CHRAJ boss re-elected President of Network of National Human Rights Institutions

Mr Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has been re-elected as President of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in West Africa for the next three years.

He was first elected to lead the network in 2019, which tenure ended this year, and has been re-elected at the fourth Regional Consultation of NHRIs held in Abidjan, La Cote d'Ivoire in June.

Mr Whittal said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema that measures would be outlined to explore avenues to generate funds for the network's projects, stressing that funding has been a major obstacle for human rights institutions in the sub-region.

He indicated that part of the measures to generate funds would be to project the brand image of the NHRIs to the public to whip up the interest of individuals and groups interested in human rights activities, which will lead to increased support and opportunities for member institutions.

Mr Whittal, however, expressed concern about the unwillingness of most governments within the sub-region to allocate sufficient funds to support the various Human Rights Institutions.

He, therefore, promised to develop a strategic plan focusing on the network's potential to its strategic partners including governments within the sub-region to solicit for increased logistical and financial support, as well as broader collaboration to boost the network's growth.

The NHRIs President also noted that in recent times, some West African countries have had to deal with rising human rights concerns, particularly, threats associated with violent extremism and terrorism as well as political instability.

He said these threats are matters of grave concern for all relevant stakeholders in the sub-region.

“It is no secret that political transitions have become problematic in some West-African economies, fuelling human rights violations against citizens and other human rights defenders such as the judiciary, Non-governmental Organizations, and Civil Society Organizations,” he said.

Mr Whittal, therefore, called on Governments in the sub-region to work collectively with the National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa to strategically put an end to these human rights violations.

Outlining his vision for the next three years, Mr Whittal said he is committed to working towards amending the network's constitution to reflect modern needs.

The Network was established in 2006 pursuant to the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance, to bring together National Human Rights Institutions in all 16 West African countries.

The Network is to ensure that all NHRIs unite with a common voice targeted at fulfilling their various mandates of promoting the respect for and protection of human rights.

GNA