DAR
ES SALAAM / GENEVA (15 June 2016) – The first-ever regional forum for Action on
Albinism in Africa will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 17-19 June.
The event hosted by the United Nations Independent Expert on albinism,
Ikponwosa Ero* will develop specific measures to tackle the attacks and
discrimination faced by persons with albinism in several countries in the
region.
Persons with albinism in the region of Sub Saharan Africa are facing some of
the most extreme forms of human rights violations. They face physical attacks
fuelled by erroneous beliefs that their body parts can be used in potions and
in other witchcraft practices. A majority of victims are women and children.
They also face entrenched discrimination and stigma extending to their family
members particularly mothers of children with albinism.
Confronted by these challenges, many civil society organisations, persons with
albinism, and states wish to design new ways of dealing with the issues while
adopting those that have been tested and true.
“There are a lot of specific, practical, simple and effective measures that
some countries have successfully used to tackle the issues faced by persons
with albinism including having a dedicated office and budget on the issue,
creating a telephone hotline to report crimes and threats, regulating
‘witchcraft’ and traditional medicine practitioners among others,” Ms. Ero
said.
“But these ideas have to be shared as best practices and developed into a
continental roadmap to successfully tackle the issue,” the human rights expert
underscored.
This is why on the heels of international albinism awareness day which just
concluded on June 13, over 150 people will gather this week in Dar es Salaam to
lay down a roadmap of specific measures aimed at dealing with the human rights
issues faced by persons with albinism.
The participants are from 28 countries in the region. Half of them from civil
society, about 20 percent from government, 10 percent from national human rights
institutions and there will also be human rights specialists from within and
outside the AU and UN as well as academics.
“As the continent of Africa celebrates the decade of human rights, and the UN
launches the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda which pledges to leave no one
behind, we have a good context in which to plant this forum,” Ms. Ero said.
“It is not going to be easy to come up with specific measures for all the
issues arising out of the problems faced by persons with albinism, but the best
practices of some States and civil society to date will represent a key step
forward in promoting and protecting their human rights,” the expert concluded.
(*) Hosted by the UN Independent Expert on albinism, the Government of
Tanzania: Prime Minister’s Office, the UN Country Team in Tanzania, the
Tanzania Commission on Human Rights and Good Governance, the World Bank,
Standing Voice, Under The Same Sun, the Embassies of Norway, Ireland and the
USA in Tanzania, and the Canadian High Commission in Tanzania
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Post a Comment