MUSCAT / GENEVA – “Just as Oman has successfully modernized and is a strong state, it can and should embrace further openness,” United Nations human rights expert Maina Kiai said at the end of his first official visit to the country. The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association urged the Omani Government to embrace human rights with the same energy and focus they have devoted to economic development since opening up to the world 40 years ago. “This is the time for Oman to build on these achievements by adopting a human rights and people-centred approach that can lead to the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, including rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association,” Mr. Kiai said. The expert noted a “consistent focus” on maintaining peace, order and stability in the country, which is often used for limiting assembly and association rights. This, in turn, creates “a pervasive culture of silence and fear affecting anyone who wants to speak and work for reforms in Oman,” he stressed, noting that some activists “reported reprisals, before and during my visit, following their attempts to contact or meet with me.” “Stability is certainly important,” the Special Rapporteur said, “but it is crucial to... Continue reading →
(Click here for English) مسقط، 13 أيلول/سبتمبر 2014 أود أن أشكر حكومة سلطنة عمان على دعوتي لزيارة البلاد من أجل الاطلاع على وضع الحق في حرية التجمع السلمي وتكوين الجمعيات. أن سلطنة عمان هي أول دولة في الشرق الاوسط توجه الدعوة إلى ولايتي منذ إنشائها من قبل مجلس حقوق الإنسان في أكتوبر 2010. وتعتبر هذه الدعوة بمثابة شهادة للسلطنة تبين استعدادها لإجراء حوار صريح ومفتوح حول حالة حقوق الإنسان. كمقرر خاص، أنا خبير مستقل معين من قبل الأمم المتحدة بصفتي الشخصية وأعمل على أساس طوعي وفاءً لولايتي المكلف بها. وقد تطرقنا انا و فريقي الى طبيعة الشعب العماني من كرم الضيافة والترحيب التي احاطنا بها.. وأود أن أشكر حكومة سلطنة عمان على تعاونها قبل وخلال مهمتي. إنني في غاية الامتنان لجميع من حاورتهم. حيث كان لي محادثات بناءة مع ممثلي السلطة التنفيذية... Continue reading →
(العربية) MUSCAT - I would like to thank the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for inviting me to visit the country in order to observe the situation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Oman is the first country in the Middle East to extend an invitation to my mandate since its establishment by the Human Rights Council in October 2010. I view this as testimony of its willingness to have a frank, constructive and open dialogue on the situation of human rights. As a Special Rapporteur, I am an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in my personal capacity and I work on a voluntary basis in fulfilment of my mandate. My team and I have been deeply touched by the hospitality, generosity and welcoming nature of the Omani people. Let me also thank the Government for its cooperation before and during the conduct of this mission. I am most grateful to all my interlocutors. I have had constructive talks with members of the executive, legislative and judicial branches. I also met with representatives of the National Human Rights Commission and I had the opportunity to meet the Dhofar governorate representative during my two-day trip to Salalah. Unfortunately, I was not permitted to meet with the Mr Al-Mamari, a member of the Shura... Continue reading →
GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai will visit Oman from 8 to 13 September 2014. He is an independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and promote the realisation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association worldwide. “I trust this visit will promote a fruitful dialogue on the issues falling under my mandate,” Mr. Kiai said. The Special Rapporteur, who will visit Oman at the invitation of the Government, will engage in discussions with a variety of stakeholders with a view to examining the situation of the rights to freedom of assembly and of association in the country. Mr. Kiai intends to travel to Muscat and Salalah, and plans to meet with State officials and members of the judicial and legislative bodies, the national human rights commission and civil society organizations. Mr. Kiai will share his preliminary findings and recommendations at a press conference on Saturday 13 September from 12pm at the Ibis Muscat Hotel (Al Azaiba Dohat Aladab Road, Muscat 130). The Special Rapporteur will present his report on this visit to the Human Rights Council during its 29th session in June 2015. For more information and media requests, please contact Ms. Karen Blanc (+41 79 444 4332, kblanc@ohchr.org) For more on Oman,... Continue reading →
KIGALI / GENEVA – United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai commended the Rwandan Government on its economic development in the 20 years since the 1994 genocide, but urged that undue restrictions on the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association be lifted so that the country can expand its achievements to the fields of multiparty democracy and human rights. “I commend Rwanda for its remarkable progress in developing infrastructure, building institutions and ensuring stability and security over the past 20 years,” Mr Kiai said* at the end of his first official visit to the country. “These efforts have laid the foundation for a bright future for Rwanda.” “The next step is to build upon that foundation by developing a true multiparty democracy and allowing space for peaceful dissent,” stressed the independent expert charged by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and promote the realization of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association worldwide. Freedom of peaceful assembly The Rwandan Constitution guarantees freedom of peaceful assembly, but the Special Rapporteur said he found that in practice, peaceful protests criticising government policies were generally not allowed. He also noted a “contradiction in requiring both prior notification and authorisation,... Continue reading →
Kigali, 27 January 2014 I would like to thank the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for inviting me to carry out a visit to the country. I commend Rwanda for being the first country in Africa to extend an invitation to my mandate since its establishment by the Human Rights Council in October 2010. I thank the Government for its excellent cooperation before and during the conduct of this mission. I am most grateful to all interlocutors I have met. I had fruitful exchanges with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Internal Security, the Minister of Local Government, the Minister of Public Service and Labour, the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Minister of East African Community, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Inspector General of Rwanda National Police. Moreover, I had the opportunity to meet with the Governor of the South Province and the Mayor of Huye. I also met the Chief Justice, the President of the High Court, the Prosecutor General, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, and the Chair of the Committee on Unity, Human Rights and fight against Genocide of the Chamber of Deputies and its members. I had meetings with the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, the Director of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration,... Continue reading →
Maina Kiai undertook an official mission to Rwanda from Jan. 20-27, 2014. The visit was carried out pursuant to his mandate to assess the situation of freedoms of peaceful assembly and association in the country. In this report, the Special Rapporteur commends Rwanda for its "progress in the areas of good governance, including rule of law and institution-building, and in ensuring stability and security." But he also notes that the country’s approach to achieving reconciliation is undermined by the limited space to dissenting voices. “Several interlocutors emphasized that Rwanda favors a political order based on so-called ‘consensus,’ ” Kiai told the Human Rights Council when he presented the report on June 10, 2014. “But this consensus is led by the ruling party and, as a result, discourages public criticism and dissent.” Maina Kiai’s report on the visit was publicly released in May 2014 and presented to the Human Rights Council during its 26th session in June... Continue reading →
United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai will visit Rwanda from 20 to 27 January 2014 to assess in depth to what extent the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are enjoyed in the country. Mr. Kiai’s visit will be the first information-gathering mission to Rwanda by an independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and promote the realization of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association worldwide. “The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are essential components of democracy, and States are called upon by the Council to respect and fully protect the rights of all individuals to assemble peacefully and associate freely,” the independent expert said. “Government cooperation is absolutely essential to the effectiveness of my mandate and every other Human Rights Council’s mandate,” the Special Rapporteur noted. Mr. Kiai is scheduled to travel to Kigali and Huye. During his eight-day visit, he will meet with State officials, members of the judiciary and of Parliament, as well as representatives of the national human rights commission, the civil society, and the diplomatic community. The Special Rapporteur will share his preliminary findings and recommendations at a press conference on Monday 27 January from... Continue reading →
Maina Kiai has accepted an invitation from the government of Rwanda to make an official visit in January 2014. The trip is schedule to take place from January 20-27. Kiai, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, will spend approximately one week in the country evaluating the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The visit will include meetings with the government and other key stakeholders. “I thank the Rwandan government for inviting me to visit in my capacity as Special Rapporteur,” Kiai said. “Government cooperation is absolutely essential to the effectiveness of the mandate and every other Special Rapporteur mandate. I look forward to a fruitful visit.” The visit will be Kiai’s third as UN Special Rapporteur. He visited Georgia in 2012 and the United Kingdom in 2013. For more news on Kiai’s UN mandate, please our January 2014 edition of our periodic newsletter, the Assembly and Association... Continue reading →
United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai urged today the British Government to review a number of legal and policing measures affecting the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. “No matter how old a democracy, there is always space for continued improvements,” said the first independent expert charged by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and promote the realization of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association worldwide, at the end of his official mission* to the United Kingdom. England and Wales (peaceful assembly) “I am deeply concerned with the use of embedded undercover police officers in groups that are non-violent and which exercise their democratic rights to protest and take peaceful direct action,” the Special Rapporteur noted, recalling the case of Mark Kennedy and other undercover officers. “The duration of this infiltration, and the resultant trauma and suspicion it has caused, are unacceptable in a democracy.” Mr. Kiai called for a judge-led public enquiry into this and other related cases, “with a view to giving voice to victims, especially women, who were deliberately deceived by their own government, and paving the way for reparations.” “These cases are as damaging... Continue reading →
