CSOs decry lack of political will to implement UN Human Right recommendations

A coalition of Nigerian Human Rights Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) on Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has raised concerns over the government’s altitude towards the implementation of Nigeria’s human rights commitments contained in the recommendations of the UPR 2019 for the promotion and protection of human rights.

The coalition, which is managed by Partnership for Justice in collaboration with the Australian Embassy, has over 30 CSOs working together to ensure full implementation of the recommendations before the next mid-term review.

Speaking during its zonal conference in Abuja, coordinator of the coalition of UPR in Nigeria, Ivy Basil Ofili, explained that the essence of the workshop was to device ways to strengthen CSOs and other relevant stakeholders to monitor and document the UPR recommendations that were accepted by Nigerian representatives at the United Nation (UN) General Assembly.

She explained that the UPR process is an all-encompassing process that contains all human right obligations, adding that the process encourages CSOs and government agencies to be part of it.

Disclosing that the midterm review of the recommendations will take place in two years, Ofili said Nigeria is supposed to hold the government accountable, ensure they keep to promises made with respect to protection and promotion of human rights.

She called on Nigerians to clamour for the setting up of the board of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) so that human right violations that get to the commission can easily be dealt with.