By: Mohamed M. Sesay
After meritoriously being accredited a Grade “A” Status in terms of promoting Human Rights across the country, the Chairperson for the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) Patricia Narsu Ndanema, has yesterday the 13th of October 2022, told galaxy of journalists that she felt very elated and proud about the gains the commission has made over the years.
Addressing journalists at the press conference, Madam Patricia Ndanema expressed that she felt excited as chairperson of a National Human Rights Institution that has been accredited Status ‘A’ thrice by the Sub Committee on Accreditation being a component of the United Nations.
“I am also specifically happy on behalf of my colleague Commissioners because this also happened during our tenure. I know I am not the only happy person in this room. My colleague Commissioners and staff are also very proud and happy for this result because their devotion and dedication to the protection and promotion of human rights has yielded positive benefits adding to the laurels of the Commission”, she said.
The Chairperson also intimated journalists that on Tuesday 4th October, 2022, the Commission was interviewed by the United Nations accreditation body called Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) through its Sub-Committee on Accreditation to clarify issues raised in its statement of compliance submitted to the Sub Committee in June 2022.
“The Commission is pleased to inform the press, and by extension the public, of an official notification of its re-accreditation as a Grade-A National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) on 10th October 2022 For the Sub Committee on Accreditation to designate the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone with a Grade “A’ status means that the Commission has over the past five years demonstrated a high degree of autonomy and has been fully compliant with the provisions highlighted in the UN Paris Principles of 1993 that establishes and governs the operations of International ‘human rights institutions of UN Member States”, she explained.
Madam Ndanema continued that the National Human Rights Institutions are assessed and accredited with statuses ranging from A to C every five years. She therefore, reminded that the Commission has been assessed thrice. She said the first and second assessment happened in 2011 and 2016, and the third in 2022. For all three assessments, She said the Commission has been accredited with a Grade ‘A’ Status.
She furthered that the process of Re-accreditation starts with the Commission submitting a detailed statement showing how its operations comply with the UN Paris Principles of 1993 that governs the operations of National Human Rights Institutions.
With the Grade A- Status, the Chairperson also intimated that the Human Right Commission of Sierra Leone can now be a member of the Coordinating Committee and also eligible to be a member of the Sub Committee on Accreditation. She said the Commission can also hold offices in the bureau of the Sub Committee on Accreditation. She maintained that the Commission is now in a position to fully participate in International and regional meetings and enjoy voting rights and be voted for to hold governance positions in human rights networks such as the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), ECONET being the Network for Human Rights Institution-West African, the Commonwealth Forum for National Human Rights Institutions and the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI).
