Human Rights Workshop in Sierra Leone

Jarvis Matiya, Acting Head of the Commonwealth Secretariat's Human Rights Unit

Challenges faced by human rights defenders were the focus of a three-day workshop in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 27 to 29 July 2005. Organised by the Forum of Conscience and the International Service for Human Rights, the workshop served to facilitate networking and improve awareness, understanding and access to human rights protection procedures and mechanisms for African countries.

Participants discussed the concerns of human rights defenders in the framework of international and regional protection guidelines. They also evaluated the ways in which African countries -- in particular Commonwealth members The Gambia and Sierra Leone, and others such as Liberia and Guinea -- can use the mandates of the African Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, European Union Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, and the United Nations Special Representative for Defenders to improve their protection and working environment. 

Jarvis Matiya, Acting Head of the Commonwealth Secretariat's Human Rights Unit (HRU), said the workshop was timely for the West Africa region, which has faced constraints in the area of human rights. In a message delivered on his behalf at the workshop, Mr Matiya stated: "This initiative comes at a time both for the revitalisation and democratisation of the region, and for the process of increasing the confidence, ability, profile and effectiveness of civil society human rights defenders and national human rights institutions to promote and protect human rights."

He said the workshop brought together representatives of civil society and national human rights institutions and governments to explore ways to facilitate networking and to develop a mutually reinforcing relationship in the defence and promotion of human rights. Mr Matiya stressed the need for co-ordinated, mutually supporting efforts by human rights defenders and national institutions to improve awareness and understanding of national, regional and international human rights protection procedures and mechanisms, and to increase the effective use of these strategies and forums.

"A benefit and function of a vibrant and open democracy is the existence of national space for individuals, groups and institutions to be peacefully involved in the promotion and protection of human rights, including space for the expression of opinions about the compatibility of national laws, policies and practices with international standards."

Mr Matiya also noted that human rights defenders often face major difficulties in carrying out their work. He said the challenge lies in making the most effective use of protective instruments and national laws to enable human rights promotional work, advocacy and monitoring to be carried out in a credible, accountable and independent manner.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 246, 3 August 2005

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