Sierra Leone: UN rights body calls on Government to establish rights panels

To avoid a recurrence of the long civil war in Sierra Leone, the international community must bolster national initiatives on human rights and the Government must quickly establish related panels and a comprehensive law reform programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says in a report to the General Assembly released today.

As the peacekeeping UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) prepares to withdraw by the end of the year, these international and national actions must be part of efforts to create and entrench a culture of respect for human rights in the West African country. Following the departure of the mission, "the human rights situation in the country must continue to be closely monitored, investigated and documented," the report says.

"The critical issues of marginalization and exclusion that were the underlying causes of the conflict and which were identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are yet to be addressed," it says. "Other human rights concerns that require continued attention are the protection of the rights of women and protection of children from child labour. Despite the existence of an Anti-Corruption court, corruption is widespread and the judiciary weak."

Law reform must cover discrimination against women, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, domestic violence, rape, child labour and juvenile justice, the report says, recommending that the Government facilitate this process by ratifying and implementing the relevant international conventions and treaties that it has signed.

Human rights training and capacity-building must continue for the police, prisons and the courts. "The civil society in Sierra Leone is still considerably weak and needs concerted training, capacity-building and mentoring," the report points out.

Considering "the myriad of human rights issues" facing Sierra Leone, a strong human rights presence must be maintained in the proposed new UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL).

"Through this, much needed support will be provided to the national authorities in the area of human rights," the report emphasizes.