The meeting, which is being held from June 7 to 9, is placed under the theme: “State of NHRIs in West Africa: 30 years after the adoption of the Principles relating to the status of National Human Rights Institutions”. Read the report instead!
Banjul, Gambia, 07 June 2023: The Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa, with the technical and financial support of the ECOWAS Commission, OHCHR and UNOWAS, holds its meeting annual regional meeting in Banjul from June 7 to 9, with more than 30 participants from the region. The opening ceremony took place at the Banjul International Conference Center and was presided over by, The Gambia’s Minister of Justice, HE Dawda A. Jallow. Other speakers included Ms. Giovanie Biha, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mr. Robert Kotchani, Regional Representative of OHCHR in West Africa, Mr. Ebenezer Asiedu , representative of the ECOWAS Commission, Commissioner Whittal, President of the Network of NHRIs in West Africa, Commissioner Emmanuel Daniel Joof, President of the NHRI of Gambia, host of the event, and delegations from the West African sub-region. The objective of the meeting is to strengthen advocacy for strong and functioning NHRIs.
In his opening speech, the Minister of Justice of The Gambia thanked the participants and welcomed the holding of the meeting in a “critical context for human rights in West Africa”. He commended the crucial role of NHRIs and called on them to respect the principles of accountability and transparency in their functioning and activities. The regional representative of OHCHR in West Africa reiterated as a sign of encouragement for the efforts of The Gambia in the process of implementing the recommendations of the truth and reconciliation commission and in the field of human rights Pins symbols of human rights and SDGs to HE the Minister of Justice and the President of the NHRI of The Gambia. The meeting was also an opportunity for Mr. Kotchani to develop the essential content of the UDHR and to recall the global campaign aimed at celebrating the 75th anniversary of this instrument.
In his remarks, Mr. Joseph Whittal, President of the West African NHRIs Network, said that “our reflections on the 30th anniversary of the Paris Principles should draw our attention to how to overcome the deficit of criteria for effectiveness of the Paris Principles among our NHRIs and how to further strengthen those NHRIs that do not meet the basic minimum criteria”. In West Africa, 16 out of 15 countries have established NHRIs and eleven of them have “A” status in the assessment of the effectiveness of the Paris Principles. These are minimum standards and, for each of the criteria defined, much can be done to strengthen our NHRIs, even with “A” accreditation status, through stronger legal frameworks, better budgetary expenditures, etc
Commissioner Emmanuel Daniel Joof, President of the Gambia NHRI, said: “The work of NHRIs around the world is rooted in the core values of the UDHR. In West Africa and the Sahel, NHRIs continue to play an important role in the promotion and protection of human rights in their respective jurisdictions, in an increasingly difficult environment, while they are grappling with a myriad of human problems in the sub-region. »
Other equally relevant agenda items include the rule of law and democratic governance, with a focus on the impact of respect for human rights on the instrumentalization of the justice system, the integration of human rights in the fight against terrorism, the engagement of NHRIs in democracy and the consolidation of civic space and how NHRIs can promote inclusive electoral processes in West Africa and the Sahel . Other points such as strengthening partnership with CSOs, designing and implementing national action plans on business and human rights, human rights in the context of migration in West Africa and how to strengthen the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration will also be discussed.