By M.A. Egge
The annual Human Rights Day observance was held in Hargeisa over the week, hosted by the Somaliland Human Rights Commission.
The commemoration also marked the end of the 16 Days of Activism on Violence against Women and Vulnerable People, with the theme of this year’s Human Rights Day being “Protecting Our Rights Today, Building a Better Tomorrow.”
The Executive Director of the Somaliland Human Rights Commission, Mr. Abdisamad Sa’ad Hassan, had his speech focus on the achievements of the Commission and the purpose of this occasion on the International Day for the Protection of Human Rights.
The Director said that in the past year, the Commission had conducted regular monitoring throughout Somaliland, which was based on the protection of human rights violations, especially concerning women and vulnerable people.
He also added that in the past year, they have provided free legal assistance to up to 200 people, who are vulnerable people and have received free legal representation.
He noted that a unit of the Somaliland Police Force has been specifically trained to cater for the cause of protecting the vulnerable against abuses including people with disabilities.
He also noted that they have held meetings with stakeholders on media rights issues to reduce the number of illegal arrests of journalists.
According to the Director, there has been a significant decrease in illegal arrests of journalists in the past year.
Participants in the event included representative officials from various government agencies, organizations working to protect human rights and violence against the vulnerable, intellectuals, women groups and other dignitaries.
Speakers at the function generally praised the efficient work done by the National Human Rights Commission.