OHCHR / BACHELET NIGER PRESSER
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06-Dec-2021
00:03:40
At a press conference on Saturday concluding a 3-day visit to Niger, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, discussed the myriad of significant human rights challenges that the people of Niger have been grappling with, directly with the authorities, civil society, and other actors. OHCHR
Available Language: English
Description
STORY: OHCHR / BACHELET NIGER PRESSER
TRT: 3:37
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 1-4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
SHOTLIST:
2 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
1. Wide shot, Presidential Palace Niamey
2. Med shot, HC Bachelet meeting the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum
3. Med shot, HC Bachelet and President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum
4. Wide shot, Bachelet and President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum
4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The international community needs to support the country to comprehensively address the security situation, climate change and developmental and humanitarian challenges, to help Niger step up to the daunting challenges it faces.”
2 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
6. Wide shot, Bachelet meeting the Minister of Justice Ikta Abdoulaye Mohamed
4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Climate change has had a particularly harsh impact on the Sahel region, with temperatures reportedly rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, droughts and floods leading to declining agricultural productivity and scarce water resources. To add to these serious developmental and humanitarian challenges, there has been an increasing infiltration of non-State armed groups and other violent actors from neighbouring countries into Niger since 2015, causing a severe deterioration in the security situation and aggravating the dismal humanitarian situation.”
2 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
8. Wide shot, Bachelet meeting the Minister of Justice Ikta Abdoulaye Mohamed
9. Wide shot, reverse shot of meeting the Minister of Justice
4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The high rate of political participation and the conduct of the elections, in spite of the overwhelming challenges outlined above, show that the Nigerien people’s response to the rising insecurity is to come together to secure and defend their rights.”
11. Med shot, HC arriving at National Human Rights Commission.
12. Med shot, HC entering National Human Rights Commission.
13. Med shot, NGO participants at National Human Rights Commission courtyard.
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“I was impressed at their sense of responsibility – moving forward the realisation of the human rights of women and girls, particularly their rights to education and sexual and reproductive rights.”
15. Med shot, NGOs participant addressing HC at National Human Rights Commission.
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“In my meeting with officers of the G5 Joint Sahel Force, I was delighted when one uniformed officer made an impassioned plea for the inclusion of more women in the armed forces.”
17. Various shots, HC at meeting with G5 Sahel soldiers
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“As one of my team here said to me today, we need to ensure that the military are in fact the strongest protectors of human rights. Such an approach will be most effective in countering violent extremism and discouraging radicalization to violence and recruitment by such groups.”
22. Med shot, G5 Sahel soldier addressing the HC
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“It is reassuring that the Government of Niger has, rightly and importantly, spoken out strongly against the operation of so-called self-defence or vigilante groups.”
STORYLINE:
At a press conference on Saturday (4 Dec) concluding a 3-day visit to Niger, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, discussed the myriad of significant human rights challenges that the people of Niger have been grappling with, directly with the authorities, civil society, and other actors.
Bachelet said, “the international community needs to support the country to comprehensively address the security situation, climate change and developmental and humanitarian challenges, to help Niger step up to the daunting challenges it faces.”
The UN human rights chief also said, “Climate change has had a particularly harsh impact on the Sahel region, with temperatures reportedly rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, droughts and floods leading to declining agricultural productivity and scarce water resources."
She noted, “to add to these serious developmental and humanitarian challenges, there has been an increasing infiltration of non-State armed groups and other violent actors from neighbouring countries into Niger since 2015, causing a severe deterioration in the security situation and aggravating the dismal humanitarian situation.”
During her three days in the country, she met with President Mohamed Bazoum, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, cabinet members and other high-level officials, as well as traditional chiefs.
She also met with the President of the National Assembly, members of the Commission nationale des droits humains (CNDH), and had discussions with a wide range of civil society actors working on issues ranging from climate change to slavery to the rights of women and people with disabilities, migration, justice and more. Michelle Bachelet also had a meeting with high-level officers of the G5 Sahel joint forces.
The facts and data revealed, starkly, a country with challenges on many fronts: Niger is placed 189 out of 189 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index. More than 10 million people – 40.8 per cent – are living in extreme poverty. Some 3.8 million people need humanitarian assistance, including more than 1.8 million children below five who need nutritional assistance.
Bachelet said, “the high rate of political participation and the conduct of the elections, in spite of the overwhelming challenges outlined above, show that the Nigerien people’s response to the rising insecurity is to come together to secure and defend their rights.”
The High Commissioner added that the sense of resolve should be a reservoir of strength for the State and embolden it to confront the challenges head on, with the meaningful participation of partners across the social spectrum.
Gender inequality, including lack of education, early marriage and early childbirth, also contributes to an extraordinarily high annual population growth rate of nearly four per cent.
Traditional leaders are guardians of social cohesion, harmony and religious tolerance. They promote a sense of justice between communities, families and individuals.
Bachelet said, “I was impressed at their sense of responsibility – moving forward the realisation of the human rights of women and girls, particularly their rights to education and sexual and reproductive rights.”
During a meeting with the G5 Sahel forces, the High Commissioner noted that in her experience as a former defence minister of Chile – there had seen the real value-added that women bring in interactions with communities, in mediation, in protection of civilians and on the frontlines.
She said, “in my meeting with officers of the G5 Joint Sahel Force, I was delighted when one uniformed officer made an impassioned plea for the inclusion of more women in the armed forces.”
Regarding the security situation, particularly in the Southwest and East of the country.
These displacements add to the 280,818 people already internally displaced in the country.
The High Commissioner stated that all measures be taken to ensure the protection of civilians from the ruthless violence perpetrated by these groups. Non-State armed groups and other violent actors have reportedly been carrying out summary executions, extortion, abductions of boys and girls, pillaging, destruction of facilities providing essential goods and services and other serious violations and abuses of international law. Communities already living in poverty have even their meagre means of subsistence robbed from them.
Bachelet said, “as one of my team here said to me today, we need to ensure that the military are in fact the strongest protectors of human rights. Such an approach will be most effective in countering violent extremism and discouraging radicalization to violence and recruitment by such groups.”
The High Commissioner urged the Government to accelerate investigations into emblematic cases where serious human rights violations are alleged to have been committed, regardless of the affiliation of the perpetrators. This is crucial to prevent recurrence of such serious violations.
She added, “It is reassuring that the Government of Niger has, rightly and importantly, spoken out strongly against the operation of so-called self-defence or vigilante groups.”
Bachelet said that the OHCHR will also reinforce their work in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Mauritania to support the Joint Force of the G5 Sahel in setting up measures to secure compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
TRT: 3:37
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 1-4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
SHOTLIST:
2 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
1. Wide shot, Presidential Palace Niamey
2. Med shot, HC Bachelet meeting the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum
3. Med shot, HC Bachelet and President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum
4. Wide shot, Bachelet and President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum
4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The international community needs to support the country to comprehensively address the security situation, climate change and developmental and humanitarian challenges, to help Niger step up to the daunting challenges it faces.”
2 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
6. Wide shot, Bachelet meeting the Minister of Justice Ikta Abdoulaye Mohamed
4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Climate change has had a particularly harsh impact on the Sahel region, with temperatures reportedly rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, droughts and floods leading to declining agricultural productivity and scarce water resources. To add to these serious developmental and humanitarian challenges, there has been an increasing infiltration of non-State armed groups and other violent actors from neighbouring countries into Niger since 2015, causing a severe deterioration in the security situation and aggravating the dismal humanitarian situation.”
2 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
8. Wide shot, Bachelet meeting the Minister of Justice Ikta Abdoulaye Mohamed
9. Wide shot, reverse shot of meeting the Minister of Justice
4 DECEMBER 2021, NIAMEY, NIGER
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The high rate of political participation and the conduct of the elections, in spite of the overwhelming challenges outlined above, show that the Nigerien people’s response to the rising insecurity is to come together to secure and defend their rights.”
11. Med shot, HC arriving at National Human Rights Commission.
12. Med shot, HC entering National Human Rights Commission.
13. Med shot, NGO participants at National Human Rights Commission courtyard.
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“I was impressed at their sense of responsibility – moving forward the realisation of the human rights of women and girls, particularly their rights to education and sexual and reproductive rights.”
15. Med shot, NGOs participant addressing HC at National Human Rights Commission.
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“In my meeting with officers of the G5 Joint Sahel Force, I was delighted when one uniformed officer made an impassioned plea for the inclusion of more women in the armed forces.”
17. Various shots, HC at meeting with G5 Sahel soldiers
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“As one of my team here said to me today, we need to ensure that the military are in fact the strongest protectors of human rights. Such an approach will be most effective in countering violent extremism and discouraging radicalization to violence and recruitment by such groups.”
22. Med shot, G5 Sahel soldier addressing the HC
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“It is reassuring that the Government of Niger has, rightly and importantly, spoken out strongly against the operation of so-called self-defence or vigilante groups.”
STORYLINE:
At a press conference on Saturday (4 Dec) concluding a 3-day visit to Niger, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, discussed the myriad of significant human rights challenges that the people of Niger have been grappling with, directly with the authorities, civil society, and other actors.
Bachelet said, “the international community needs to support the country to comprehensively address the security situation, climate change and developmental and humanitarian challenges, to help Niger step up to the daunting challenges it faces.”
The UN human rights chief also said, “Climate change has had a particularly harsh impact on the Sahel region, with temperatures reportedly rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, droughts and floods leading to declining agricultural productivity and scarce water resources."
She noted, “to add to these serious developmental and humanitarian challenges, there has been an increasing infiltration of non-State armed groups and other violent actors from neighbouring countries into Niger since 2015, causing a severe deterioration in the security situation and aggravating the dismal humanitarian situation.”
During her three days in the country, she met with President Mohamed Bazoum, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, cabinet members and other high-level officials, as well as traditional chiefs.
She also met with the President of the National Assembly, members of the Commission nationale des droits humains (CNDH), and had discussions with a wide range of civil society actors working on issues ranging from climate change to slavery to the rights of women and people with disabilities, migration, justice and more. Michelle Bachelet also had a meeting with high-level officers of the G5 Sahel joint forces.
The facts and data revealed, starkly, a country with challenges on many fronts: Niger is placed 189 out of 189 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index. More than 10 million people – 40.8 per cent – are living in extreme poverty. Some 3.8 million people need humanitarian assistance, including more than 1.8 million children below five who need nutritional assistance.
Bachelet said, “the high rate of political participation and the conduct of the elections, in spite of the overwhelming challenges outlined above, show that the Nigerien people’s response to the rising insecurity is to come together to secure and defend their rights.”
The High Commissioner added that the sense of resolve should be a reservoir of strength for the State and embolden it to confront the challenges head on, with the meaningful participation of partners across the social spectrum.
Gender inequality, including lack of education, early marriage and early childbirth, also contributes to an extraordinarily high annual population growth rate of nearly four per cent.
Traditional leaders are guardians of social cohesion, harmony and religious tolerance. They promote a sense of justice between communities, families and individuals.
Bachelet said, “I was impressed at their sense of responsibility – moving forward the realisation of the human rights of women and girls, particularly their rights to education and sexual and reproductive rights.”
During a meeting with the G5 Sahel forces, the High Commissioner noted that in her experience as a former defence minister of Chile – there had seen the real value-added that women bring in interactions with communities, in mediation, in protection of civilians and on the frontlines.
She said, “in my meeting with officers of the G5 Joint Sahel Force, I was delighted when one uniformed officer made an impassioned plea for the inclusion of more women in the armed forces.”
Regarding the security situation, particularly in the Southwest and East of the country.
These displacements add to the 280,818 people already internally displaced in the country.
The High Commissioner stated that all measures be taken to ensure the protection of civilians from the ruthless violence perpetrated by these groups. Non-State armed groups and other violent actors have reportedly been carrying out summary executions, extortion, abductions of boys and girls, pillaging, destruction of facilities providing essential goods and services and other serious violations and abuses of international law. Communities already living in poverty have even their meagre means of subsistence robbed from them.
Bachelet said, “as one of my team here said to me today, we need to ensure that the military are in fact the strongest protectors of human rights. Such an approach will be most effective in countering violent extremism and discouraging radicalization to violence and recruitment by such groups.”
The High Commissioner urged the Government to accelerate investigations into emblematic cases where serious human rights violations are alleged to have been committed, regardless of the affiliation of the perpetrators. This is crucial to prevent recurrence of such serious violations.
She added, “It is reassuring that the Government of Niger has, rightly and importantly, spoken out strongly against the operation of so-called self-defence or vigilante groups.”
Bachelet said that the OHCHR will also reinforce their work in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Mauritania to support the Joint Force of the G5 Sahel in setting up measures to secure compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
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