Country detail - yourHRC.org

Namibia

Regional group:

African Group (AG)

Council member:

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Council Bureau membership:	–
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2023) :

Other HRC positions:	Member of Working Group on Situations (2015)
OHCHR presence:	– No field presence
NHRI accreditation status:	A

National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF): Standing - Inter-Ministerial

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

The central role of the State in responding to pandemics and other health emergencies, and the socioeconomic consequences thereof in advancing sustainable development and the realization of all human rights; Adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to non-discrimination in this context; Protection of the family; Promoting and protecting the human rights of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000); Freedom of opinion and expression; The right to social security.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2014, Namibia has (in the absence of consensus) abstained during voting on all resolutions tabled under item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention), as well as country-specific resolutions under item 2. For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Namibia has always voted in favour. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), Namibia has joined consensus on all resolutions except for two that were voted on during the period of its membership: on cooperation with Ukraine (Namibia abstained on both occasions). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Namibia has generally joined consensus. Where there has been a vote, it has nearly always voted in favour. Notwithstanding, Namibia abstained during voting on resolutions on: the effects of terrorism; sexual orientation; drones and peaceful protests. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, Namibia has either joined consensus on, or has voted in favour of, all adopted texts.

HRC participation

During HRC general discussions, panel debates and interactive dialogues with the Special Procedures, during the past three years, either as an HRC member or not, the State has joined:

262

Regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 78

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 50

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 96

Other joint
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 5

HRC member empty chair?

Overall, as a HRC member, has participated in more than 10% of panel discussions, general debates and interactive dialogues.

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Completed
Invitation sent by the State not (yet) accepted by the SP
Accepted / date set
Visit request by the SP and not (yet) accepted by the State
Postponed / cancelled

Longest visit request not (yet) accepted by the State >
SR on toxic waste, 2015

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Ratification status
Party Not Party
Individual complaint procedure accepted.
Reporting status

Submitted on time
Submitted late
Not applicable

On schedule
Overdue (outstanding)

CAT

ICCPR

CED

CEDAW

CERD

ICESCR

CRC

CRPD

Most overdue report

CRC
6 Years

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2011, 2016, 2021)

Mid-term report

1st & 2nd cycles

Level of delegation

Minister

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 4 / 192

2^nd cycle: 116 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Cited in the Secretary General’s reports on 'alleged reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights' (2010-2023)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 10

Namibia tabled voluntary pledges and commitments in support for its candidacy for membership for the period 2014-2016 on 11 October 2013. Namibia made a number of concrete pledges and commitments at both international and national levels.

At international level, Namibia pledged to: participate actively in the UPR process; promote the mainstreaming of human rights; support initiatives designed to combat maternal and infant malnutrition; and cooperate fully with the mechanisms of the Council, including the Special Procedures, by promptly responding to communications and facilitating requests for country visits.

Domestically, Namibia made commitments to provide human rights education and training; as well as to implement the recommendations arising from the UPR.

An analysis of steps taken by Namibia in fulfilment of its international level pledges shows that Namibia participated in only 12% of interactive dialogues, 12% of general debates and 32% of panel discussions. Namibia has accepted more than half of Special Procedures visit requests, but has not responded the communications received. Namibia is Party to most of the core human rights conventions, but tends to submit its periodic reports late (its report to the Human Rights Committee is over six years late). It participated in the UPR process at ministerial level, and tabled a mid-term report on implementation.

Namibia

African Group (AG)

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Voting record

HRC participation

HRC member empty chair?

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Universal Periodic Review

Participation in other reviews 1st cycle: 4 / 192

2nd cycle: 116 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 10

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 4 / 192

2^nd cycle: 116 / 192