Back in September 2013, the UK and the Federal Government of Somalia co-authored a Human Rights Day Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council. It seems appropriate, on Human Rights day, to look back on what has happened since then.
The human rights situation in Somalia remains of grave concern. But we have seen substantial efforts over the past 15 months to realise some of the ambitions of that resolution.
Key in Somalia has been the establishment of the Ministry for Women and Human Rights. In early November, Minister Khadijo Mohamed Dirie led a five-day workshop on the Somalia human rights roadmap. This public event was attended by a range of Government representatives, which will help embed human rights efforts across the work of the FGS. We also see this replicated at regional levels, with active public human rights organisations in, for example, Puntland and the Interim Juba Administration.
This roadmap workshop also enjoyed wide participation from civil society. A healthy civil society is an absolute necessity for a secure and prosperous Somalia. The Foreign Office in London is hosting an event today on these very issues. Get involved using the hashtags #ProtectCivilSociety and #Rights365 to post photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Our question is “why is civil society important to human rights?”
Human Rights in Justice and Security were key parts of the September 2013 resolution. The UK is making a substantial contribution to this in Somalia. At the London Security Event this September, the Federal Government outlined plans to institute human rights standards throughout the Somali National Army. Earlier in the year the then Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, welcomed Minister Dirie to London to discuss the issues of children in armed conflict. He was pleased to hear of the Somali Action Plan on recruitment and use of children, and the establishment of clear procedures for handling former child combatants.
The UK is supporting access to justice in Somalia through support to mobile courts and legal assistance programmes, especially targeting victims of sexual and gender based violence. We have been working closely with Somalia on these issues, building on the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in London in June, and the Girl Summit in London in July. Read about this work in my blog to mark the start of 16 days of activism against gender violence. Today marks the end of these 16 days, but our work does not end here. Find out more on the UK and Somalia website, twitter (@ukinsomalia) and our Facebook page.
There is still an awful lot more work to realise Human Rights in Somalia. For example, key legislation on establishing a national human rights commission, on children’s rights and on sexual offences is yet to be passed. But I hope that what we have done, and continue to do, lays solid foundations for a lasting improved human rights picture for the people of Somalia.