UN Human Rights Council 42 - Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Somalia
The UK's Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Julian Braithwaite thanked the UN Independent Expert for his six years of dedicated service in his address to the Human Rights Council.
The United Kingdom thanks the Independent Expert for his work and strongly supports the extension of his mandate. We welcome the recommendations in his report and emphasise the importance of the Somali government maintaining progress in delivering the commitments they made at the Global Disability Summit, and the recent commitment to develop a National Action Plan to end Sexual Violence in Conflict.
We welcome the progress described in the report. We recognise the positive role of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development in championing human rights and commend the publishing of a scorecard outlining results achieved.
We remain deeply concerned about persistent insecurity and its cost in civilian lives; the marginalisation of displaced people, members of minorities and women; the use of children in armed conflict; continuing sexual and gender-based violence; and restrictions on journalists and of freedom of expression. A lack of accountability for perpetrators of violations and abuses persists. We urge the Somali authorities to strengthen the rule of law and bring an end to impunity, including by giving urgent attention to finalising the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission.
Mr President,
We would like to ask the Independent Expert for his assessment of the electoral law, and his view on how the international community can support the Federal Government establish a mechanism within that law to guarantee the representation of women, minority clans, people with disabilities, displaced people and youth.