The United Kingdom has pledged to continue its support for Somalia in strengthening human rights and good governance systems, as reflected in a new UK resolution tabled at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday.
Speaking on behalf of the UK’s core group, UK Human Rights Ambassador Eleanor Sanders said the resolution was part of the UK’s commitment to supporting Somalia’s journey towards sustainable peace, development and accountability.
Since 1993, Somalia has made significant strides in rebuilding the country, strengthening governance, and promoting stability and reconciliation. We commend the Somali leadership for their continued engagement with this Council and the wider UN human rights system.
“We also recognise that Somalia still faces significant human rights challenges, but we welcome the government’s readiness to address these issues in a direct and open manner,” said Sanders.
The UK government said the resolution aims to strengthen technical assistance and capacity building for Somalia’s judicial and security institutions.
“This resolution marks a historic step forward for Somalia. It replaces the long-standing Independent Expert system, now moving to a new partnership with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This shift reflects the growing strength of Somali institutions, commitment to reform, and maturity in its engagement with the international community,” said Sanders.
Under the new framework, the focus will be on supporting Somalia’s national human rights priorities, while continuing to monitor and report publicly.
Prior to this, human rights in Somalia were monitored by independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.
The current expert, Ms. Isha Dyfan of Sierra Leone, was appointed in May 2020 and her term was extended last year to continue assessing, monitoring, and reporting on the human rights situation in Somalia.
