A/HRC/RES/42/33
Recognizing the sustained and vital commitment of the African Union Mission in
Somalia and the loss and sacrifice of personnel killed in action, and recognizing also that
the commitments of the Mission and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development are
creating the conditions for Somalia to establish political institutions and to extend State
authority, which are key to laying the foundations for a staged transfer of security
responsibility to Somali security forces,
Recognizing also the role that women have played and will continue to play in
community mobilization and peacebuilding in Somali society, the need to take special
measures to end gender-based violence and all other forms of violence in situations of
armed conflict, to end impunity and prosecute those responsible for violence against
women and girls, and the importance of promoting their economic empowerment and
participation in political and public decision-making processes, including within Parliament
and at all levels of government, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000)
of 31 October 2000 on women, peace and security,
Recognizing further the increased proactiveness of the Federal Government of
Somalia in strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights at the federal and
federal Member State levels through its Ministry for Women and Human Rights
Development, including its advocacy and implementation of human rights commitments in
Somalia and its engagement with the international human rights system,
1.
Welcomes the commitment of the Federal Government of Somalia to improve
the situation of human rights in Somalia, and in that regard also welcomes:
(a)
The progressive improvement in the human rights context in Somalia, not
least through progress towards the ambitious goals set out in the New Partnership for
Somalia and the National Development Framework of Somalia to promote stability and
development with respect for human rights, as set out in 2017–2019 human rights scorecard
of the Federal Government of Somalia by, inter alia, strengthening the rule of law,
promoting inclusivity in political decision-making, particularly for women and girls, young
persons, minorities and persons with disabilities, delivering a constitutional settlement that
guarantees freedoms of expression and association, and addressing security threats in a
manner that respects human rights obligations and protects civilians;
(b)
The formulation of the Transition Plan, which defines transition as the
emergence of effective Somali security institutions and the progressive handover of
responsibility from the African Union Mission in Somalia towards increased Somali
ownership for its citizens’ security, and appreciating, in particular, that this approach is
underpinned by a focus on the rule of law, reconciliation, justice, respect for human rights,
and the protection of women and girls, and children;
(c)
The continued commitment of the Federal Government, the federal Member
States and the Banadir Regional Authority to improve representation, inclusion and the
participation of women in public and political affairs and, in particular, in leadership roles;
(d)
The Federal Government’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, in August 2019, and enactment of a law establishing a disability
authority led by a person with disabilities; and its commitment to entrench the rights of
persons with disabilities in social, educational, political and economic life through the firstever national disability bill for Somalia and other legislative mechanisms, improving the
collection of data on persons with disabilities, and by approving the creation of a national
disability agency;
(e)
The work undertaken by the Ministry for Women and Human Rights
Development as the lead body of the Federal Government to advance the human rights
agenda in Somalia, including through the implementation of the Somalia Joint Human
Rights Programme, the establishment of the interministerial Human Rights Task Force, the
capacity-building of interministerial focal points on human rights, the submission of the
midterm review report on the implementation of the recommendations made in the context
of its universal periodic review, and reporting under the Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment;
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