By Chisomo Phiri
Two prominent Malawian lawyers Professor Edge Kanyongolo and Chrispine Gwalawala Sibande have been elected into two respective United Nations (UN) committees of global experts established under the human rights instruments.
The two will be sitting with fellow experts at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland to hear complaints from individuals, organisations and countries and review human rights reports from across the world.
Kanyongolo, a retired distinguished law lecturer at University of Malawi(UNIMA) was elected a member of UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) on June 12, 2023 during the seventh Meeting of States parties.
The elections took place in New York, USA.
He defeated other candidates from Iraq and Burkina Faso, and was elected alongside four others from France, Germany, Peru and Senegal.
They replace those whose terms expire on Friday June 30 2023.
On the other hand, Sibande, a seasoned human rights lawyer, was on June 22, 2023 elected as a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
He got 121 votes from 181 member countries that were present.
He defeated other candidates from Peru, Burkina Faso, Iran and Sudan.
His committee has members from Greece, Senegal, China, South Africa, Jamaica, Morocco, Liberia and Mauritania.
In an interview, Sibande described his election as an honour to the country to have one of their own in the UN family of experts.
“The fact that we are going there as independent experts speaks volume of how Malawi’s efforts in promoting human rights are being noticed by international bodies like UN,” Sibande said.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Law Society (MLS) has congratulated the two for their global recognition.
“These are positives that we must build on to improve the administration of justice for all in the country.
“This is the trajectory MLS is taking and focussing on, ” said MLS honorary secretary Gabriel Chembezi.
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