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I work for the ordinary citizens: Raj

February 21, 2018 7:36 pm

Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ashwin Raj says the recent statements by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raád Al Hussein questioning their independence may affect their accreditation to the world body.

Raj says despite this, the Commission will continue to carry out their vital work.

“Is that it’s incumbent on the Commission to show within a complexity of constraints, the Commission was able to and is able to dispense with its constitutional mandate and that’s very, very important and I think that very soon the Commission will be producing its annual report and presenting it to Parliament and I’m in the middle of getting the 2016 and 2017 out to Parliament and I think that will speak volumes about the work we’ve done.”

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Raj adds that the work the Commission has done over the last two years speaks for itself.

“From the most rural and remote communities, we’ve gone to schools, we’ve spoken to ordinary folks about to access rights and this is the kind of discussion that needs to be captured in any kind of appraisal of whether the Human Rights Commission is responsive, is autonomous or not because ultimately these are tax payers funds and my responsibility is to them, not to appease the pathos of the international community. I’m here to work for the ordinary citizens of this country.”

The UN is expected to release a detailed country report in the coming months.