Federal Government has assured its continued commitment to strengthening the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), adding that it is disposed to partnering with countries with similar disposition in the promotion and protection of human rights at home and abroad.
This is even as government gave indication constituting the board of NHRC and plans to inaugurate it to further strengthen the operations of the commission.
The Minister of Foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama gave these assurances while presiding as chairman of the event of public presentation of a book “The Dialectics of Rights: Nigeria’s Engagement with the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights Council”, in Abuja Tuesday.
According to the Minister, “Nigeria is an important player in global and regional stability and is entirely committed to partnership with countries of similar disposition in the promotion and protection of human rights at home and abroad.
“We have fully participated in the UPR process since inception and have been reviewed on three occasions, namely, February, 2009; October, 2013; and November, 2018.
“It may interest you to know that Nigeria occupied the first presidency position of the Human Rights Council. and in its voluntary pledges and commitments to the Council reiterates among others as follows:
Commits itself to the purposes and objectives of the Human Rights Council; Expresses its readiness to submit itself to the UPR mechanism; Reaffirms its determination and commitment to continue to promote and protect human rights at home by strengthening and actively supporting the work of the National Human Rights Commission.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the maintenance of an open-door policy on human rights issues and its preparedness to welcome human rights inspectors, special rapporteurs and representatives to visit Nigeria in order to carry out their respective mandate without hindrance.
Further, Onyeama who was represented by Mr. Aladi Akeremi, cited that he has also made series of remarkable contributions in ensuring that the fundamental human rights of Nigerians are protected abroad.
“The Ministry through its Missions has attended to notable amounts of petitions from Nigerians in Diaspora, concerning human rights abuses. Likewise, the Consular and Legal Department under my watch has been very proactive in ensuring that explanations are provided by Diplomatic Missions on behalf of their countries and by companies for which Nigerians work or are providing services to the public.
“The Department recently wrote to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, concerning the need to include fundamental human rights enforcement requirements in certain bilateral cooperation agreements, emanating from States with high rates of abuses and the response of the Federal Ministry of Justice has been very positive.
The Nigerian government on her part has enacted several legislations to domesticate international human rights instruments to which the country is subscribed to. We have also ratified many instruments as a result of our participation in the Universal Periodic Review.
“Aside the obvious ones, some of the international human rights treaties ratified by Nigeria in recent times include, International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide; Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture; and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These are
innovative legislations which guarantee additional reassurance to the UPR process”, the Minister enumerated.
Also speaking while delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, commended the National Human Rights Commission which has proved itself to be a foremost National Human Rights institution.
He said: “The federal government has been following keenly the giant strides of the Commission towards the enhancement of the promotion and protection of human rights in the
country.
Some of the laudable achievements of the Commission include its work on: Mainstreaming respect for human rights in internal security operations by the military and other security forces; Addressing the menace of sexual and gender-based violence; Development of National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights; Mainstreaming fights-based approach in sustainable
development plans and implementation.”
The Minister who was represented by Abiodun Aikhomu urged the Commission not to rest on its oars and to be rest assured that the federal government would continue to support it to enable it do more in the realization of its statutory
mandate, adding that the President has approved the constitution of the Commission’s Governing Council which will soon be inaugurated.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Tony Ojukwu noted that before now, there was no publication x-raying Nigeria’s three times engagement of the UPR process in 2009, 2013 and 2018 together in one single publication.
He said: “It is therefore a veritable piece of document upon which the various actors in both the government and the civil society can learn from and build on, to successfully engage future UPR Processes.”
Ojukwu explained that the Universal Periodic Review called the UPR for short is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council whereby all member states of the United Nations are peer reviewed on their commitment to promotion and protection of human rights.
The aim of the UPR is the improvement of human rights situation in every country through regular assessment of positive human rights developments and challenges faced by the country, as well as the enhancement of country’s capacity and responses to fulfil its human rights obligations.
He said the publication of the book in collaboration with Dr. Uche Emelonye is one that epitomizes the intellectual contribution of the Commission to knowledge and understanding of human rights by both governmental and non-governmental actors in Nigeria.
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