Africa-Press – Angola. The national director of Human Rights, Yanick Bernardo, said Monday in Luanda that Angola has received indicators of substantial improvements in the matter from international organisations.
Speaking to the press, on the sidelines of the seminar on human rights, Yanick Bernardo referred that recognition is based on reports presented, both at the level of the African Human Rights System and the United Nations, as well as invitations to international rapporteurs from various UN mechanisms, which is one of the many variables for assessing the national situation.
“Other variables have to do with the issue of education, health, assistance and basic sanitation. We have known some improvements ”, he said, considering the balance acceptable.
According to the director, in the analysis at national and international level in terms of human rights, one aspect to take into account is that the financial capacity of the countries must be able to materialize a set of economic, social and cultural rights.
However, it also recognized the existence of constraints and challenges, as well as some indicators of retreat.
Asked about the understanding of international organizations on the exercise of the right to assemble and demonstrate and on the activity of some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the country, he said that sometimes, at an international level, only the negative is reflected.
“For example, last year, 333 demonstrations were held in the country, of which 13 were considered violent. So, many times, what has repercussions at the international level are these violent manifestations and it is thought that the exercise of this right is fundamentally compromised in the country”, he observed.
In this sense, he informed that the government has been working with a view to providing official data and reversing the situation.
As for the NGOs, he explained that for some time now, more responsibility has been demanded in the exercise of their activities, especially in matters of a financial nature, to prevent possible connection to illicit practices such as money laundering.
According to the director, this fact gave the impression that Angola was taking a path in the opposite direction, of curbing the operation of NGOs, which does not correspond to the truth.
He explained that the measure results from the fact that Angola is part of several international conventions and treaties that impose greater rigor in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
Running until the 21st of this month, the workshop on “The UN System and the realization of economic, social and cultural rights” is aimed at members of the Inter-sectoral Commission for the Preparation of National Reports on Human Rights (CIERNDH).
The event addresses topics such as the “Overview of national reporting mechanisms, monitoring the implementation of recommendations” and “General introduction to the UN human rights system”, with emphasis on the system of treaty bodies and Angola’s obligations.
The meeting is jointly organized by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Its realization is part of the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948.
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