As a step towards the realization of the guidelines of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution of 18th June 18, 2007, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has organised a two-day consultative workshop on the assessment of the implementation of supported recommendations by Nigeria during the 3rd cycle of United Nations Periodic Review (UPR) on Nigeria.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN) said, in the guidelines, the national human rights institutions and civil society in the country under review are expected to play pivotal roles, not only in the preparation of a country report but to also monitor the implementation of supported recommendations of the Human Rights Council on the country under review.
He said the workshop was organised to fulfill the statutory role of the NHRC in assisting the federal government in the realization of human rights in the country as well as to liase and collaborate with national and international human rights entities towards enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights in the country.
According to Ojukwu, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) reviewed the country’s human rights situation between 2014 and 2018 in November 2018 and 290 recommendations were made to the country on how to improve the realization of human rights, out of which 230 got the support of the federal government.
He said in order to implement the 230 recommendations, stakeholders are to discuss and deliberate on key issues and achievements in the promotion and protection of human rights, key successes and achievements in the promotion and protection of human rights and the gaps and challenges in the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.
He said the commission had earlier requested participating MDAs and CSOs to submit to it reports on key successes, achievements, initiatives, gaps, challenges as well as policy recommendations that will impact on the enjoyment of human rights in Nigeria within the context of supported recommendations by Nigeria during the 3rd cycle review process.
The reports, he said are also expected to take into consideration alignment of the initiatives carried out by government between 2019 and 2022 and how the interventions align with attainment of the sustainable development goals.
The expected outcome of the workshop, the NHRC boss said is an audit of human rights situation in Nigeria in the last four years, policy recommendations to relevant stakeholders on the implementations during the 3rd Universal Periodic Review cycle, an assessment of the country’s implementation of the supported recommendations and the harmonization of the outcomes of the proceedings to feed into the independent report of the commission on human rights situation in Nigeria in the last four years as part of the HRC documentation to review Nigeria in the 4th cycle.
In a message to the occasion, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen called for a meaningful dialogue for the production of a robust document for better governance in the coming years.
Represented by the assistant chief social welfare officer in the Ministry, Mrs. Gloria Owuzirike, the Minister said, women’s right is a major part of human rights.
She called for the promotion and protection of the rights of women, children and the vulnerable group in the country.
