HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND SENEGAL SIGN AGREEMENT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL OFFICE FOR WEST AFRICA

Dakar/Geneva 3 December 2007 – The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Senegal signed today in Dakar a Memorandum of Understand establishing a regional office for West Africa. Deputy High Commissioner, Kyung-wha Kang, and Foreign Minister, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, respectively signed the agreement on behalf of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Senegalese government.

The Regional Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for West Africa, which will be based in Dakar, is mandated to foster relations with governments, intergovernmental and non governmental organisations, and United Nations partners, in order to formulate and implement strategies and programmes designed to support the promotion and the protection of human rights in the 15 Member States of the Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS).

“This Regional Office, the fruit of an excellent collaboration with the Government of Senegal, demonstrates the High Commissioner’s commitment to assist the efforts of the ECOWAS member states in the field of human rights,” said Ms. Kang.

This initiative is in the framework of the Strategic Management Plan of the Office which emphasizes strengthening collaboration with the Member States through an increased number of field presences. The Dakar Office is the fourth of its kind in Africa, after those of Pretoria (Southern Africa), Yaoundé (Central Africa) and Addis-Abeba (Eastern Africa).