Study Says Human Rights Violations in Places of Conflict, Crisis Situations Need Attention

ENA,February 7/2012 African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights launched today a research finding on human rights violation in places of conflict and crisis situations.

Conflict and crisis situations are perhaps the most formidable challenges to the protection and observance of human and people's rights that need attention, according to the report.

Under these situations observing human rights is not often seen as important strategic consideration by the conflict actors.

The ordinary institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights can also exert weak influence on the behavior of conflict actors, the research stated.

As experiences from across various conflict and crisis situations in Africa and beyond show, the most egregious violations and abuses of rights are perpetrated.

In this regard, vulnerable groups often suffer the most shocking human rights abuses in conflicts, including women and children.   

Due to this, millions of people are forced to flee to escape suffering, human rights violations and starvation.

The report stated that for all the ongoing reasons, it is in conflict and crisis situations that there is a greater demand and need for the effective operationalization of applicable human and peoples’ right regimes.

The need for strengthening the role of AU’s human rights system in addressing violations arising in such conflict and crisis situations has become very pressing, it noted.

According to the report, putting in place effective response mechanisms for addressing the grave challenges that conflict and crisis situations present to human and peoples’ rights is one of the weightiest responsibility of the African human rights system.

Against the background of five challenges, the conflict and crisis situations pose to human and peoples’ rights identified in the study, a five pillar approach has been advanced as the framework for African commission’s engagement as far as human rights in conflict situations is concerned.

Monitoring and response, prevention, mainstreaming of human rights into conflict preventions, management, resolution and post-conflict reconstruction and development as well as remedial action and institutional coordination and synergy are among the pillars.

The most pertinent of the recommendations identified in the study is the establishment by the African commission of a new special mechanism devoted to monitoring, reporting and responding to human rights violation.

It also recommended that various stakeholders share information, support the implementation of recommendations of the commission in order for its work to have a meaningful impact.