By: Mnena Iyorkegh, Abuja
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS) in partnership with the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa (NNHRI-WA), starts its 7th Regional Consultation with the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations: The Role of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)”.
The Regional Consultation is aimed at enhancing the overall role of NHRIs towards the promotion and protection of human rights with added focus on protection of migrants and internally displaced people.
Implementation of regional and international human rights mechanisms, improving conditions of detention, human rights and reparative justice framework, and the shrinking civic space in West Africa.
In his Opening Remarks, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, who was represented by the Head of Democracy and Good Governance, Mr Ebenezer Asiedu, expressed ECOWAS Commission’s appreciation to Nigeria’s government and particularly the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria for successfully hosting this regional consultation.
He also congratulated the participants on commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS, while stressing the importance of reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent to addressing historical injustices, in line with the theme of the Consultation.
He noted that: “The conversation should embrace current realities of our societies as it relates to the enjoyment of rights by the Rights-holders and reparations of human rights violation in the region”.
Ambassador Musah, advocated the need for a Human Right-based approach to reparatory justice for both past and present injustice and human rights violations.
To this end, he noted the Commission’s ongoing efforts to develop a regional transitional justice framework with a particular focus on the principle of reparatory justice.
He therefore urged the participants to enrich the framework with their inputs and guidance on how human rights principles and role of National Human Rights Institutions can be further entrenched in transitional justice generally and reparatory justice in particular.
In his welcome speech, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, commended the continued support and partnership of the ECOWAS Commission and the relevant UN systems (UNOWAS and UN-OHCHR) towards the successful organisation of the regional consultation.
He further noted the escalating violations of human rights across West Africa occasioned by undemocratic changes of governments, shrinking civic spaces, conflicts, terrorist insurgency, forced displacements of populations and climate change.
To this end, he called for solidarity among NHRIs towards advancing a unified, stable, and human rights friendly West Africa.
Declaring the Regional Consultation open, the Chairperson of the Governing Board, Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Dr Salamatu H. Sulaiman, stressed on the need for multi-stakeholders’ collaboration towards a unified agenda for reparative justice to address the needs of Africans, restore dignity and foster reconciliation.
She therefore charged participants to take advantage of the consultation to make insightful contributions and renew their unwavering commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in West Africa.
Also speaking, the Deputy Regional Representative, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for West Africa Region, Mr Benjamin Hounton, and the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Ms. Barrie Lynne Freeman, describe the network for the annual consultation as a unique space for in depth dialogue, peer-to-peer exchange that strengthen collaboration, ensure accountability and an opportunity to reflect on how the role of NHRI’s can be further enhanced to advance human rights across the sub region.
Participants at the Regional Conference include, Attorney-General of the Federation and Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Lateef O. Fagbemi, SAN, the President of the NNHRI-WA, Dr Joseph Whittal and the Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice CHRAJ, as well as members of the Governing Council of the Nigerian
NHRC and Heads of NHRI’s of Member States.
Hauwa M.