Cabinet nominates Dr. Arif Bulkan to UN Human Rights Committee

Sep 15, 2017 News

Dr. Christopher Arif Bulkan was recently nominated by Cabinet for candidature to represent Guyana on the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHC) with the next election for membership scheduled for June 2018.

Dr. Arif Bulkan

The UNHC is the body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its State parties.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Bulkan, is an Attorney-at-Law and Senior Law Lecturer at the University of the West Indies with specializations in Public Law, Constitutional Law, Caribbean Human Rights Law and International Human Rights Law.
He also co-founded the Faculty of Law UWI Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP) at the Cave Hill campus. This is a group of law professors who engage in both litigation and advocacy aimed at promoting human rights.
“Dr. Bulkan has been involved in human rights advocacy for many years and has worked to establish and defend the rights of vulnerable and marginalized communities including indigenous peoples, LGBT persons and persons living with HIV/AIDS. He has also been involved in public advocacy against the death penalty, both regionally and at events sponsored by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights.”
Membership in the UNHRC is expected to reaffirm Guyana’s commitment to the ideals of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and raise Guyana’s profile in the international Human Rights arena.
According to the Ministry, the Human Rights Committee is composed of 18 independent experts with the capability in the field of human rights. The members are usually elected for a four-year term by states parties.
Currently, membership includes representatives from Paraguay, Tunisia, Latvia, USA, Egypt, France, South Africa, Japan, Montenegro, Mauritania, Canada, Uganda, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Israel, and Suriname. Suriname’s membership will expire at the end of 2018, and a representative is expected to be chosen from the Latin American/Caribbean region.

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