Haiti / Human Rights: follow up mission of the United Nations Independent Expert to Haiti

GENEVA (27 February 2013) - The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, Michel Forst, will visit Haiti from 2 to 9 March, 2013, to assess the evolution of the situation of human rights since his last visit in November 2012.

“During my visit I will examine the situation of human rights in Haiti, mostly outside of Port au Prince,” Mr. Forst said. “I want to get first-hand information on the reality Haitian women and men living outside the capital, and for that I will be traveling to three departments to listen to them.”

During his mission, Mr. Forst will meet with Haitian authorities, the Parliament, the National Human Rights Institution (Office du Protecteur du Citoyen), the diplomatic corps, representatives of the United Nations Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and UN agencies, human of human rights, and civil society organizations.

The purpose of his mission is to update and refine its analysis with the most recent information collected on site in order to better prepare for the presentation of his report* to the Human Rights Council to be held on 20 March.

The Independent Expert will hold a press conference on 8 March 2013 at 11:00 in the conference room of the MINUSTAH logistics base, to present preliminary observations of his visit.

The Human Rights Council appointed Michel Forst as Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti in June 2008. Mr. Forst is General Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of France and author of different publications on human rights, extreme poverty and the United Nations. Learn more: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Countries.aspx

(*) Check the report the Independent Expert will be presenting at the 22nd session of the Human Rights Council here: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/A-HRC-22-65_fr.pdf - The report will be available in all languages as of 7 March 2013.

Check all the Independent Expert reports here: http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_f.aspx?m=47

OHCHR Country Page – Haiti: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/LACRegion/Pages/HTIndex.aspx

For additional information and requests for interviews please contact:
In Geneva (prior to the mission): Santiago Martinez de Orense (+41 22 928 93 52 / smartinez-orense@ohchr.org )
In Port Prince (during the mission): Vincenzo Pugliese (+ 509 2229 6700, Ext.: 3992 / pugliesev@un.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en