Cuito: The Angolan Government reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to the defense of human rights, through the promotion of actions that contribute to protecting the dignity of all citizens, ensuring that they live in a dignified, fair and equal way. This commitment was made today, in the city of Cuito, province of Bi©, by the Secretary of State for Human Rights, Ant³nia Osvaldina Yaba, during the central event of the celebrations of the International Day of the Proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the official highlighted that the country, throughout the 50 years of National Independence, has made efforts to materialize public policies that ensure the protection of Angolans against all forms of discrimination and full enjoyment of fundamental rights. Among the actions, she highlighted the approval, in April 2020, of the National Human Rights Strategy and its Action Plan, which over the five years of its existence has already reached more than 90 percent of its implementation.
The Secretary of State noted that this strategy is a human rights public policy instrument within the National Development Plan 2023/2027, aiming for greater robustness in terms of human rights through the involvement of Local Human Rights Councils at provincial, municipal, and communal levels. As part of its implementation, several actions have been carried out, emphasizing the institutionalization of Local Human Rights Councils and four editions of the national award.
She also highlighted the elevation of human rights to matters of national security, through the intervention of the National Council in the periodic assessment of the situation in the country, based on reports prepared by the Local Councils. In this area, she revealed that 11 reports have been presented to the National Security Council to date.
Furthermore, she mentioned Angola's recent election, for the fourth time, as a member of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations for the period 2026-2028, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening multilateral human rights mechanisms. The Angolan Government, in partnership with the United Nations Agencies in Angola and civil society organizations, has worked in accordance with one of the main objectives of the declaration, which is 'to educate for a culture of human rights'.
In particular, the promotion and protection of human rights, enshrined in the Constitution, is one of the pillars of the Republic of Angola, making the State a part of important human rights instruments. These include the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Human and Political Rights on the abolition of the death penalty, the International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment, and the International Convention Against Racial Discrimination.
She also noted that Angola has supported the implementation of several legal instruments, with emphasis on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and the 2063 agenda, 'the Africa we want'. Additionally, Angola has received recommendations from the Dialogue with the African Commission regarding the Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights, the protocol to the African Charter on Women's Rights, the Maputo Protocol, and the African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons, the Kampala Convention.
The event, witnessed by the vice-governor for Technical Services and Infrastructures, Jos© Fernando Tchatuvela, on behalf of the governor, Celeste Adolfo, and other members of the local Government, was marked with the symbolic delivery of IT material to the Justice and Human Rights delegations of Bi© and Cuanza Sul. Each delegation received three laptop computers and the same number of telephones, with further distributions planned in the coming days to cover the remaining needs.
