Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Dr Ghanim Alnajjar, the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights situation in Somalia, began a five-day mission on Monday to review the conditions of detention facilities and hold talks with officials on the human rights conditions in the Horn of African nation.
UN Development Program (UNDP) Somalia office in Nairobi said in a statement Tuesday that Alnajjar would examine several issues related to human rights, including the rights of women, freedom of speech/opinion, prison conditions.
Alnajjar is due to meet with the transitional government officials, judiciary, lawmakers and a variety of local authorities, civil society representatives including international organizations in Nairobi and different regions of Somalia.
"He is scheduled to hold discussions with representatives of international organizations. If the security situation permits, he also plans to visit settlements of internally displaced persons, detention facilities and hospitals," the statement said.
Alnajjar said he was deeply concerned about violations of the right to freedom of expression and opinion and the apparent increase in threats and deadly attacks against journalists and human rights defenders working in Somalia, and promised to consider this issue during his mission.
"Considering security restrictions and time limitations, the Independent Expert intends that his current mission be only the first part of his annual assessment of the situation of human rights in Somalia," the statement said.
This is Dr. Alnajjar's sixth annual fact-finding visit to the country since being appointed Independent Expert for Somalia by UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan in June 2001.
His mandate, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, is to assess the prevailing human rights situation in Somalia and report his findings to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.
Source: PanaPress, Sept 18, 2007