Despite the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that rights are universal, indivisible, and inalienable and should be protected at all times irrespective of race, status, gender or colour. But in the face of increasing numbers of international migration, both regular and irregular, it is almost impossible for the rights of these migrants to be protected as it should.
It was against this backdrop that the Promise project of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR, came into being to promote, protect, and advocate for the rights of migrants
Interacting with journalists in Abuja on the project and its success in the past, the Regional Representative, Human Rights, Robert Kotchani, said the project is in its third phase and Nigeria is one of the nine pilot countries in Africa benefitting from it.
He said he and his group were in Nigeria to meet with relevant stakeholders, including the press, to seek ways of collaboration to address issues around the rights of migrants.
Kotchani, said the essence of the meeting with journalists, stems from the fact that the media is a critical stakeholder needed in journey of sensitisation around migration and the need for them to report from an informed view point.
A Human Rights Officer, from the West Africn Regional Office, Ulrike Kahbila Mbuton, who told the success story of the project, said they have embarked on several things to support the technical group of countries including building capacity of staff to enable them deal with migrants without discrimination or stigmatisation.
She said their advocacy has also dwelt on sensitisation about dangers of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants among others.
The visitors clarified that nothing is imposed on a state, but any state that ratifies a declaration is expected to abide by the convention.
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