“While recognizing that the driving force behind this state of affairs is rooted in security concerns, I encourage the Government to review the laws and practices relating to civil society organizations and freedom of assembly, and also to order all security forces to refrain from violating internationally recognized instruments guaranteeing the right to freedom of association,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said at the end of a three-day visit.

She cited Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – a binding treaty that has been ratified by Algeria – as examples of those instruments.

During her visit – the first ever by a UN Human Rights Commissioner – Pillay met with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and a wide range of Government and judicial officials, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society organizations engaged in human rights work, as well as the head of Algeria’s national human rights institution, the National Consultative Commission for the Promotion of Human Rights.

In her remarks, the human rights chief noted that freedom of expression in relation to the media has improved considerably in recent years, leading to a “feisty, probing and relatively fearless local press,” while emerging new political freedoms have been illustrated by the large number of political parties represented in Algeria’s Parliament since elections in May.

“However, the rights to freedom of association and freedom of assembly for various other sectors of society – such as civil society organizations, human rights defenders and trade unions – is cause for concern and may even have deteriorated over the past year, partly as a result of an apparent clampdown by security forces drawing on the controversial Article 100 of the Penal Code, and partly because of the widely criticized restrictions contained in the new Law on Associations adopted last December,” Pillay said.

She noted that civil society organizations are part of the “life-blood of a free, democratic society” where the human rights of all individuals are upheld in accordance with international standards set by States.

The human rights official particularly highlighted the role played by non-governmental organizations in providing “one of the essential checks and balances that helps create a better human rights environment,” such as through helping fight for the rights of the most vulnerable sections of society, as well as helping uphold the rule of law by exposing corruption and other abuses.

“To fulfil their potential, they must be allowed to operate without undue impediments,” Pillay said. “I have therefore been very concerned to hear that not only are they facing legal and bureaucratic restraints in Algeria, but some of their members are also being frequently harassed, intimidated and arbitrarily arrested by the security forces, and are not being offered sufficient protection against these abusive practices by the existing legal framework.”

In her remarks, the High Commissioner also welcomed Algeria’s ratification of almost all major international human rights treaties, and the fact that, during her visit, the Government had shown interest in ratifying two of the main treaties which it has not yet ratified – the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, with the latter being a mechanism which enables regular unannounced inspections by international and national bodies of places of detention.

“By ratifying this protocol in addition to the parent Convention against Torture, which it ratified in 1989, Algeria would significantly strengthen its defences against any future return to the days when torture was commonplace,” Pillay said.

She added, “Similarly, ratifying the Convention on Enforced Disappearances would signal that the State is equally determined never to see a repetition of the terrible situation in the 1990s when several thousand people were forcibly disappeared by both the rebel forces and state security apparatus.”

Pillay said she was encouraged to hear that the Algerian Government has decided to accept a long-standing request of the independent UN body of experts known as the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, to visit the country to provide advice on how to deal with the issue of enforced disappearances.

Some 2.7 million people in the North African nation have registered to vote for members of a new National Congress, which will be tasked with drafting a new constitution for Libya.

The polls, which are scheduled to be held on 7 July, will be the first free elections in decades in Libya, where Muammar al-Qadhafi ruled for more than 40 years until a pro-democracy uprising last year led to civil war and the deposing of his regime.

“The new Libya provides a new opportunity for Libyan women to articulate your political, economic and social aspirations,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ian Martin, said at an event held yesterday in the capital, Tripoli, to celebrate women’s participation in the electoral process.

“If women have equal opportunities to fulfil their political and socio-economic role, this contributes to development, democracy, nation-building and peace for all Libyans,” he added.

There are over 600 women candidates standing for election next month. Mr. Martin congratulated them, stating that they are role models not just for the women and girls of Libya, but also for the many people who will be watching them across the globe.

“It is inspiring for all of us to see you claiming your equal political and civic rights to build a new Libya,” he stated.

The envoy also paid tribute to civil society representatives who have advocated, through social media, demonstrations, petitioning and public for a, for further change in the daily lives of Libyans.

“I congratulate you for the contributions you have made to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment to date,” he said. “I commend your practical efforts to support women to register to vote, to educate women and men as to voting, and the support you are providing to women candidates.”