Govt tries to play down UN advice

GOVERNMENT claims that media reports that the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) has encouraged Namibia to consider establishing an independent body to monitor rights abuses are “false and distorted”.

The UNHRC recently called on Namibia to establish an independent body that would be able to visit all places of detention and conduct investigations into violations of rights and abuses in prisons and places of detention, and to investigate acts of Police brutality in general. It also urged Government to take appropriate steps to prevent threats to, and the harassment of, media personnel and journalists.In response, Information Permanent Secretary Mocks Shivute issued a statement saying that the UN body could only advise and encourage governments.He said Namibia’s Co-ordinator of Human Rights, Uutoni Nujoma, had told him that the issues were indeed raised during the discussion of the report on how Namibia implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.However, Nujoma had informed him that concerns about media abuses had allegedly been deliberately blown out of proportion by certain individuals, interest groups and media houses to suit their own agendas.”He [Nujoma] stressed that the UN body would only advise and encourage countries on the implementation of UN rights instruments,” Shivute said.The following are some of the direct quotes from the UNHRC report:issued on July 30: “The Committee also called on the Namibian Government to consider establishing an independent body which would be able to visit all places of detention and conduct investigations into violations of rights and abuses in prisons and places of detention, and to investigate acts of police brutality in general.””Among other things, the State party should take appropriate steps to prevent threats to and harassment of media personnel and journalists, and ensure that such cases were investigated promptly and with the requisite thoroughness and that suitable action was taken against those responsible.”It also urged Government to take appropriate steps to prevent threats to, and the harassment of, media personnel and journalists.In response, Information Permanent Secretary Mocks Shivute issued a statement saying that the UN body could only advise and encourage governments.He said Namibia’s Co-ordinator of Human Rights, Uutoni Nujoma, had told him that the issues were indeed raised during the discussion of the report on how Namibia implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.However, Nujoma had informed him that concerns about media abuses had allegedly been deliberately blown out of proportion by certain individuals, interest groups and media houses to suit their own agendas.”He [Nujoma] stressed that the UN body would only advise and encourage countries on the implementation of UN rights instruments,” Shivute said.The following are some of the direct quotes from the UNHRC report:issued on July 30: “The Committee also called on the Namibian Government to consider establishing an independent body which would be able to visit all places of detention and conduct investigations into violations of rights and abuses in prisons and places of detention, and to investigate acts of police brutality in general.””Among other things, the State party should take appropriate steps to prevent threats to and harassment of media personnel and journalists, and ensure that such cases were investigated promptly and with the requisite thoroughness and that suitable action was taken against those responsible.”