SDJF Program Director’s Presence at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva 2022

Mr. Azad Mustaffa, the Program Director, Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF) visits Geneva, Switzerland, to participate in the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). During the visit, he is expected to represent the Civil Society Organizations in Sri Lanka and discuss human rights issues that negatively affect the development of Sri Lanka.

SDJF is working on many human rights related projects and programs in Sri Lanka. The presence of the SDJF Program Director in Geneva UNHRC is very meaningful as many efforts are made by SDJF programs in the promotion of human rights and sensitising of the youth in human rights issues in Sri Lanka. For example, the current European Union funded project “Incubator Spaces for Promoting Information Right and Freedom of Expression” (InSPIRE) focus on media use and expression of human rights issues in Sri Lanka. InSPIRE strengthen the university students to become active digital media citizens with awareness and understanding of the importance of acting with intelligence to counter human rights abuses by any individual, institution or organization. SDJF sensitise the community on how to take action again human rights abuses and how to report human rights abuses in Sri Lanka to the relevant organizations. The project titled, “Innovative Space for Promoting Freedom of Expression and Information Right” funded by the Commonwealth Foundation is also implemented by SDJF promoting human rights and democracy.

The visit of the SDJF Program Director to UNHRC is primarily important as he is learning international complaint and compliance mechanisms in place with regard to human rights violations. There are three main procedures for bringing complaints of violations of the provisions of the human rights treaties before the human rights treaty bodies: individual communications; state-to-state complaints; and inquiries. There are also procedures for complaints which fall outside of the treaty body system - through the special procedures and the 1503 procedure. He will have an extensive learning experience about these complaint and compliance mechanisms which he will be using to capacitate the youth through SDJF projects.

Further, the most vital part in getting support to voicing human rights abuses is to network with various government and nongovernment agencies from other countries and lobby their support to force abusive states and governments to comply with the international human rights law. SDJF Program Director will be involved in extensive networking and international lobbying activities demonstrating the capacities of SDJF in brining various parties to one platform to support Sri Lanka in its efforts in protecting international human rights law.

Most importantly, taking the best out of the opportunity to be in Geneva, Mr. Azad Mustaffa is going to meet with the Special Rapporteurs for prevention of terrorism, freedom of assembly and minority human rights issues in the UNHRC. This will provide ample space to discuss current human rights issues in Sri Lanka and the information SDJF gathered from its projects can be shared with the Special Rapporteurs.

All this is made possible by the Universal Human Rights Council (UHRC) as it sponsor Mr. Azad Mustaffa to be present in Geneva for the UNHRC’s 51st session. We would like to pay our gratitude to UHRC for being generous and helping SDJF establish networks, do international lobbying, learn compliance mechanisms and above all represent Sri Lanka in the UNHRC 2022.