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Human Rights – 2009

The human rights situation remained as grave as it was in 2008. South Sudan witnessed ethnic conflicts causing atrocities of civilian targeting and rapes. The Human security situation was worse.¹ Despite grave situations related to human security, progress was made in terms of approving international conventions related to human rights. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol was ratified on 24 April 2009. The National Assembly endorsed the Child Act on 29 December 2009, which brought Sudan closer into line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.²

With respect to progress related to the NHRC, the National Assembly adopted the NHRC bill on 21 April 2009. The act provides that the president would appoint commissioners following consultation with the presidency. After the bill was adopted, the civil society groups in October submitted a list of 15 potential candidates to the presidency. Nevertheless, the commissioners of the NHCR were not appointed in 2009.³ With respect to the Human Rights Commission in southern Sudan, the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly passed the legislation on 3 February 2009. The commission started its outreach program in October 2009 in order to monitor and report on the human rights situation in southern Sudan. Furthermore, the Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission had been expanded into eight of the ten southern states.⁴

1. “World Report 2011- Sudan,” Human Rights Watch, 2011, accessed January 30, 2012, http://www.hrw.org/en/world-report-2011/sudan.
2. “The CPA Monitor-Monthly report on the Implementation of the CPA,” UNMIS, December 2009.
3. “The CPA Monitor-Monthly report on the Implementation of the CPA,” UNMIS, December 2009.
4. Ibid.