Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUnifeed
SOMALIA / SIMONOVIC VISIT
STORY: SOMALIA / ŠIMONOVIĆ VISIT
TRT: 2:12
SOURCE: UNSOM
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
DATELINE: 17 NOVEMBER 2015 MOGADISHU, SOMALIA
1. Wide shot, Ivan Simonovic and the Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), Cassandra Nelson, take their seats
2. Wide shot, Journalists in attendance
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ivan Šimonović, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights:
“Ahead of elections and constitutional review in 2016, it is important to strengthen democratic space with a free and strong civil society, gender equality and fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and association.”
4. Close-up, Cassandra Nelson (UNSOM)
5. Med shot, Ivan Simonovic and Cassandra Nelson (UNSOM)
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ivan Šimonović, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights:
“Violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, do not only damage a reputation of troops that are involved. They also alienate population they are expected to protect and therefore negatively impact the efficiency of the fight against terrorism.”
7. Med shot, Journalists in attendance
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ivan Šimonović, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights:
“It is also important to ensure that at least 30 percent of women are represented in the parliament. This is a critical step to ensure a more representative parliament but also a contribution to peace and reconciliation that female participation in parliament can provide for.”
9. Close-up, videographer
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ivan Šimonović, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights:
“I call Federal Government as well as all security forces operating in Somalia to step up their efforts to prevent these violations among those forces including AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) as well as other foreign forces that are operating in Somalia.”
11. Wide shot, Journalists standing to leave at the end of the briefing
The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović, completed his five-day visit to Somalia with a call to international partners to increase their support to the Federal Government in its efforts to advance human rights in the country.
At a press briefing on Tuesday (17 Nov) in Mogadishu, Somalia, Šimonović pointed out that without increased support from the country’s international partners, the gains made in promoting and protecting human rights would be at risk.
“Ahead of elections and constitutional review in 2016, it is important to strengthen democratic space with a free and strong civil society, gender equality and fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and association,” Šimonović said.
The Assistant Secretary-General commended the Federal Government of Somalia for the meaningful progress made in improving security, implementation of the Human Rights Road Map, reforming the justice and security sectors, state building and the on-going consultative forums on the electoral process.
But condemned in the strongest terms the numerous abuses committed by Al- Shabaab in Somalia and neighbouring countries.
However, he also noted that Somalia still faces a series of human rights challenges, citing allegations of Human Rights violations committed by national and international security forces during military operations.
“Violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, do not only damage a reputation of troops that are involved. They also alienate population they are expected to protect and therefore negatively impact the efficiency of the fight against terrorism,” he stressed.
Šimonović emphasized that UN entities are bound by the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP), which provides that support to national and international security forces must be based on compliance with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.
The UN diplomat called for the establishment of democratic and representative institutional frameworks that are inclusive of all communities, clans and both women and men as well as the youth.
He added, “It is also important to ensure that at least 30 percent of women are represented in the parliament. This is a critical step to ensure a more representative parliament but also a contribution to peace and reconciliation that female participation in parliament can provide for.”
Download
There is no media available to download.
