Geneva, Switzerland – The United Kingdom and Somalia jointly hosted a high-profile side event at the United Nations Human Rights Council, placing media freedom and civil liberties at the centre of global attention.
The session, co-convened in Geneva, drew a full audience of member state delegations, international organisations and civil society representatives, underscoring growing international interest in Somalia’s ongoing human rights reforms.
Somali Minister of Family and Human Development Khadija Al-Makhzoumi opened the discussions by outlining her government’s efforts to strengthen protections for vulnerable communities while advancing freedom of expression.
She affirmed that safeguarding journalists is essential to Somalia’s democratic transition, noting that “no nation can progress without the voices that hold power to account.”
Her remarks were echoed by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eilidh McDonald Sanders, who reiterated London’s support for Somalia’s justice and governance programmes.
She urged stronger international cooperation to ensure journalists can operate without fear of harassment, detention or violence.
A keynote intervention came from Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), who delivered a candid assessment of progress and remaining challenges.
He praised recent legislative reforms but warned that entrenched impunity and outdated security laws continue to endanger reporters.
Participants called for sustained partnerships to translate commitments into enforceable protections, including legal safeguards, training for security forces and independent oversight mechanisms.
The event concluded with a shared pledge by both governments to elevate media freedom as a cornerstone of human rights diplomacy at the UN.