Somalia Human Rights Commission, UNDP Open Three-Day Workshop in Mogadishu

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s National Human Rights Commission, the United Nations Development Programme and the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions have opened a three-day workshop in Mogadishu focused on strengthening the commission’s capacity to investigate and respond to human rights violations.

The workshop, which began Monday, is examining the Paris Principles governing national human rights institutions, international human rights standards and treaties, and procedures for handling and managing complaints.

Participants are also discussing the investigation and documentation of alleged human rights violations, monitoring prisons and detention facilities, and recording human rights-related incidents.

Speaking at the opening, National Human Rights Commission Chairwoman Dr. Maryan Qasim Ahmed thanked the United Nations Development Programme, known as UNDP, and the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, or ANNHRI, for their support and cooperation in organising the workshop.

She highlighted the importance of the partnership in strengthening the commission’s work to protect and promote human rights in Somalia.

Sultan Bin Hassan Aljamali, secretary-general of ANNHRI and a representative of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, also addressed the opening, alongside Evariste Sibomana, head of governance programmes at UNDP Somalia.

The officials welcomed their cooperation with the National Human Rights Commission and said the workshop could contribute to strengthening its institutional capacity and ongoing human rights work.

National human rights institutions play a role in receiving complaints, monitoring rights conditions, investigating alleged abuses and advising governments on human rights protections. The Paris Principles provide the internationally recognised framework for their independence, mandate and functioning.

The three-day workshop comes as Somalia continues efforts to strengthen national institutions responsible for protecting human rights and aligning their work with international standards.