UN urges Malawi to improve on rights

United Nations (UN) delegation on Friday concluded the two day visit in Malawi, where among other things the officials wanted to check on the progress regarding the fulfillment of the recommendations made during the 111th Geniva session, with a vociferous call to Malawi Government  against in action.

A member of Un Special Committee on Civil and political rights Zonke Majodina told reporters  that she was very happy that Malawi has been very cooperative during their time of the visit.

Majodina commended Malawi Government for submitting its human rights report after 21 years of silence. The Malawi rights report was presented in Geneva by  Secretary for Justice and Solicitor General Janet Chikaya-Banda.

At the news conference: Mtabmno, Majodina, Mutnezburg and Trapence
At the news conference: Mtabmno, Majodina, Mutnezburg and Trapence

The UN recommended that the  Malawi government must do much more to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of torture and compensate victims.

They noted that child abuse is rampant and Malawi’s laws must be amended to properly tackle this problem.

The committee was also critical of the practice of forced and child marriages, harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation, domestic violence and the criminalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex relations.

According to Majodina the recommendations are very beneficial to the people of Malawi therefore Malawi should not turn its back or sit on them.

While in the country the officials met officials from Ministry of Justice, Home Affairs, Gender , Judiciary and members of the civil society.

The UN  is expecting to know what really happened for the Malawi Police officers to kill more than 20 people during the country wide  anti Bingu wa Mutharika led government demonstrations which happened in 2011.

The delegation which comprises of Majodina and Director of a Geniva based Non Governmental Organisation Centre for Civil and Political Rights, Patrick Mutzenberg also followed up on how government is complying on issues to do with do with addressing of  gender based violence.

Some of the recommendations made during the Geniva meeting was that Malawi Government should improve conditions of prisons which are currently over crowded with poor food.

The committee also recommended that government should conclude a number of cases and inquiries such as Chasowa murder.
Centre for  Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Executive Director Timothy Mtambo and Centre for the Development of People (Cedep) Executive Director Gift Trapence  observed that government has a duty to promote, protect and fulfil rights of the its citizens.

The UN rights council has asked Malawi to report on the implementation of its recommendations in 2018, when it is due to provide the committee its next periodic report.

Malawi is among seven countries, including Sudan, Chile, Georgia, Ireland and Japan, that recently came under investigation of the U.N. Human Rights Committee.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
20 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Read previous post:
Former employee drags MBC to court

Former television producer for Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Joseph Chimbuto has dragged the institution to Industrial Relations Court (IRC) for...

Close