Government urged to speed up rights review mechanism

 
The government has been challenged to speed up the implementation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations to promote and protect human rights best.

 

UPR is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 United Nation (UN) member States. It is a significant innovation of the Human Rights Council which is based on equal treatment for all countries.

 

The call was made by human rights stakeholders at a UPR forum yesterday in Dar es Salaam that was organised by the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC).

 

The forum was aimed at discussing pertinent human rights issues for the purpose of sharing knowledge and experiences on the best way to advance human rights advocacy in the country.

 

Commissioner for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRGG), Rehema Ntimizi, said there was challenge in the implementation of recommendations of the reviews that were made earlier which affects respective countries in observing human rights. 

 

Commissioner Ntimizi said monitoring the implementation was important as it would enable the country to evaluate itself on how much it has implemented the recommendations.

 

“We want improvement of human rights in all the member states…delays on implementation of the reviews deters a country from implementing human rights issues, which sends a bad image to other countries,” she said.

 

She added: “Such a process requires further mobilisation and involvement of all stakeholders, the government, civil society organisations, the media, development partners and international NGOs.”

 

According to her, despite UPR being a new phenomenon in the country, it has enabled people to speak the same language on its process with the ultimate goal of improving the situation of human rights in the country.

 

THRDC National Coordinator Onesmo Olengurumwa said at least 153 recommendations were submitted for recommendation but only 107 were accepted, with 33 remaining and four being referred for further consideration or rejected.

 

According to Olengurumwa, the implementation report has been prepared by a coalition of about 80 human rights NGOs from across the country and is scheduled for a second cycle of UPR review in April 2016 to highlights ongoing violations in the country.

 

UPR-Info Africa regional coordinator Gilbert Onyango said it was better for the country to speed-up the implementation of recommendations to 100 per cent, and called upon the human rights stakeholders to increase effort in monitoring it.

 

“We do believe that Tanzania is a country which respects transparency... its people are free to talk, I know the government is ready to fulfil its people demands,” he said.