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Thank you Madame President.
New Zealand regrets that it is not possible to engage with the new Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Mr. Shamsul Bari, and kindly requests that this intervention be transmitted to Mr Bari.
New Zealand would like to convey its appreciation to Mr. Bari for producing an informative report under very difficult circumstances.
New Zealand welcomed the signing of a peace and reconciliation agreement between the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS), which we hope will provide the basis for a lasting peace and an improved human rights situation in Somalia.
New Zealand also remains supportive of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).
The report of the Special Rapporteur indicates that Somalia continues to be a human rights tragedy on the largest scale. The situation presented in the report is characterised by indiscriminate violence and frequent attacks against civilians, arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, the detention and killing of journalists, gender-based violence and the recruitment of child soldiers. These human rights violations are committed with virtual impunity.
New Zealand strongly condemns the targeting of humanitarian workers by armed groups which continues to occur on a regular basis in Somalia. It is critical that all parties in Somalia commit to ensuring, without delay, unhindered humanitarian assistance to the Somali people, and to respect the neutrality and safety of all humanitarian workers.
The report outlines problems of governance and conflict in Somalia that seem insurmountable. We would, therefore, welcome further elaboration by the Independent Expert on the recommendation contained in the report’s paragraph 86, particularly the ways the international community can provide technical means to ensure that human rights and a gender perspective are fully integrated in the institutions, frameworks and laws that are being developed by the Transitional Federal Authorities.
