-On Human Rights & Gender Mainstreaming; As Over Eighty Participants Including County Officials, INCHR Field Monitors And CSOS Benefit
MONROVIA-Over eighty participants including County officials, Civil Society Organizations, and Human Rights Monitors from the Independent National Commission on Human Rights are expected to benefit from intensive training on Mainstreaming Human Rights based approach and Gender Equality in County Development.
The training organized by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in collaboration with the INCHR and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, under the UN-EU Spotlight initiative, is being held in both Ganta and Sanniquellie, Nimba County respectively, and is expected to be concluded in Monrovia.
Speaking at the opening program as a proxy for OHCHR Country Representative, Dr. Uchenna Emelonye, was editor Williams, Human Rights Officer of OHCHR, who encourage the participants to leave their comfort zones and now see things differently in helping to empower people to realize their rights and to protect all Human Rights victims.
The OHCHR Human Rights officer stresses the need for the necessary space to be created to ensure the prevention of violence against women and girls void of discrimination and to address impunity including ending violence against women and girls.
“Go back home after this training and help incorporate what you have learned into your respective counties’ development initiatives”, she encouraged the participants.
Explaining that OHCHR leads Outcome 1 of the UN-EU Spotlight initiative on “Legislative and Policy Framework”, pledged the OHCHR’s commitment to ensure the National, Regional, and international human rights obligations and conventions agreed to are implemented in order to protect, respect, and fulfill Human Rights, especially considering the most vulnerable in the society.
Also speaking at the program in Ganta was Nimba County Superintendent Nelson Korquoi who lauded OHCHR for such a meaningful program.
Superintendent Korquoi recommitted his county’s full involvement to the project and also assured of implementing recommendations from the training sessions and encouraged participants to implement to the core what the participants learned over the period of the training.
“We warned against discrimination and all forms of Human Rights abuse and violations and called on Nimbaians and Liberians, in general, to work together to help make Liberia better”, he added.
“Liberia depends on all of us to develop it and make it better as such, we need to be united and positive in our works and activities in order to transform our country”, the Nimba Superintendent concluded.
Also, the Superintendent of Lofa County, William Tamba Kamba, in attendance at the 2nd training session in Sanniquillie, thanked the OHCHR for the exercise that he referred to as being very important for the unity, reconciliation and the protection, promotion, and fulfillment of the human rights of all persons.
The Lofa Superintendent reiterated that his full participation in the two days of training leaving all other basic responsibilities is a clear manifestation of his personal commitment and that of the Government of Liberia to uphold human rights obligations and ensure mainstreaming of human rights and gender equality in all initiatives going forward something he stressed is necessary for the sustainability of peace and reconciliation.
At the same time, in attendance at both the Ganta and Sanniquillie training was Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Rev. Olayee Collins. Minister Collins making remarks at both training sessions referred to Liberia’s human rights concerns as being compound
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.