Public statement by the Working Group

The Working Group has been informed of certain allegations of a supposed conflict of interest against one of its members, Mr. Sètondji Roland Adjovi in connection to the Working Group’s Opinion No. 4/2015 (Senegal). The Working Group considers that such accusations are groundless.

In its Opinion No. 4/2015 adopted on 20 April 2015, the Working Group considered arbitrary the deprivation of liberty of Mr. Karim Wade and requested the Government of Senegal to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation and bring it into conformity with the standards and principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Government of Senegal requested the WGAD to review its Opinion, as it is provided by the WG’s working methods. In exceptional circumstances, indeed, the Working Group may, at the request of the Government concerned or the source, reconsider its opinions, if the facts on which the request is based are considered by the Working Group to be entirely new, or if the facts had not been known or had not been accessible to the party originating the request, and if the request for review reaches the WGAD within the set delay of 60 days following the transmission of the Opinion to the Government. After considering all the information made available to it by concerned parties, including the fact that Senegal did not respond within the time limit of 60 days, the Working Group decided to uphold its Opinion.

The Working Group adopted its Opinion No. 4/2015 by consensus in full compliance with paragraph 5 of the Methods of Work. The Working Group considers that its members have strictly adhered to the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate-holders of the Human Rights Council, which obliges them to exercise their functions through a professional, impartial assessment of facts based on internationally recognized human rights standards. 

ENDS