05/06/09 (B501) LDDH : diffusion d’information – réseau des défenseurs des Droits de l’homme.


Le Président

DIFFUSION D’INFORMATION
DU 4 JUIN 2009.

 

 

La Ligue Djiboutienne des Droits de l’Homme (LDDH) diffuse deux documents du Réseau des Défenseurs des Droits de l’Homme de l’Afrique de l’Est et de la Corne d’Afrique (EHAHRD),


l’un propose de « s’attaquer à l’Impunité à travers des réformes et par la Protection des Défenseurs des Droits de l’Homme »

– l’autre porte sur « les Défenseurs des Droits de l’Homme, qui doivent se mobiliser pour leurs droits ».

NOEL ABDI Jean-Paul

_______________________________________

Tackle impunity through police reform and protection of HRDs –
Panel event in Geneva today

EAST AND HORN OF AFRICA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

EHAHRD-Net Index: UGA 015/011/2009 4th June 2009

Geneva: Tackle impunity through police reform and protection of HRDs

The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP), the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) will call for urgent police reform throughout East Africa as a key step in the fight against impunity at a panel event being held today at the UN Human Rights Council.

Mr Hassan Shire, Executive Director of EHAHRDP, will in his opening remarks call on specific attention to be drawn to human rights defenders (HRDs) working on issues of police reform, extrajudicial killings and the question of impunity in general, given the significant challenges and threats these defenders are currently facing throughout the region.

“ Any discussion on how to ensure effective and sustainable reform of the policing and justice system in Kenya and throughout the region cannot take place without taking into account the reality facing defenders working on these issues; it is therefore essential to find ways of supporting their work and strengthening their protection and security” Mr Shire will say.

The need for strong political will by the relevant authorities will also be highlighted whilst Mr Shire will commend the decision by the Kenyan government to acknowledge in their remarks to the Council yesterday, the problem of extrajudicial killings in their country.

Today’s panel event forms part of a series of activities organised in parallel to the release of the report by the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial and Summary Executions, Professor Philip Alston.

In fact, in a joint-statement made to the plenary session at the Council following the presentation of the report by Professor Alston, yesterday, Mr Sam Mohochi, the Executive Director of the IMLU, EHAHRD-Net’s Kenyan focal point, called on the Council to enhance the mandate of the Special Rapporteur notably in light of the support that the mandate offers to HRDs working on these issues on the ground.

“The SR can through country missions, recommendations and follow-up play a role in helping to transform the general misconception on behalf of key members of the authorities (police, military, judiciary..) of the work and role of human rights reporting. Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur can serve as a greatly needed bridge between those working on issues of accountability and the reform of the judicial system and key actors within the authorities bent on bringing about these greatly needed reforms” said Mr Sam Mohochi.

The panel event will take place today from 15h-17h in Room XX of the Palais des Nations.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact

Mr Hassan Shire,
Executive Director of EHAHRDP
on + 41 7933 758 75

or Ms Laetitia Bader,
Human Rights Officer at EHAHRDP
on + 256 775 141 756
or advocacy@defenddefenders.org

__________________________________________
EAST AND HORN OF AFRICA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

EHAHRD-Net Index: UGA 014/008/2009 2nd June 2009

KAMPALA: Human Rights Defenders should systematically mobilise for their rights

Efforts by human rights defenders (HRDs) and key stakeholders to promote the rights of defenders in the East and Horn of Africa region need to be made more systematic and sustainable in order to ensure that key rights of HRDs are protected in what is rapidly becoming an increasingly restrictive environment, the East and Horn of Africa will say in a report officially released today.

The report, “Promoting the rights of human rights defenders in the East and Horn of Africa. A comparative study into defenders and key stakeholders’ efforts to promote and protect the rights of human rights defenders in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda”, is the outcome of research carried out in five countries in the region during which over 100 interviews were conducted with defenders and key stakeholders’ in order to analyse the challenges currently undermining efforts to promote the rights of defenders and to identify good and replicable practices of such advocacy efforts.

It provides a thorough analysis of the current situation facing HRDs and the specific political, social and capacity challenges as well as structural restrictions in the areas of law and security which currently undermine efforts to promote the rights of defenders.

Primarily targeted at human rights defenders themselves the reports identifies a range of measures which defenders throughout the region should look at putting into practice to make their advocacy more effective and sustainable.

Drawing on key findings it also makes specific recommendations to the diplomatic community and regional governments on how to best protect and promote the work of HRDs in the East and Horn of Africa. According to the report, the diplomatic community, and most notably the EU missions in the region, should take a much more proactive approach in their efforts to protect and promote HRDs and their rights where as regional governments should bring an immediate end to the increasing restrictions being put in place to limit the space available to defenders and to delegitimize their work.

We hope that the report will encourage both our members but also partners throughout the region to pay more serious attention to the issue of the rights of defenders and that some of the more practical recommendations presented in the report will be used to develop innovative and long-term activities and efforts aimed at ensuring that defenders can carry out their key work” says Mr Hassan Shire Sheikh, Executive Director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP).

The report is available on our website at http://www.defenddefenders.org/documents/EHAHRDP%20
Advocacy%20Report%202009.pdf

For more information please contact
Ms Laetitia Bader,
Human Rights Officer at EHAHRDP
on +256 775 141 756
or advocacy@defenddefenders.org