Nigeria to champion Africa at UN
NEW YORK: Nigeria has launched a bid for re-election into the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva for the 2018 to 2020 term at an election scheduled for today at the UN Headquarters, New York.
Audu Kadiri, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN Office and Other International Organisations in Geneva, stated this in New York at a reception/party to launch Nigeria’s re-election bid.
If re-elected, Nigeria, currently serving its 2015 to 2017 term, would be among four countries representing west Africa and 13 countries representing Africa in the 47-seat council.
Presenting Nigeria’s manifesto to a group of envoys, Kadiri said Nigeria’s re-election bid for membership of the UNHRC was informed by many considerations.
The Nigerian envoy said: “We are motivated by the conviction that, in representing Africa while serving the global community in the council, Nigeria would advance the work of the council.
“The country will therefore retain the opportunity to continue to share best practices with other members of the UNHRC in the important task of the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Nigeria, Africa and the world.”
Kadiri said: “Barely two weeks ago, we colourfully celebrated Nigeria’s National Day, here in New York. It is important to observe in this regard that, since its attainment of independence in 1960, the promotion and protection of human rights have provided the fulcrum for Nigeria’s foreign policy”.
On the home front, Kadiri said Nigeria had put in place institutions and policy measures to enhance human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country, as provided for in its constitution. He pledged Nigeria’s commitment to the international human rights agenda, noting that the country had served the global community on UNHRC for three terms since 2006.
The Nigerian envoy said “throughout these terms, Nigeria endeavoured to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the council by approaching and dealing with human rights issues objectively”.
He said it was worthy of recall also of Nigeria’s fulfilment of its pledges and commitments upon admission to the Human Rights Council in 2006.
“Nigeria is on record to have issued a standing invitation to all, I repeat, all Special Procedures Mandate Holders to visit the country. We have therefore continued to subject our country to the scrutiny of these independent human rights experts and representatives of treaty bodies, many of whom have commended Nigeria’s co-operation.”
In doing so, Nigeria has demonstrated its readiness to be held to a higher standard of human rights observation as a serving member of the council.