INCHR Builds Journalists Capacity in Human Rights

The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) with support from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has trained scores of Liberian journalists in human rights reporting.
The two-day training which took place in the Port City of Buchanan strengthened the reportage of the media in human Rights reporting, human Rights principles, obligations and reporting among other trainings.
The just ended training marks the end of series of workshops that has been conducted in four phases, with over 200 selected participants from various media institutions across the 15 counties.
The first phase of the training took place in Margibi County with the participation of journalists from Bomi, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount and Margibi counties.
Phase two of the training, was held in Bong County, and brought together reporters from Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Bong Counties, while the third phase training was in Nimba County, where journalists from Sinoe, Grand Kru, Maryland and River Gee participated.
The focus of the training was to help journalists understand OHCHR’s mandate, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Speaking at the opening of the training, Commissioner Dr. Sonny Onyegbul, stressed the importance of the training and urged journalists to take interest in reporting on Human Rights issues.
Dr. Onyegbula said there has been limited training for journalists on human rights and even those that have been trained need to be refreshed on their knowledge and reporting of Human Rights issues.
He said in post-conflict nation such as Liberia, there is always need for the media to benefit from training bordering on Human rights, justice and the rule of law so that their reportage reflect respect for Human Rights, adequately address violations of such rights from angles that are objective, accurate, and balanced.
He called on the media to take Human Rights as their business own and provide a way forward that will help Liberia to be a state free from the violation of Human Rights.
Also speaking, the President of the Female Journalist Association of Liberia, Madam Siatta Scott Johnson in a presentation said the role of the media in gender main streaming has been over emphasized and required necessary action.
Madam Scott-Johnson encouraged the media to report on the root causes of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in gender imbalance.
According to Fejal Boss who sought reelection over the weekend, the media must highlight the rights of vulnerable groups such as women, children, and people living with disabilities in terms of access to health, education, food, water and shelter.
She also said the media must be an important factor in promoting the rights of every human across the country and should be able to define gender equity correctly.
For his part, INCHR Treaty, Matter Director Urais Yeh Pour said every treaty is binding upon the parties to it and must be performed in good faith and the parties may not invoke the provision of its internal law as justification for its failure to perform a treaty.