2 UN special rapporteurs to visit Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — Two United Nations special rapporteurs will visit the Philippines to look into the country's human rights situation, the Commission on Human Rights said Wednesday as it called on the government to invite more experts to conduct independent assessments.
UN special rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography, and other child sexual abuse material Mama Fatima Singhateh will visit the Philippines from November 28 to December 8. Singhteh served as the Gambia’s justice minister.
During her visit, she will assess the situation and the progress made in combating and preventing the sale and sexual explotation of children in the light of international human rights norms and standards.
Special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion Irene Khan is set to visit the Philippines in 2023.
Irene Khan, former secretary general of Amnesty International, earlier condemned the decision of the Court of Appeals to uphold the cyber libel conviction of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr.
Special rapporteurs need an invitation from the government for them to make official visits.
Invitation to experts
CHR called on the national government to recognize the competence of special rapporteurs by issuing a standing invitation to them to visit the country and conduct independent assessments of the human rights situation on the ground.
“As independent experts, they are expected and have been proven to act with probity and constant regard to human rights principles and standards. Their standing at the international level gives them the capacity to look at country situations with a fresh and unprejudiced eye,” CHR said in a statement.
The commission said the findings and recommendations of UN special rapporteurs offer “competent, objective, constructive, and specific” advice to government actors on how to implement voluntarily undertaken human rights obligations and emerging norms for the universal respect of human rights.
In February, former Justice chief Menardo Guevarra announced the invitation to visit the country. He said country visits will be planned and implemented within the scope of the Philippines-United Nations Joint Program on technical cooperation for the protection and promotion of human rights.
The administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte canceled the trip of then special rapporteur on extrajudiciial killings Agnes Callamard who was supposed to look into the government’s bloody ‘war on drugs.’
- Latest
- Trending
