabia and France.

The event opened with a speech from Senegalese President and African Union Chairman Macky Sall, who spoke about the need to re-examine modern peace operations.

If U.N. peacekeepers are being attacked on their own bases, they can’t be expected to protect local populations, he said.

“Threats to peace and stability lie in the deep economic crisis that is shaking the world,” Sall said. “Millions of people can no longer bear the cost of living, and others fall into extreme poverty, with no hope of a better future.”

The solution, he said, is to educate and create employment for Africa’s growing youth population.

The conference took place in the wake of France’s withdrawal of military forces from Mali and ongoing criticism of U.N. missions throughout the region.

Militant Islamic violence in Africa has doubled since 2019, with a record 6,300 incidents in 2022 – a 21 percent increase over last year, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a U.S. Department of Defense research group. The Sahel has been the most impacted, with violent events quadrupling over the same period.

Across the continent close to 15,000 people have died this year from extremist-linked violence, a nearly 50 percent increase from 2019.

Aude Darnal, a fellow with the Stimson Center, a Washington research organization, said of the violence, “Solutions need to be defined by local actors. They also need to be implemented by local actors. International stakeholders should support, but the leadership needs to come from Africa.”

Nadia Adam, a Sahel analyst for the nonprofit Center for Civilians in Conflict, said solutions must be built from the inside. “Most African countries, especially the youth, now want to make decisions for themselves,” she said. “They want to be part of the change. And they have the capacity. More people are educated.”

Government officials attending the conference reiterated that message.

Chidi Blyden is the U.S. assistant secretary of defense for African affairs. In a speech, she quoted a Creole saying from Sierra Leone, which translates to “When and if there’s a problem, look exactly where you’re standing.”

“Some of the problems reside there, but more importantly, the solution probably resides there as well,” she said. “The continent is full of African solutions to global problems.”

The forum also addressed how to decrease Africa’s dependence on international food aid and become more resistant to external shocks, such as the war in Ukraine.

Source: Voice of America

Humanitarian actors provided life-saving assistance to 1.2 million people in the first half of 2022, representing 60 – per cent of the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) target.

Thousands of Central Africans affected by recent torrential rains.

After several years of displacement, humanitarian and development actors are helping internally displaced persons and refugees to resume a normal life.

With 50 per cent of the population not eating enough, CAR has one of the highest proportions of critically food-insecure people in the world.

The humanitarian community in CAR plans to provide multi-sectoral assistance to 2 million people in 2022. US$461.3 million are required.

BACKGROUND

Floods continue to affect the Central African Republic

Since June 2022, floods in the Central African Republic (CAR) have affected some 85,300 people, destroyed more than 2,600 houses and 18,500 hectares of crops, damaged numerous other infrastructures and displaced more than 6,000 people. At the end of September, six schools were still occupied by flood victims, jeopardizing the start of the 2022-2023 school year for 10,000 children.

More than 176 town and villages have been affected by floods in 12 of the country’s 17 prefectures. The northern Vakaga Prefecture has been the most affected with 24,000 flood victims, followed by the capital Bangui (20,400 victims) and the Ouham Prefecture (13,000 victims). These latest floods come at a time when humanitarian needs have increased exponentially across the country, with 63 per cent of the Central African population in need of assistance and protection – 3.1 million people.

The last major floods occurred in 2019. Some 100,000 people lost their homes and access to clean water, and most of them were forced to move to temporary sites or host families. At that time, 3 per cent of all displaced people in the Central African Republic were displaced by natural disasters.

In response to the current situation, the Government’s strategy is to provide humanitarian assistance in the affected neighborhoods, coupled with disaster mitigation and recovery measures.

Disaster victims need assistance

Since July, the Ministry of Humanitarian Action, Solidarity and National Reconciliation has brought together specialized state actors, representatives of the affected districts, humanitarian and development actors, and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to set up a coordinated response structure, co-facilitated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Complementing the Government’s efforts, the humanitarian community has provided a multi-sectoral emergency response to more than 43,000* people. 11,000 families received shelter kits to rebuild their houses and 10,000 families received essential household items, such as buckets, blankets, sleeping mats and kitchen utensils. Tens of thousands of water purification tablets were distributed to prevent waterborne diseases, boreholes and wells were rehabilitated, mobile clinics ensured people’s access to healthcare and food, cash and food vouchers, as well as school supplies were distributed.

The largest number of people were assisted in Ouham Prefecture with 17,300 people, followed by 17,000 people in the capital Bangui. But many affected people have yet to receive assistance – resources are scarce and physical access to some of the affected regions is very difficult during the rainy season, for example in the Vakaga Prefecture, where floods have affected 24,000 people, as well as in Haute-Kotto. According to weather forecasts, there is a risk of further flooding before the end of the rainy season, which lasts from April to October.

Humanitarian actors continue consolidating their emergency stocks to fill any gaps not covered by the Government assistance, in a context where resources to meet the humanitarian needs are heavily stretched. At the end of September, only 71 per cent of the USD 461 million needed in the framework of the Humanitarian Response Plan for CAR have been mobilized.

Mitigation measures

The floods come after the adoption of the new National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management on 13 July. It is built around four strategic axes, including risk identification and analysis, disaster risk governance, strengthening disaster risk management mechanisms, and disaster emergency management. However, the operationalization of the implementing bodies awaits the signing of a presidential decree.

In September 2020, the NGO REACH published a study of flood susceptibility in populated areas. The study developed a flood risk score, aimed at improving emergency preparedness initiatives, and supporting planning and decision-making. Funded by the Humanitarian Fund for the Central African Republic (CAR), the data from this study was cross-referenced with data from multi-sectoral needs assessments conducted in 2019. The final result was made available to the authorities, revealing, for example, higher impact risks of flooding in Ouham and Kémo Prefectures (more than 203,000 people at high risk), while Nana-Mambéré and Ouham-Pendé had low risk scores.

The study also showed that most Central African settlements are located next to rivers and their basins, around which people’s livelihoods are developed. The banks of these rivers tend to overflow with increasing amounts of rainfall collected in the basins. Thus, if infrastructure adaptation, as well as contingency planning are not developed, downstream interventions will not be sufficient for populations already battered by more than a decade of conflict and several other shocks.

For better preparedness

To ensure optimal preparation for flooding, a Technical Operational Committee was set up in 2020 under the aegis of the Ministry of Humanitarian Action, Solidarity and National Reconciliation, with the participation of OCHA, the DGPC, the Central African Red Cross, MINUSCA and the Bangui City Council. This new structure has coordinated field visits in Bangui to identify areas at risk and priority preparedness measures.

The extensive impacts of the floods highlighted coordination problems in terms of standardizing the data provided by various actors, the lack of people trained in post-disaster assessments and the lack of clear guidelines for assessments. The lack of a common data storage/management platform, including mapping, has also been a weakness.

In response, OCHA in collaboration with the NGO REACH and the IFRC, has been building the capacity of 45 volunteers from the National Red Cross and the DGPC on post-disaster assessment since 2021. These volunteers are currently part of the teams assessing the situation.

* Other vulnerable people than those directly affected by the floods benefited from humanitarian assistance, for example people who benefited from the rehabilitation of wells in their neighborhoods.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Measures to address reprisals against civil society actors and human rights defenders, the frightening increase in missing persons and the impact of unilateral coercive measures on already lagging economies were among topics addressed today by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), as it held a debate on the promotion and protection of human rights.

The representative of Ireland, speaking on behalf of 78 countries and the European Union, in its capacity as observer, stressed that the world owes a debt to civil society actors and human rights defenders who cooperate with the United Nations in exposing human rights abuses. Condemning all acts of intimidation or reprisal committed against those who have come forward, he said countries must promote a safe environment for civil society, emphasizing that all reprisals by State or non-State actors must be reported.

Addressing missing persons, the representative of Cyprus said that following Türkiye’s military invasion on her country, some 50 per cent of missing persons in Cyprus are still unknown. She urged the Government of Türkiye to fully disclose all information from its military archives, ensuring that the Committee of Missing Persons has unhindered access to all military areas in the occupied part of Cyprus.The representative of Türkiye rejected baseless allegations against her country. Noting that atrocities against Turkish Cypriots are well documented in archives, she opposed the view of invasion and occupation, referring to the legitimate intervention of the island, carried out according to the Treaty of Guarantee. On missing persons, she said Greece’s delegate opted to ignore Turkish Cypriots that went missing between 1963 and 1974 due to the systematic ethnic cleaning campaign against them.

On unilateral coercive measures, China’s delegate, speaking on behalf of 25 countries, stressed that they exacerbate hardships and humanitarian challenges in developing countries. Noting that their imposition during the ongoing COVID‑19 pandemic impedes targeted Governments from accessing and delivering necessary goods and life-saving assistance, he called on States to cease such practices.

In a similar vein, the representative of South Africa defined unilateral coercive measures as attempts by powerful States to coerce others, disregarding their far-reaching impact on the population of these countries. Several delegates pointed to human rights violations in Ukraine following the Russian Federation’s invasion, stressing the importance of accountability. The Ukrainian representative highlighted work by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which concluded that an array of war crimes, violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been committed there.Calling on all partners to enhance efforts to bring perpetrators to justice, he welcomed Human Rights Council country visits to document human rights violations suffered in his country, stressing the importance of continuing a monitoring presence there.

Highlighting her country’s centuries-long tradition of good neighbourly coexistence with a plethora of cultures and religions, the Russian Federation’s delegate condemned the aggressive Russophobia unleashed in recent months by many Western States. Further, countries of the European Union have introduced visa restrictions on Russians, subjecting them to collective punishment, while the most despicable and radical figures in the West are openly flaunting their plans to destroy the Russian identity, she said.

Speakers also emphasized the need to understand and respond to early warning signs in preventing atrocity crimes, and the impact of climate change on human rights, particularly in small developing States.They also underscored the importance of decriminalizing all sexual orientations and gender identities globally as well as to respect the bodily autonomy of women and girls.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Costa Rica (on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect), Timor-Leste (on behalf of the LGBTI Core Group), Czechia, on behalf of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, as well as other countries, Belize (on behalf of the Caribbean Community), Liberia, Liechtenstein, Dominican Republic (on behalf of the Central American Integration System), Venezuela, Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, India, Israel, Honduras, Malaysia, Thailand, Qatar, Armenia, Austria, Cameroon, Belarus, Cuba, Greece, El Salvador, Argentina, Belgium, Czechia, Mauritania, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Uruguay, Burkina Faso, United Arab Emirates, Norway, Kuwait, Sweden, Nigeria, Rwanda, Algeria, Mozambique, Panama, Brunei Darussalam, Guatemala, Republic of Moldova, Australia, Zimbabwe, Viet Nam, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Syria and Chile. An observer for the Holy See also spoke.

Source: UN General Assembly

MOGADISHU, The Somali government has come under scrutiny after a senior journalist was detained in the wake of a new policy forbidding reporting on al-Shabaab propaganda statements.

Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the Secretary-General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), was arrested in Mogadishu on Tuesday as he prepared to board a flight to Nairobi on a business trip.

Amnesty International says the detention of the journalist is illegal.

Mumin’s detention was seen to be related to the opposition to a government directive on giving al-Shabaab a media blackout.

Amnesty Director for East and Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda, said the detention violates freedom of speech.

“Detaining a leading defender of human rights and press freedom on the pretext of national security sends a chilling message to journalists, human rights activists, and anyone else who dares to express dissent against the Somali government.

“While the Somali authorities may have legitimate security concerns, the ban on disseminating ‘extremist ideology’ is overly broad, vague and leaves the door open to abuse by overzealous security and government officials. This highly restrictive directive is likely to lead to more arbitrary detentions and self-censorship by journalists fearful of reprisals. This is a clear attack on the right to freedom of expression that needs to be urgently reverted.”

The Somali government earlier this week banned coverage of what it calls al-Shabaab propaganda or extremist ideology, limiting journalists from reporting on the terror group’s threats or plans.

The decision published this week includes a list of 10 news sites and 1 TV channel. This was shorter than a list the government had earlier stated of 40 websites.

The statement instructed the companies handling communication services to take part in the promotion of security in Somalia.

“This order (stopping the sites employed by the terrorists) is based on Article 10 of Somalia’s (provisional) constitution that safeguards the social stability and integrity,” the statement issued on October 6 says.

And the Somali Ministry of Information issued a directive that “dissemination of extremism ideology messages both from traditional media broadcasts and social media are forbidden.”

A group of media officials expressed concern about the directives.

They included representatives from the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Media Fraternity comprising of Somalia Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSJ), the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) and Somali Media Association (SOMA).

Mumin, a co-founder of SJS, was one of the press-freedom advocates and orators who addressed the media last Monday.

Mumin was later arrested by the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) at Mogadishu’s Adan Abdulle International Airport on Tuesday.

As news of Mumin’s arrest spread, local media and international agencies expressed concern on the safety of journalists and their freedoms.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement calling for Mumin’s immediate release.

“Abdalle Ahmed Mumin is a fearless and tireless advocate for the rights of Somali journalists to report the news freely and independently. His arrest is unacceptable aggression and is undoubtedly sending a ripple of fear through the Somali media community,” said CPJ sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo.

“Authorities should release Abdalle Ahmed Mumin immediately and unconditionally, and should instead work to create a climate in which Somali journalists can work without fear.”

According to media reports, just before his arrest, Mumin had reported that intelligence officials had on Monday evening attempted to forcefully enter SJS’s office in Mogadishu.

Somali journalists are often caught in tit-for-tat between the government and Al-Shabaab.

After the recent government order on a media blackout, al-Shabaab warned the media against siding with the government.

A Bayaan (a declaration) issued by the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group said, “We are hereby warning all the media houses [operating] inside Somalia joining the war against the Islamic Sharia [Islamic laws].”

“Any media that intentionally side with the (Somali) government will be considered as part of the aggression [against us – Al-Shabaab],” it added, insisting that journalists should do their job in a neutral manner.

“You are trustees and must discharge your jobs in full fairness.”

The Ministry of Communication and Technology stressed that its media blackout order was in line with provisions of the 2017 National Communication Act.

In 2015, then Director of NISA General Abdirahman Mohamud Turyare ordered the media to call Al-Shabaab by an abbreviation UGUS (Ururka Gumaadka Ummada Soomaaliyeed), which translates into the “Organisation that exists for the annihilation of the Somali Nation.”

Several days later, Al-Shabaab sent out a message telling journalists to call the government using a similar abbreviation but with a different meaning: UGUS (Ururka Gumaynta Ummada Soomaaliyeed), which translates into the “Organisation that exists for the enslavement of Somali Nation.”

That two opposing sides used the Somali terms, Gumaadka and Gumaynta, i.e. annihilation and enslavement, caused worry in 2015.

Similar orders by the government and the jihadist group have pushed journalists into a tight corner.

Somalia is one of the most dangerous places on earth for journalists to operate. Dozens of local and foreign journalists have been killed over the past three decades, while others have been kidnapped, harassed or the operations of their media houses suspended.

Source: Nam News Network

Six people, including two army colonels, were condemned to death by a DR Congo military court Friday for the killings of two Chinese mine workers.

Four other military personnel were sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Ituri Military Court.

All but one of those receiving the death sentence were members of the military.

The two colonels were accused of planning an attack on a convoy in March, with the aim of stealing four gold bars and $6,000 in cash being transported by the victims, who were returning from a gold mine.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, death penalties are regularly handed down but then systematically commuted to life imprisonment.

“This must serve as an example for the black sheep in the armed forces,” Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, a representative for military operations in the gold-rich Ituri province, told AFP.

Attacks on Chinese-managed mines and Chinese workers are not uncommon in resource-rich eastern DRC, which has been ravaged by militia violence for decades.

Last year, the DRC government placed security officials in charge of the administration of Ituri and the neighboring North Kivu province in a bid to curb violence. However, the measure has failed to stop attacks.

The defense team said it would appeal.

Source: Voice of America

This evidence review is part of a global initiative led by the Global Child Protection Area of Responsibility, in partnership with Plan International, to strengthen collaboration between child protection and food security actors in humanitarian settings. In collaboration with the Global Food Security Cluster, this initiative aims to provide humanitarian practitioners with strengthened knowledge and technical tools to integrate child protection and food security responses. The findings from the evidence review will inform the development of programmatic and advocacy tools as well as technical support and capacity-strengthening provided directly to child protection and food security cluster coordination mechanisms and their partners. For more information on the initiative, please see Integrating Child Protection and Food Security in Humanitarian Action.

This evidence review is part of a broader effort by child protection and other global humanitarian actors to promote effective ways of collaborating across sectors, including education, health, camp coordination and camp management, and food security. For more information on this initiative and other evidence reviews, please see Working Across Sectors for Children’s Protection.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

The Human Rights Council, in a midday meeting, held separate interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, and the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, both under its agenda item on technical assistance and capacity building.

Vitit Muntarbhorn, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, said the theme of his report was “Landmarks and Benchmarks”, identifying a range of benchmarks, such as needed apertures for civil and political rights, to stimulate implementation of human rights in the country. Cambodia’s development epitomised constructive developments on many fronts. Nevertheless, Cambodia was faced with disquieting dilemmas linked with a range of human rights concerns and democratic aspirations. The shrunken civic and political space was heavily stockaded, especially vis a vis human rights advocates and the political opposition. Cambodia should open up civic and political space, including by suspending and reforming laws of a draconian kind. The Government should also end the prosecution of the political opposition and human rights defenders and related personnel, release them and drop the charges against them.

Cambodia, speaking as a country concerned, said Cambodia’s constructive engagement with the Special Rapporteur, including further access to the country, was indisputable. It should be noted that the opinion of the Special Rapporteur was personal. The report recognised, in a brief and narrow scope, certain positive elements, despite the Government’s genuine dialogue, but did not set the record straight on many fronts. On this partial basis, conclusions of a political nature had been drawn. The Special Rapporteur’s flat refusal to offer medical proof of an individual he advocated for having autism brought into question his observance of the code of conduct. The report also contained subjective and selective particulars.

In the discussion on Cambodia, some speakers welcomed Cambodia’s cooperation with Special Procedures, as well as the efforts made by the State in strengthening the social protection and healthcare system while combatting COVID-19. Despite progress achieved, some speakers were concerned about repression regarding civil and political rights as well as the further shrinking of civic space. The use of criminal charges and attacks against journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists, as well as members of the opposition, was extremely worrying. A number of speakers rejected the practice of countries interfering with Cambodia’s internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, expressing hope that all States would abide by the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter and respect Cambodia’s sovereignty. They said country mandates should not be established without the consent of the country concerned.

The Council then held an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia.

Isha Dyfan, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, said Somalia was experiencing a fourth consecutive failed rainy season, which had led to unprecedented drought and ravaged at least 90 per cent of Somalia’s districts. This had caused a grave humanitarian crisis affecting more than seven million people, in terms of food shortage, child mortality and acute malnutrition, and increased fighting over ever scarcer resources, which had resulted in mass displacement and an increase in violence against women and children. There was an urgent need to ensure adequate and sustained funding that went beyond immediate lifesaving and humanitarian response towards sustainable activities to prevent this recurring crisis. The major challenge to the peace building and state building efforts in Somalia continued to be the long-running armed conflict and its heavy toll on civilians, damaging infrastructure and livelihoods, forcibly displacing millions of people, and impeding access to humanitarian relief for communities in need.

Somalia, speaking as a country concerned, said the new Government was facing many challenges, including lack of security and recurrent drought. In order to tackle these obstacles, joint action led by the Somali national army and community had been launched with the aim of ending the culture of violence and extremism nationwide. The Government was also prioritising the ongoing drought which had the unfortunate potential to transition into a full-blown famine. There was no doubt that the Government had made progress in the area of human rights in past years. The new Government would continue to put in place more legislation, policies, and measures to create a conducive environment for human rights for all in Somalia.

In the discussion on Somalia, some speakers said that while a few positive developments had happened, concerns remained about the peace, security, and humanitarian challenges that persisted in Somalia. The humanitarian situation in Somalia was dire, and it continued to worsen. There was also concern for ongoing violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law in Somalia, of which Al-Shabaab was the main perpetrator. A lack of accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses persisted.

Some speakers said there should be galvanised support for the Government in responding to the drought emergency, and the international community should redouble its efforts to support the road to recovery in Somalia, in a time of growing global crises. The Council should, one speaker said, suspend further resolutions on the country. The Independent Expert should exercise her mandate within the provisions of the code of conduct.

Speaking in the discussion on Cambodia were Finland on behalf of a group of countries, European Union, Cambodia on behalf of a group of countries, Switzerland, Ireland, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, France, Australia, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Russian Federation, China, Syria, United States, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Belarus, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Yemen, Belgium, Japan, Morocco, Brunei, Lebanon, India, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Cameroon, Egypt, Cuba, Turkey, Philippines, Tanzania, Republic of Korea, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Burkina Faso, and Azerbaijan.

Also speaking were the following non-governmental organizations: Article 19 – International Centre against Censorship, Association Ma’onah fo Human Rights and Immigration, Human Rights Now, International Federation for Human Rights League, CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada.

Speaking in the discussion on Somalia were European Union, Saudi Arabia on behalf of a group of countries, Qatar, South Sudan, Senegal, Egypt, Ireland, United Nations Children’s Fund, France, Ethiopia, Australia, Venezuela, Russian Federation, China, United States, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Botswana, Luxembourg, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iceland on behalf of a group of countries, and Mauritania.

Also speaking were the following non-governmental organizations: Organisation Internationale pour les Pays Les Moins Avancés, Legal Action Worldwide, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Minority Rights Group, Elizka Relief Foundation, Institut International Pour les Droits et le Développement, iuventum e.V, and Advocates for Human Rights.

The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found hereOpens in new window. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s fifty-first regular session can be found hereOpens in new window.

The Council will next hold an enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in the Philippines, followed by an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic. Time permitting, it will then start its general debate on agenda item 10 on technical assistance and capacity building.

Source: UN Human Rights Council