He mentioned his focus would come with constructing the capability of Nationwide Human Rights Establishments (NHRIs) to have the ability to meet the ever-growing challenges of resourcing, governance and operations of NHRIs.
The Government Secretary of the Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, on Thursday promised to advertise cooperation amongst West African States for the safety of human rights.
He gave this assurance whereas accepting to function the President of the Community of Nationwide Human Rights Establishments in West Africa (NNHRI-WA).
“My imaginative and prescient for this community is anchored on the next respect and cooperation for the promotion and safety of human rights in West Africa,” he mentioned.
He mentioned his focus would come with constructing the capability of NHRIs “to have the ability to meet the ever-growing challenges of resourcing, governance and operations of NHRIs”, and supporting sub-regional monitoring, documentation and reporting of human rights in West Africa by establishing a sub-regional State of affairs Room and Knowledge Centre.
Mr Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was elected to the management position on the closing ceremony of the seventh Regional Session, held from 1 t0 3 July in Abuja.
Different elected officers of the West African human rights community are Vice President, Amsatou Sow Sidibe (Senegal NHRI); Treasurer, Charles Harris (Liberia NHRI); Common Secretary, Serge Prince (Benin NHRI); Publicity Secretary 1, Alkadri Diarra (Mali NHRI); Publicity Secretary 2, Patricia Ndanema (Sierra Leone NHRI); and Publicity Secretary 3, Fernanda Maria da Costa (Guinea-Bissau NHRI).
The occasion introduced collectively delegates from 12 West African nations, the ECOWAS Fee, the Workplace of the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights in West Africa (OHCHR-WARO), and the United Nations Workplace for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
The delegates converged for the regional session with the theme: ‘Justice for Africans and Individuals of African descent by way of Reparations: The Function of Nationwide Human Rights Establishment.’
Nigeria’s Legal professional Common of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who attended the closing ceremony on Thursday, recommended the delegates, noting their important roles in making certain reparations. Mr Fagbemi added that the theme centred on a collective concern amongst Africans that was not “merely about confronting our previous”. He mentioned, “it’s about shaping our future.”
Mr Ojukwu, in his acceptance speech, famous that his purpose because the newly elected president would come with fostering collaborations amongst ECOWAS establishments, and opening and initiating partnerships with the United Nations, media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
Highlights of the session
Throughout the three-day session, the delegates known as for illustration and reestablishment of NHRI from nations ruled by the military-Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea.
Army takeovers occurred in each Guinea and Burkina Faso, with Guinea’s authorities falling to the army in 2021 and Ibrahim Traoré main a coup in Burkina Faso in 2022.
Equally, in July 2023, the army in Niger led by Colonel-Main Amadou Abdramane carried out a coup and closed all West African borders.
In 2024, these nations introduced their exit from ECOWAS and, regardless of a 12 months of makes an attempt to influence them to remain. They formally left the bloc in 2025 and created the Alliance for Sahel State (Alliance États du Sahel – AES) as a brand new defence pact, isolating themselves from different West African nations.
Different discussions centred across the encouragement of member states to proffer different means to detention, urging the ECOWAS Fee to fast-track growth and adoption of the ECOWAS Transitional Justice Handbook as mechanisms to information Member States “to deal with problems with previous and current injustice to advertise reconciliation, reparation, accountability and sustainable growth.”
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Following their deliberations, the individuals affirmed their dedication to defending migrants, growing advocacy for local weather change, harmonising nationwide knowledge assortment to trace human rights violations and supporting the governments of their respective nations.
They nonetheless known as the State authorities “to successfully discharge their financial obligations by offering a conducive setting for his or her residents to reside significant and purposeful lives by way of elevated investments on this sector to create first rate jobs, alleviate poverty and enhance individuals’s dwelling circumstances thereby limiting the incidence of economic-induced migration.”
