Somalia

Table of Contents

Overview

OHCHR began operating in Somalia in 2008 through the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), focusing on human rights monitoring and capacity-building. As UNPOS’s successor mission, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia's (UNSOM) Human Rights and Protection Group (HRPG), was established by Security Council Resolution 2102 (2013) of 2 May 2013 and started operating on 3 June 2013.

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Somalia also falls under the UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region established by General Assembly Resolution 60/153 of 2006. The Centre’s main objective is to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights through technical cooperation, national capacity-building, public information and education, within the region stipulated in the mandate.

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News & Statements

Latest news

07 Oct 2024

Special Procedures

Somalia: Global community must continue assistance to help strengthen country’s human rights institutions, says UN expert

09 Aug 2024

Special Procedures

UN Expert strongly condemns attack at Lido Beach in Mogadishu

09 May 2024

Special Procedures

Somalia: UN expert urges more steps to promote inclusive governance, human rights and accountability

07 May 2024

Special Procedures

UN expert returns to Somalia on official visit

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Latest statements & messages

07 Mar 2023

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Global update: High Commissioner outlines concerns in over 40 countries

02 Oct 2020

Human Rights Council

Human Rights Council discusses situation of human rights in Sudan and in Somalia

14 Sep 2020

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

In her global human rights update, Bachelet calls for urgent action to heighten resilience and protect people's rights

10 Aug 2020

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Comment by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on draft Sexual Intercourse Related Crimes Law in Somalia

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Featured Stories

03 September 2024 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Promoting human rights across Somalia’s multilingual communities

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Somalia, in collaboration with the National Museum of Somalia, has translated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into seven more languages spoken in Somalia to make the cornerstone of human rights better known and understood across the country’s diverse communities.
Somali students in the UDHR training project holding up a poster illustrating Article 8 of the Declaration
10 February 2020

Somali students’ training project fosters a new generation of human rights defenders

Two-hundred and thirty young Somalis are trained in the first phase of human rights university training project.
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UN and OHCHR Reports

OHCHR/UNSOM Reports

Tackling Sexual Violence in Somalia: Prevention and Protection Freedom of Expression in Somalia - for the public good - August 2018 - December 2022 Protection of Civilians Report, 1 January 2017 - 31 December 2019 Voices Unheard: Participation of Internally Displaced Persons in Peace and State Building Processes in Somalia Report on human rights violations and abuses committed before, during and after parliamentary and presidential elections held in Somalia in late 2016 and early 2017

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Universal Periodic Review

Core documents for the current and previous cycles

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States. The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations.

Special Procedures

Reports

A/HRC/54/78: Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia

A/HRC/51/65: Situation of human rights in Somalia - Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia

A/HRC/48/80: Situation of human rights in Somalia – Report of the Independent Expert on the situation in Somalia

Situation of human rights in Somalia - Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia - Corrigendum

Situation of human rights in Somalia - Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia

Situation of human rights in Somalia - Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia

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Independent Expert on the situation of Human Rights in Somalia

Special Procedures country visits

Treaty Bodies

Reports

CCPR/C/SOM/CO/1: Concluding observations on the initial report of Somalia

Concluding observations

Concluding observations

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Status & Reporting

Status of Ratifications Reporting Status Standing invitation to Special Procedures  General Assembly Resolutions, Decisions and Chairperson's Statements Commission on Human Rights Resolutions, Decisions and Chairperson's Statements

External Resources

African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights African Court of Justice African Union

Note: OHCHR is not responsible for the content of external links.

Contact Information

Headquarters

Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division (FOTCD)
Contact in Geneva, Switzerland.

Africa Branch
Tel. +41 22 917 9220

Field

United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia
Mogadishu International Airport (MIA)
Mogadishu, Somalia
P.O. Box 48246
00100 Nairobi , Kenya

Photo credit:   EPA-EFE/Daniel Irungu

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