NGEC seeks enhanced role at international reporting stage

Ahead of the sixty third session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) 2019 the Commission has begun discussions with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nairobi with a view of reinforcing the Commission’s International Reporting status during status conferences at the UN headquarters in New York.

In late January 2019 Commissioner Hon. Priscilla Nyokabi met with Dr. Marcella Favretto who is the senior human rights adviser at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nairobi. Discussions revolved around securing training for NGEC members and secretariat on the UN system on international reporting as well as support for AU reporting on the Maputo protocol.

 The Commission seeks to come on board through the national reporting mechanism to ensure compliance with treaties, conventions and protocols that Kenya has ratified. Through the mechanism, the Commission will advise on and monitor ratification processes, removal of reservations with regards to the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights and minimum core content (standards) of ECOSOC rights on housing, health, education on special interest groups.

The NGEC Act 2011 provides that the Commission is the principal organ of the State in ensuring compliance with all treaties and conventions ratified by Kenya relating to issues of equality and freedom from discrimination and relating to special interest groups including minorities and marginalized persons, women, persons with disability and children.

Additionally, the Commission is keen on acquiring a reporting status at the UN based on recognition as a National Human Rights Institution. Currently the Commission does not have the accreditation to the UN despite being a national human rights institutional established by the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

Commissioner Hon. Priscilla Nyokabi with Dr. Marcella Favretto with staff from NGEC and OHCHR at UN Headquarters Gigiri Nairobi