Human Rights Commission concludes workshop on reporting obligations

The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone on the 18th June 2010 ended a two day workshop on Reporting Obligations of Sierra Leone to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in the Conference Hall of the Council of Churches Sierra Leone. The two day workshop which started on Thursday 17th June 2010, attracted participants from the Civil Society Organizations, Human Rights Committees and activists.

Commissioner Edward Sam, Chairman of HRC-SL

By signing the Charter, says Chairperson of HRC, Mr. Edward Sam, Sierra Leone is bound by the provisions of the Charter, which includes the obligation to implement the provisions of the Charter and the obligation to submit periodic reports as stipulated in Article 62 and Rules 78, 83 and 85 of the Commission’s rules of procedure. Sadly however, he noted that Sierra Leone to date has not submitted any report to the African Commission.

In September 2009, the Access to Justice Law Centre (AJLC), a corollary of the Diocese of Makeni Justice, Peace and Human Rights Commission (JPHRC), conducted a study to evaluate the prevalence of gender based violence (GBV) in homes, schools, tertiary institutions and establishments of employment in Sierra Leone. In addition, the organization assessed the legal framework there, inquiring whether the laws of Sierra Leone accord equal access to justice for men and women, according to the country’s international treaty obligations. In doing so, the organization hoped to provide and advocacy tool for legal reform to better protect women victims of GBV.

From 30 May to 11 June 2010 around 4000 state delegates to the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court and civil society representatives from all over the world gathered at the scenic Speke Munyonyo resort on Lake Victoria in Kampala, Uganda, for the biggest gathering ever held in international justice.  At stake was a renegotiation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which had come into force in 2002 and was due to be reviewed in seven years.  Two heads of State (Uganda and Tanzania), as well as the former and current Secretary General (Kofi Annan and Ban-Ki-Moon) were also in attendance, as well as many senior officials from the ICC itself and from other courts and tribunals, including the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

State parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be meeting in Kampala, Uganda from 30 May-11 June 2010 for the first Review Conference of the Rome Statute. The essence of the conference is for state parties to take stock of the implementation of the Statute and its impact since the Court came into operations on 1 July 2002. The conference will look into areas of complementarity, cooperation, peace and justice, and victims and affected communities, and will also consider amendments to the Statute.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, ICC Prosecutor

When member states gathered in Rome in 1998 to draft the Statute of the ICC, there were many contentious issues which the participating countries