ACTIVITIES OF THE DIRECTORATE/page 3

 The status of the implementation of various treaties to which Namibia is a party  in the context of the UN, Africa Union and the Southern Africa Development Community:

The Government of the Republic of Namibia has ratified and/or acceded to the following major United Nations human rights conventions/treaties.

Name of treaty/convention

Date Ratified or acceded to

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

28 February 1995

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

28 February 1995

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)

11 November 1982

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)

28 November 1982

Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC)

30 October 1990

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

4 December 2007

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

23 November 1992

 

 

 

 African Union Instruments

Name of treaty/convention

Ratified or acceded to

African Charter on Human and People’s Rights

23 July 2004

African Charter on the rights and welfare of the child

 

African Youth Charter

31 May 2009

Protocol relating to the establishment of the peace and security council of the African Union

19 November 2003

 

SADC Instruments

Name of treaty/convention

Ratified or acceded to

SADC Protocol on Extradition

03 October 2002

SADC Protocol on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters

2007

SADC Protocol on Development

2008

In terms of these instruments, State parties are required to submit regular State reports on the measures taken to implement the conventions/treaties. In this regard, the Government of the Republic of Namibia established the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, a technical committee comprising officials from line ministries and agencies who are charged with the responsibility to prepare and compile information for Namibia’s periodic reports on the implementation of the international human rights conventions/treaties to which Namibia is a State party.

 Number of human rights reports required in terms of different instruments submitted to treaty bodies

In 2015, three human rights reports were submitted to treaty bodies, namely: the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). The ACHR report was due to be reviewed by the Commission in April 2016 while the Torture report will be considered by the Committee against torture during November 2016.

 The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter-country Adoptions of 1993:

The Directorate assisted the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare with the accession of The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter-country Adoptions of 1993. Namibia is now a State party to this Convention.

 

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