GENEVA – A group of United Nations Special Rapporteurs today urged the Government of Kenya to reject legislation that would impose severe restrictions on civil society. “The Bill is an evidence of a growing trend in Africa and elsewhere, whereby governments are trying to exert more control over independent groups using so-called ‘NGO laws,’” the human rights experts warned. The Bill, which was presented to Parliament on 30 October, would amend Kenya’s Public Benefit Organization Act of 2012 and grant the Government sweeping and… Continue reading →
Blantyre, Malawi – Maina Kiai told a conference of civil society leaders in Malawi today that African civil society is “under attack” from all angles and facing a crisis of shrinking space, as underscored by recent developments in Kenya and South Sudan. “Governments across the region are moving rapidly to squeeze civil society out of its rightful place in the public sphere,” Kiai said after the speech. “They see civil society as a competitor, challenging their authority. And they are attacking from all angles – cutting off their ability… Continue reading →
A group of United Nations independent human rights experts, including Maina Kiai, today called on the UN to adopt a more central role in the fight against impunity, and urged Member States to give more support to and strengthen on-going efforts to secure accountability and justice for human rights violations, including serious crimes. “Ending impunity requires greater scrutiny, prosecution and punishment, and no other international institution is better placed than the United Nations to effectively contribute to this goal,” they stressed. “It… Continue reading →
United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai told the UN General Assembly yesterday that vibrant freedoms of assembly and association are absolute prerequisites to “genuine elections” that reflect the will of the people. The remarks came yesterday in New York, where Kiai presented his first report to the General Assembly in his capacity as the Special Rapporteur on the freedoms of assembly and of association. The report documents worldwide threats to the freedoms of assembly and of association in the context of elections – before, during and… Continue reading →
A piece by Maina Kiai has been featured today in the Guardian’s Poverty Matters blog. As he prepares to present his latest report — which is on the freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of elections — to the UN General Assembly in New York, Kiai argues that the international community should stop endorsing flawed elections that amount to “civilian coups.” He calls upon UN member states to improve their efforts to facilitate and protect assembly and association rights during all phases of elections. Click here for a link… Continue reading →
