Commonwealth assists African countries to implement UN human rights recommendations

The Commonwealth opened a regional seminar on 18 April to assist African countries in implementing the recommendations of a United Nations review of their human rights record.

The Attorney-General of Mauritius, Vatindra Nath Varma, opened the two-day seminar, which aims to strengthen the ability of seven Commonwealth African member countries to implement the recommendations, received at the UN under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, and prepare for a follow-up review in Geneva in the next two years.

“The follow-up of UPR recommendations is the most crucial step of the entire process because it is a tool that can actually measure the improvement of human rights situations on the ground,” said Mr Varma.

“We hope to see all countries taking voluntary follow-up action in order to continue improving their human rights situations.”

Dr Purna Sen, head of human rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said: “The Commonwealth is committed to deepening efforts to increase people’s enjoyment of human rights. Implementation of recommendations received at the Universal Periodic Review is a key part of these efforts.”

The human rights record of the countries participating in the regional seminar – Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia – were reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2008 and 2009 under the UPR.

The UPR process reviews the human rights records of all 192 UN member states every four years in Geneva. During the process each country shares what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situation in their country and to fulfil their human rights obligations.

During the Commonwealth seminar, government officials, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and non-governmental organisations will discuss, develop and share good practices in implementing the UPR recommendations.

Representatives from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office are also attending the seminar to inform participants of the key developments on UPR from their point of view.

Niraj Dawadi from the OHCHR’s Regional Office South Africa said: “This Commonwealth seminar provides an important opportunity for state, NHRIs and civil society representatives to share innovative ideas in connection with the implementation of UPR recommendations.”

Representatives from the International Service for Human Rights and the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs also attended the seminar.

This is the second regional seminar organised by the Secretariat to help countries prepare for the follow-up and implementation phase of the UPR. In February 2011, the Secretariat held a similar seminar in Bangladesh for Commonwealth member states in Asia and Europe.

The Secretariat's Human Rights Unit plans to hold more seminars for other regions of the Commonwealth this year and will continue to work with individual countries on preparing for the UPR follow-up.

The Commonwealth has engaged with its member states on reviewing their human rights record for the UN review since the first UPR session in 2008, and it has hosted a series of seminars where participants can learn from others who have already been through the review.

In 2009, the Secretariat published ‘Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights: Towards Best Practice’, a publication which describes the UPR, shares experiences, and provides analysis of the Commonwealth countries that reported in the first year of the UPR process.