Socio-eco

Extracted from NEWSLETTER OHCHR MADAGASCAR 7th Edition – December 2016 ECHOES OF THE UN SECRETARY – GENERAL VISIT TO MADAGASCAR


On 10-11 May, the UNSG paid a 2-day visit to Madagascar. He met with the President of thr Republic, the presidents of the senate and national assembly, the diplomatic corps, the private sector, the UNCT. UN staff, and representatives of civil society organizations principally human rights NGOs. He also visited some key UN projects in the capital.

He made a landmark human rights oriented speech to the joint session of the senate and national assembly, in the presence of the Prime Minister and some members of the government. Taking the opportunity of the launching of the UN report on the cost of food insecurity in Madagascar, he called upon the Parliament and the Government to take concrete steps to combat food insecurity, to uphold human rights principles of distinction, proportionality, legality, humanity and the presumption of innocence in conducting security operations against the dahalo(zebus raiders) in the south as well as the promotion of women’s rights, to speed the establishment and activation of key constitutional institutions including the High Court of Justice, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy and the rule of law, and to accelerate the operationalization of the Independent National Human Rights Commission.

During a joint press conference held with the President of the Republic, the UNSG warned against any anti-constitutional change of Government, and urged the political stakeholders to promote dialogue and national reconciliation, as well as to ensure inclusion and transparency as regarding the organization of the elections in 2018.

During the meeting with civil society representatives, the UNSG commended the role of the civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights; reiterated the commitment of the UN to working with them as key actors in the promotion and protection of human rights, urged CSOs to promote networking, to be united, to pool their resources and speak with one voice; and exhorted them to strategically use the UN financial, legal and technical framework to increase their performance, visibility and credibility.

Collected by Ramambazafy Jeannot


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