By Asha Elmi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 6 October 2026 Somalia's National Independent Human Rights Commission has launched a three-day workshop in Mogadishu on the Paris Principles and human rights monitoring, jointly organised with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI).
The workshop, which opened on Monday, focuses on the Paris Principles, human rights laws and principles, international conventions and procedures, as well as receiving and managing complaints, investigating human rights violations, monitoring prisons and detention facilities, and documenting human rights incidents, the commission said in a statement.
Commission Chairwoman Dr. Maryan Qasim Ahmed thanked UNDP and ANNHRI for their support and cooperation in organising the workshop.
The opening was also addressed by Sultan Bin Hassan Aljamali, Secretary-General of ANNHRI and a member of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee, and Evariste Sibomana, Head of Governance Programmes at UNDP Somalia.
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Officials welcomed the cooperation and said the workshop would contribute to the commission's work in promoting and protecting human rights, according to the statement. UNDP and ANNHRI also reaffirmed their continued support for the commission.
The Paris Principles, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, set international standards for national human rights institutions, including independence and broad mandates.
Somalia's National Independent Human Rights Commission became operational as a newly established national human rights institution in 2025. Its commissioners were sworn in in November that year, while its first leadership was elected in February 2026.
The commission is mandated to promote and protect human rights and monitor violations in Somalia, including through complaints handling and investigations.