Malawi re-elected into Human Rights Council
Malawi on Tuesday retained its position in the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, topping the voting for African nations with 182 votes.
Results of the election show that Côte d’Ivoire trailed Malawi with 181 votes followed by Ghana at 179, Burundi, 168, and Nigeria a paltry three.
But while describing the development as positive for Malawi, local rights groups have said the new term should give Malawi a chance to deal with other rights violations, especially against refugees and asylum seekers, persons with albinism and the elderly.
Other countries that join Malawi for the second term are China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba and France.
Malawi was first elected into the council in October 2020, and started its first three- year term on January 1 2021.
A statement from the UN issued on Tuesday said new entrants into the council are Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait and the Netherlands. They will serve for three years, beginning January 1 2024.
Reads the statement in part: “After the ballots were cast and counted, Assembly President Dennis Francis announced Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malawi, and the Netherlands were elected to serve for three years, beginning 1 January 2024.”
during the vote on Tuesday
In an interview yesterday, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said the re-election was a welcome development.
He said: “The re-election of Malawi to the Council is a welcome development, even though we have reservations over the country’s handling of some human rights issues, particularly the rights of refugees.”
On his part, Human Rights Defenders Coalition chairperson Gift Trapence said Malawi needs to be a role model to the world by promoting and protecting human rights of its own citizens, including vulnerable groups.
“Persons with Albinism continue to face many challenges. Malawi is also not doing well on the protection of LGBTTQ+ persons [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirit, and Queer or Questioning and other identities] in Malawi,” he said.
Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo said he was yet to be briefed formally on the development and asked to be contacted later.
However, during the first election in 2020, Mvalo described the development as a triumph as it gave Malawi a voice on human rights issues at both international and regional levels.
The Human Rights Council, is tasked with the responsibility to uphold and advance fundamental freedoms globally.
