Horn Afrik News Agency for Human Rights HANAHR online editor (I. Adam) has interviewed Mary Lawlor via zoom directly in Geneva.
Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs situation, has said in the interview with HANAHR, ” I am recently appointed as the UN special rapporteur on HRDs situation in the world. I am firstly interested in connecting with the HRDs in Somalia as my mandate is all about dealing with HRDs. So I want to talk to them and listen them, I am specially interested in women HRDs, and HRDs working in remote regions and villages in Somalia as well as I am interested in the newly adapted method of children HRDs which is also very tricky as you know. I have established Frontline Defenders based in Ireland twenty years ago, and I retired in 2016. I am now working with UN as the special rapporteur on HRDs situation.
I am interested in convening meeting virtually with HRDs in Somalia and listen to them and get their complaints and address their complaints accordingly with the relevant authorities.”
The interview was very interesting as it covered a wide range of topics concerning HRDs situation in Somalia, and prompted series of other virtual meetings between the coalition of Somali human rights defenders CSHRDS and the office of the un special rapporteur on HRDs situation; Mary Lawlor.
Interview conducted by I. Adam
For HANAHR