The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) underscored the importance of the forthcoming visits of United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution and pornography Mama Fatima Singhateh, and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion Irene Khan.
Singhateh will be in the Philippines from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8 "to assess the situation and the progress made in combating and preventing the sale and sexual exploitation of children in the light of international human rights norms and standards." Khan will be visiting the Philippines sometime in 2023.
Former Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, now solicitor general, invited them to the country during his speech at the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2022.
Guevarra explained that the visits will be planned and implemented within the scope of the Philippines-United Nations Joint Program on technical cooperation for the protection and promotion of human rights.
The CHR, in a statement, said that the Special Rapporteurs play an important role in the international human rights protection mechanism. "As independent experts, they are expected and have been proven to act with probity and constant regard to human rights principles and standards," it said.
With their "fresh and unprejudiced eye," the CHR said that their findings, conclusions, and recommendations will provide competent, objective, constructive, and specific advice to government sectors on how to undertake its human rights obligations.
During their visits, the Special Rapporteurs will meet with national and local authorities, including the national government and members of the judiciary, as well as other stakeholders, including civil society organizations and victims of human rights violations.
The CHR said it will help by providing its inputs to the Special Rapporteurs based on information collected from its regional offices and the Protection and Policy clusters at the CHR headquarters.
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