NIGERIA: UN UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW PREPARATIONS

UNCLAS ABUJA 002432 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA, IO/RHS - A. OSTERMEIER, DRL/MLGA - ¶C. SIBILLA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM UNHRC NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: UN UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW PREPARATIONS REF: A. STATE 130829 ¶B. ABUJA 2200 ¶1. (U) In anticipation of action request (ref A),Post had already contacted both GON officials and key local NGOs and reported on their efforts to prepare for the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) scheduled for February 2009 (ref B). Both the GON and civil society have been proactively engaged in the process for several months. On November 3, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an interactive session which allowed state officials, civil society, and members of the general public to share their concerns on human rights issues in Nigeria. NGO contacts participated in the development of a report for submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) at an August 15 conference sponsored by the National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria. Both the GON and civil society seemed knowledgeable about the process and had obtained supplemental information from the OHCHR website on their own. We will continue to monitor and report on Nigerian UPR preparations. Sanders