Navi Pillay giver ikke meget for præsident Hamid Karzais udnævnelser af nye medlemmer til landets uafhængige menneskeretskommission – tværtimod er de nye medlemmer hverken uafhængige eller værdige til at sidde i den, mener hun.
GENEVA, 28 June 2013: The United Nations human rights chief Friday warned that recent appointments to Afghanistan’s top human rights body compromise its independence and effectiveness and undermine its high standing with the public and international partners.
On 16 June, after more than 18 months’ delay, Afghan President Hamid Karzai appointed five new commissioners to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and retained four other serving commissioners, including its chairperson, Sima Samar.
The Office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) noted that, under the AIHRC’s founding law, commissioners are required to have a good reputation, demonstrate independence, enjoy popular trust and have a commitment to human rights. They should also not belong to any political party during their term of office.
“Serious concerns have been raised whether the new commissioners meet these impor-tant eligibility standards,” said High Commissioner Navi Pillay, adding:
“I am alarmed by statements of civil society leaders about the recent appointments. All Afghan people and civil society must have full confidence in the AIHRC if it is to function effectively.”
She stressed that national human rights institutions are of crucial importance in monitoring and protecting human rights. Since 2002, the AIHRC has played an “absolutely critical, frontline role” in defending human rights in Afghanistan, she stated.
“With the accelerating transition in Afghanistan, this vital national institution will assume an even greater importance. Now is not the time to weaken or undermine it, but to strengthen it and ensure its members are of the highest integrity and are committed to human rights,” she said.
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