|
Momodou
Denmark
11804 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Mar 2010 : 17:11:04
|
Dailynews Editorial: No Country Is an Island: As Gambia and 191 Others under Scrutiny
One hundred and ninety two member countries of the United Nations (UN) are being scrutinized at the UN office in Geneva for their Human Rights records. The Gambia is among the lot as part of the larger international body. It is normal that every four years member countries of the UN are subjected to scrutiny of their human rights records by the world’s highest body.
Under the United Nations Human Rights Council- Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism the Gambia’s Human Rights situation was reviewed last month. Our Justice Minister presented the national report on our Human Rights situation. The UPR is a unique process which involves a review of the human right records of all 192 member states of the UN once every four years.
At the review meeting Gambia’s Minister for Justice Mrs. Marie Saine Firdaus laid emphasis on the country’s progress in the promotion of human rights in the country through ratifications of international treaties and reform of the national constitution. However she acknowledged shortcomings in the Gambia’s promotion of human rights, which she attributed to economic, security and cultural challenges.
At such reviews the UPR therefore allows other countries to make critical comments and a critical look at the country’s human right records. This did not ofcourse leave the Gambia. The UPR gave room for others apart from having a critical look at the records they also discuss challenges they face with peers. Such are also done with national stakeholders so as to help them take the necessary steps to improve the human rights situations in their countries.
All of these are checks and balances. It also goes to tell that there is no state in the world that is an island. This clearly explains that no state can just do anything to any body the way that state feels and allowed to go scot free. Countries in the world are bound by laws internationally and therefore can only do things that are allowed by those laws. In the event that a state in a particular region of the world does such, she must be prepared to face the UPR at one point in time.
No government would like to go to the UPR only to be blamed for gross violations of the rights of her subjects, people whose constitutional rights she is bound to protect. So like we said No country is an Island in this world and no government can trample on the basic, God given rights of her people and go Scot free. The arms of justice as the saying goes are very long.
Let’s take cue in the case of Liberia. Where is the mighty Charles Taylor? How about the mighty Idi Amin of Uganda? How about Emperor Bukasa and his empire of the Central African Republic? How about the Samuel K Does? What is currently happening to former Bosnian leader at The Hague? These leaders and many others in other parts of the world should serve as eye openers for our present leaders. In some cases it took many years before the arm of justice reached them, while in others it reach them in the shortest possible time.
Governments are accountable to such international bodies of which they are signatories. That is why the government of the Gambia has to pay for a high powered delegation to the UN to present to the UPR our own human right situations. This review serves as a stock taking session for member countries.
Just like individuals, organizations and other institutions are answerable to their governments; it is exactly the same way governments also are to such bodies and institutions internationally.
Source: Dailynews
|
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
|
Topic Locked
