Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, Permanent Secretary Foreign Affairs Ministry addressing the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday. NAN Photo
The Federal Government on Wednesday expressed “deep displeasure” over remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Al-Hussein, for describing Nigeria as being an “uncooperative” member and for blocking multiple UN expert visits to what he called “these (Nigeria and three other countries) human rights hot spots.”
Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr. Sola Enikanolaiye, registered Nigeria’s displeasure at the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
In a statement, Enikanolaiye said: “Nigeria has always cooperated with international experts and committed to discharging its human rights obligations.
“This amounts to gross misrepresentation capable of eroding the confidence and credibility of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the eyes of Nigerians,” he said
Enikanolaye, who led Nigerian delegation to the conference, said the attention of the UN would be drawn to the impeccable record of Nigeria in the sphere of human rights protection and scrutiny by the UN.
“The delegation will state at the allotted time that Nigeria has continued to cooperate fully and unconditionally with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the various human rights mechanisms.
“In January 2016, Nigeria received four Human Rights Mandate holders, namely the Special Rapporteur on Sales of Children, Child Prostitution and Pornography. “Nigeria also received Maud de Boer-Buquicchio; Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Ms Urmilla Boola, and the Special Rapporteur on Right to Mental and Physical Health, Mr. Dainus Puras. “Nigeria similarly received the Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons, Prof. Chaloka Beyani, from August 23 to August 26, 2016,” he said. He said Nigeria had a known disposition to cooperating with such bodies. He also informed that the delegation has expressed the country’s preparedness to receive the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, in November this year. He said the delegation was, however, vindicated by the acknowledgement of this misrepresentation by the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, as conveyed in the revised version of his report. “Nigeria is ever ready and committed to scaling up its human rights obligations by applying globally acknowledged best practices,” he said. NAN reports that Al-Hueesin called out members such as Venezuela, Egypt, Nigeria and the Philippines for “blocking multiple UN expert visits to these human rights hot spots.”(NAN)
“In January 2016, Nigeria received four Human Rights Mandate holders, namely the Special Rapporteur on Sales of Children, Child Prostitution and Pornography. “Nigeria also received Maud de Boer-Buquicchio; Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Ms Urmilla Boola, and the Special Rapporteur on Right to Mental and Physical Health, Mr. Dainus Puras. “Nigeria similarly received the Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons, Prof. Chaloka Beyani, from August 23 to August 26, 2016,” he said. He said Nigeria had a known disposition to cooperating with such bodies. He also informed that the delegation has expressed the country’s preparedness to receive the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, in November this year. He said the delegation was, however, vindicated by the acknowledgement of this misrepresentation by the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, as conveyed in the revised version of his report. “Nigeria is ever ready and committed to scaling up its human rights obligations by applying globally acknowledged best practices,” he said. NAN reports that Al-Hueesin called out members such as Venezuela, Egypt, Nigeria and the Philippines for “blocking multiple UN expert visits to these human rights hot spots.”(NAN)
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