Official mission to Gabon - December 2008
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| Official mission to Gabon - December 2008 |
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Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 60, Gabon in the spotlight.
From the 5th to the 12th of December 2008, the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa organized weeklong activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In collaboration with the local network of journalists for the promotion of Human Rights, the Centre sensitized pupils and students of three primary, secondary and professional training schools namely: Ecole pilote urbaine du centre, Ecole Superieure des Arts et Métiers (ESAM), and the Institut Superieur des Technologies (IST). The sensitization focused on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the fundamental document, the foundation of human rights
Pre-celebration Manifestations
It also aimed at raising the awareness of the students on human rights basics and introducing them to the work of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa. 70 primary school pupils and 300 secondary and professional school students were informed on the origin of the Universal Declaration and the contribution it has made in shaping human life since its adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948.Prior to the sensitization tour of schools, a round table discussion on the theme of the celebration “Dignity and Justice for all of us” was organised on Monday December 8th and was broadcast on Africa no. 1 with a view to reaching a wider public and creating more awareness on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Human Rights Day
On Wednesday December 10th (International Human Rights Day), the Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Directress of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa granted a tripartite press conference with the Gabonese Vice Prime Minister incharge of Human Rights Paul Mba Abesole and the Representative of the Secretary General of the Economic Community of Central African States Pierre ATOMO NDONG. The Conference that brought together some 35 journalists and 30 members of the diplomatic corps and civil society was an opportunity to construct a joint framework for advancing the course of Human Rights in Gabon in Particular and the sub region in General. The question of human Rights was presented by all Speakers as central to all political, economic, social and cultural development. Some members of the civil society denounced relaxed public action on human rights issues and called for profound self examination when it comes to human rights within the sub region. On the state of Human Rights in the sub region, the Regional Representative laid emphasis on the recommendations of May 2008 universal periodic review of Gabon and wished that these recommendations are taken into consideration by the Gabonese authorities. This, according to her, is one of the ways the human rights situation can be improved in the country.To wrap up this week of manifestations, the Regional Representative faced journalists in an Africa no.1 one hour talk show program “Une heure pour convaincre” which was broadcast on Saturday December 13th 2008. The program gave the Regional Representative the opportunity to expound on the key issues that hamper Human Rights promotion in the sub region such as the absence of peace and stability in some countries and the difficulty of others to live up to the engagements they have taken vis a vis international Human Rights Instruments. She reiterated the role of the Centre to accompany states in the realization of their Human Rights agenda and showed optimism for the future of Human Rights in the sub region if promises made by states are kept.AUDIENCES AND MEETINGS WITH GABONESE AUTHORITIES
Thursday December 11th at 11.00am, the Regional Representative Marie Evelyne Petrus BARRY met with the Minister of social affairs Her Excellency Angelique NGOMA. During the brief audience, both women discussed the eventual organization of a training of trainers workshop for gender focal points from all ministries and from within the civil society. This meeting, it should be noted was a follow-up to the October audience during which Minister Angelique NGOMA, then Minister of Health and Public hygiene incharge of the promotion of women and the family expressed the wish to see the capacities of these focal points reinforced. The Regional Representative’s return to Gabon with a positive reply barely two months after the discussion was proof of the commitment made by both officials to render their discussions realistic.Two principal outcomes of the brief audience were;1. 20 participants amongst them 5 members of the civil society (including 2 journalists) will be trained in February in a training of trainers’ workshop to be organized by the centre,2. The Ministry will contribute to make the training a success by coordinating the preparations on the ground and organizing Press coverage,The list of gender focal points in the various ministries will be sent to the centre as soon as an elaborate timetable for the realization of tasks related to the training is agreed upon.At the end of the day, Mme Barry met the Minister delegate in the ministry of Health and Public Hygiene representing the Minister Denise MEKAM’NE. Both officials discussed the actions that could be taken in the area of fight against HIV/AIDS discrimination and stigmatisation. Discussions focused on the rights of infected persons to antiretroviral drugs and to adequate medical care. The minister delegate outlined a number of government actions taken to ease access of the infected to treatment, one of them being the creation in all provinces of treatment centres and total state financing of the antiretroviral drugs distribution.The Minister delegate also expressed the wish to see effective collaboration between his department and the centre especially in the area of capacity building for staff of the various treatment centres so that they can be able to integrate human rights in their work (especially the rights of infected persons to free and equal treatment as decreed by the government).A meeting with the General Administrator of the Libreville Central Prison took place late Thursday afternoon during which the Centre and the Prison authorities discussed on the aborted visit to the prison and steps to reorganize it in course of the next mission. While the prison administration headed by General NDOUTOUME–EKOUA Samuel expressed regrets for receiving the correspondence from the ministry late, the centre expressed satisfaction that the penitentiary department showed interest in the visit and opted to organize it during the next official mission of the centre. The authorities requested that all documentation concerning the visit as well as other human rights issues pertinent to the prisons be forwarded to them as soon as the next mission proposed for early 2009 is confirmed.An evening meeting to discuss the functioning and support to the network of Journalists on Human Rights was organised on Thursday evening and gave the Regional Representative the opportunity to stress on respect of the ethics and deontology of the profession, in the meantime explaining the advantages offered by article 19 of the UDHR with regards to Press Freedom.The mission ended on Friday 12 December at 10 am with the departure of the delegation for Yaoundé.