Human rights are rights and fundamental freedoms that are innate in every individual on the basis of their existence as human beings irrespective of their age, sexuality, race, socio-economic status, or academic qualification. Examples of such rights include the right to life, freedom of speech, right to education, freedom from discrimination, freedom from torture and inhumane treatment, right to liberty and security of person, freedom of movement, freedom of thought, freedom from slavery, dignity of the human person, peaceful assembly and association, freedom of expression and press, among others.
To ensure that all individual enjoy these fundamental rights without discrimination, several policies, legal frameworks, and institutional mechanisms have been designed at the global, continental, regional, and national levels in accordance with the international human rights law. Some of them include the Charter of the United Nations (1945), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (1981), African Commission on Human and People’s Right (1987), the Vienna Declaration and programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights (1993), Child Rights Act (2003), the World Summit Outcome Document (2005), African Court on Human and People’s Rights (2006), Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015), Anti-Torture Act (2017), and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act (2018), etc.
In Nigeria, some of the human rights agencies created by the government to address human rights issues include the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of 1995, Legal Aid Council, Public Complaints Commission (Ombudsman) of 2004, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There is also the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria, which provides a roadmap for implementation. In spite of the presence of these empowering human rights mechanisms, guidelines, and strategies, implementation remains a challenge thus giving way for consistent human rights violations even on the part of law enforcement agencies that are meant to protect the people.
How are NGOs supporting human rights promotion and protection?
Across the world, non-governmental organisations play a crucial role in promoting and protecting human rights, especially in the areas of advocacy and awareness raising, research and documentation, monitoring and reporting incidences of human rights violation, amongst others. The inability of government agencies to protect the right of its citizens can be attributed as one of the major reasons for the emergence of several human rights non-governmental organisations, working as voice of the voiceless, speaking up for the poor and for those unable to speak for themselves. In Nigeria, international and national non-governmental organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Federation of International Female Lawyers, Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, CLEEN Foundation, Civil Liberties Organisation, Spaces for Change, Global Rights, Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), among several others have been actively engaged in several activities, programmes, and projects geared towards promoting and protecting human rights.
Advocacy: One of the major contributions of non-governmental organisations when it comes to human rights promotion and protection can be seen in the area of advocacy. Most of these NGOs organise advocacy campaigns both online and offline to raise awareness and share information on the existence of several human rights policy frameworks that citizens can use to hold their government accountable as well as to draw attention on the importance of human rights protection in the country.
Research and Documentation: The importance of data and evidence-based research for programming cannot be overemphasized. Thus, most NGOs invest a lot in researching, gathering evidence-based data, and documenting human rights issues as well as cases of human rights violation in the country. Organisations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch etc have a database where they store information gathered from these research on civic space repression, human rights violations, and social injustice, with the data readily made available for individuals and other human rights organisations. Some of these NGOs also publish periodic reports and annual reports on the state of human rights promotion and protection in the country, organise round table discussion, conferences, and seminars on human rights issues, as well as review of some of the existing policy frameworks to assess their effectiveness.
Monitoring and Reporting: NGOs also monitor cases of human rights violation and report them to the appropriate authorities to ensure justice is served to both the victim and the perpetrator. Other contributions of non-governmental organisations to human rights promotion and protection in the country can be seen in the areas of public campaigns, lobbying, human rights education, community mobilisation, information gathering, investigation, helping people whose right have been violated or infringed upon, as well as through capacity strengthening interventions. For instance, organisations like the Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BBFORPEACE) often organise periodic programmes and workshops for local actors to strengthening the capacity and competencies to address human rights issues in their communities. Non-governmental organisations also work closely with international organisations, national agencies, and local actors to better improve human rights conditions in the country.
Challenges faced by Human Rights NGOs
Non-governmental organisations often faced some challenges, which limit their ability to effectively address human rights issues in the country. Some of these challenges include government interference, limited funding and resources, and limited partnership with government agencies. Furthermore, as a result of the human rights activism, several NGOs have also received threats from both state and non-state actors.
The Way Forward
The protection and promotion of human rights is a determinant of peace, security, and development of any country. Thus, efforts should be made to ensure that citizens are better informed about their human rights through holistic human rights education at all levels. Information about human rights should be incorporated to the education curriculum and in a language that is easy to understand. Human rights education should also be made available to those at the grassroots level, especially thus in rural communities. Non-governmental organisations have been actively engaged in human rights protection and as such they should be supported by governmental agencies rather than being seen as a threats. Finally, the government should also provide a safe and enabling environment for citizens to enjoy their fundamental human rights.