10/06/2026
NEWS UPDATE‼️‼️‼️‼️
Freetown, 10th June 2026
A delegation from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights- West Africa engaged the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone with the aim of strengthening the existing partnership between the two institutions.
The OHCHR delegation was led by Rodent Katchoni, who stated that the visit forms part of efforts to enhance human rights engagement in Sierra Leone following the retirement of the UN Senior Human Rights Advisor previously stationed in the country. With no permanent OHCHR presence currently on the ground, the regional office based in Senegal has assumed greater responsibility for supporting human rights initiatives in Sierra Leone.
He disclosed that the objective of their mission includes consultations with key government officials, Parliament, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and the Human Rights Commission to identify areas for strengthened cooperation and coordinated action on human rights issues.
He congratulated the Commission for maintaining its prestigious “A-Status” accreditation, describing the achievement as a significant milestone that reflects the Commission’s compliance with international standards for National Human Rights Institutions. The regional office pledged continued support to help the Commission maintain its status through future review cycles.
The delegation also emphasized its readiness to provide targeted capacity-building support based on the Commission’s identified priorities. Areas highlighted for potential collaboration includes human rights monitoring and reporting, engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms, investigations, protection issues, and participation in regional networks of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and capacity building initiatives for District human Right committees.
On behalf of the HRCSL, Commissioner Hassan Samba Yarjah welcomed the renewed engagement and outlined key achievements and challenges facing the institution. He highlighted the important role played by District Human Rights Committees across the country, which serve as grassroots monitoring structures and early warning mechanisms for identifying and reporting human rights violations.
He noted that these committees have been instrumental in supporting human rights interventions, particularly in remote areas where access to justice and protection mechanisms remained limited.
Commissioner Yarjah further highlighted the Commission’s extensive human rights monitoring work, including inspections of detention facilities, courts, hospitals, and political processes citing successful interventions that led to the release of individuals who had spent years in detention without trial, underscoring the Commission’s commitment to addressing systemic human rights concerns.
The Executive Secretary, Joseph Kamara also reiterated the Commission’s advisory role to Government on international human rights obligations, including reporting under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism and various international and regional human rights treaties.
Among the Commission’s priority needs, he identified capacity building in economic, social and cultural rights, support for civil society engagement, resource mobilization for District Human Rights Committees, and strengthened collaboration with UN agencies and development partners.
In a technical session with the Directorate of Treaty Bodies Reporting and International Mechanisms,
OHCHR Regional UPR Advisor, Kone Yaye M. BA provided an overview of the UPR support programme established to assist governments, National Human Rights Institutions, and civil society organizations in implementing recommendations arising from the UPR process.
She stressed the importance of moving beyond reporting obligations to ensure effective implementation of accepted recommendations at the national level and highlighted several outstanding treaty body reporting obligations currently pending before international human rights mechanisms encouraging both government institutions and the Human Rights Commission to strengthen efforts toward timely reporting and follow-up engagement with treaty bodies.
The Director for Treaty Bodies Reporting and International Mechanisms, Brima Kelson Sesay outlined measures undertaken by the institution to strengthen its engagement with international reporting processes. He spoke about the establishment of the Directorate in 2022 with the objective of coordinating the Commission’s work on treaty body reporting, UPR engagement, Sustainable Development Goals monitoring, and other international human rights commitments.
He further noted that the creation of the Directorate has enhanced its capacity to support government reporting processes, provide technical advice, monitor implementation of recommendations, and coordinate stakeholder participation in international human rights mechanisms.
He ended by acknowledging the support received from OHCHR during Sierra Leone’s most recent UPR process, including assistance with monitoring activities and validation of the Commission’s shadow report.
Also in attendance were the Deputy Executive Secretary, Frederick Ibrahim Kamara, Director of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Mrs. Ann-Marie Balboa and Vicky Karimi, Institutional Development Advisor, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone.
The meeting concluded with both institutions expressing commitment to deepening cooperation, revitalizing existing human rights coordination platforms, and strengthening the protection and promotion of human rights across Sierra Leone.
©️HRCSL Communications Team
