Partnerships Crucial in Promoting Human Rights

Collaboration between government agencies, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), the media, civil society organisations, and international partners is necessary to ensure effective national plans of action to enhance awareness of and respect for human rights, according to Rabab Fatima, Head of the Human Rights Unit of the Commonwealth Secretariat. She was speaking at the opening of a four-day Expert Planning Workshop on National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa in Accra, Ghana, which began on 4 July 2006. It is organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Ms Fatima shared practical experiences of NHRIs in other Commonwealth countries on establishing partnerships, and planning strategies for joint action. Government ministries working with NHRIs and other partners for joint reporting to United Nations human rights treaty bodies is an example of such partnerships, she said, as is conducting joint prison visits to monitor penitentiary conditions, or national awareness programmes for police and other officials.

Ms Fatima stated that the Secretariat will continue to support initiatives to protect and promote human rights, and to assist government agencies to meet their political commitments and international obligations. The aim, she explained, is to encourage best practice based on existing international human rights standards.

"The Commonwealth approach to human rights seeks to emphasise the inherent indivisibility and the interdependence of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, with the relationship between human rights and political values on the one hand, and development on the other," said Ms Fatima.

"We support the efforts of Commonwealth countries to improve adherence to and compliance with international and regional human rights instruments, as well as to adopt enabling legislation. We provide technical assistance and advice to member countries in the formulation and implementation of policies."

Ms Fatima stated that independent, viable NHRIs serve as a major way for national objectives on human rights to be realised. To strengthen networking and co-operation among NHRIs in the Commonwealth, she said the Secretariat's Human Rights Unit is planning a meeting of Commonwealth NHRIs later this year.

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 292, 05 July 2006

Key Links:

• Human Rights Section