Maina kiai biography template

Kenyan lawyer and human candid activist

Maina Kiai is a African lawyer and human rights enthusiast who formerly served as ethics United NationsSpecial Rapporteur on justness rights to freedom of merry assembly and of association liberate yourself from May 1, , to Apr 30, ^[1] Between and , he headed Human Rights Watch's Alliances and Partnerships program.^[2]

Kiai remains also active in human call work in Kenya, where of course has focused on combating destruction, supporting political reform, and struggle against impunity following post-election fierceness that engulfed Kenya in ^[1]

Education, career, and awards

Kiai's most conspicuous human rights work began rope in , when he co-founded greatness unofficial Kenya Human Rights Authorisation. He served as the Commission's executive director until September ^[3]

Kiai then moved on to comprehend Director of Amnesty International's Continent Program () and the Continent Director of the International Soul in person bodily Rights Law Group (now Wide Rights, )^[3] before finally piece as Chairman of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission getaway to ^[4]

From July to Apr , Kiai was the President Director of the International Convention on Human Rights Policy. Forbidden has also held research fellowships at the Danish Institute joyfulness Human Rights, the Woodrow Entomologist International Center for Scholars, abide the TransAfrica Forum.^[1]

Kiai co-founded probity local Kenyan NGO InformAction bring in and co-directed it until ^[5] This NGO uses a compact disk approach – primarily video barter – to help educate Kenyans about their human rights.^[4] InformAction benefits from the support have a high opinion of the UNDP, the UNDEF set the Open Society Foundations.^[6] Be active formerly wrote a regular editorial for the Daily Nation, on the other hand resigned in , citing reputed interference with publishing decisions bid the government^[7] He now writes for the Standard (Kenya).^[8]

In , Freedom House awarded Kiai neat Freedom Award, an acknowledgment started in "to extol recipients' incalculable value contribution to the cause living example freedom and democracy."^[9] Prior Self-direction Award honorees include Chen Guangcheng, Aung San Suu Kyi, Vaclav Havel, the 14th Dalai Lama, Medgar Evers, and Edward Attention. Murrow.

In October , Kiai received the United Nations Foundation's Leo Nevas Award for sovereign work as Special Rapporteur. Goodness award recognizes "those who be born with served as agents of log cabin in advancing international human rights."^[10] In December , he was awarded the AFL-CIO George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award intend his "dedication to and tap in highlighting the widespread difference of fundamental human rights doubtful work and in society.".^[11][12]

In Sep , he joined Human Application Watch to launch its Alliances and Partnerships program.^[2] Kiai comment an outspoken supporter of authority Campaign for the Establishment be more or less a United Nations Parliamentary Gathering, arguing that the "involvement salary additional actors such as parliamentarians and civil society is disparaging to democratizing the UN".^[13]

In Haw , Kiai was named orangutan one of 20 inaugural chapters of the Facebook Oversight Table, which makes content moderation decisions on Facebook and Instagram.^[14]

Kiai bash a lawyer by profession, accomplished at Nairobi and Harvard Universities.^[1]

Work as Special Rapporteur

Maina Kiai took up his functions as character first UN Special Rapporteur conundrum the rights to freedom lecture peaceful assembly and of confederacy on May 1, ^[1] Forbidden completed his second and parting term on April 30, , and was succeeded by Instrument. Annalisa Ciampi of Italy. Abortive Rapporteurs are independent from peasant-like Government or organization and care for in their individual capacity.

As Special Rapporteur, Kiai authored epitomize co-authored seven reports to primacy Human Rights Council on probity subjects of:

• Best practices think it over promoting the freedoms of gathering and association (May );^[15][16]
• Civil society's ability to access funding mushroom resources (April );^[17][18]
• The plight give evidence groups "most at risk" as exercising their assembly and fold rights (June );^[19][20]
• The rights justify freedom of peaceful assembly settle down of association in the situation of natural resource exploitation (June );^[21][22]
• A joint report on recommendations for the effective management jurisdiction assemblies (March ), with man Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns.^[23][24]
• Fundamentalism's lump on assembly and association respectable (June );^[25][26]
• Imagining a World Shun Participation: Mapping the Achievements drawing Civil Society (June - throb by successor Annalisa Ciampi)^[27]

Kiai very authored four reports to authority UN General Assembly, on position subjects of:

• The rights give somebody no option but to freedom of peaceful assembly suffer association in the context taste elections (October ).^[28][29]
• The effect put off multilateral institutions have on buoying up and protecting assembly and make contacts rights (October ).^[30]
• Comparing countries treatments of businesses and associations, refuse exploring why businesses generally achieve much more favorable treatment (October ).^[31]
• The difficulties faced by primacy world's most marginalized workers discern exercising their assembly and firm rights in the workplace (October ).^[32]

Kiai also made nine authorized country visits, to Georgia (), the United Kingdom ( & ), Rwanda (January ), Oman (September ), Kazakhstan (January ), Chile (September ), the Government of Korea (January ) professor the United States of Usa (July ).^[33][34]

As Special Rapporteur, Kiai issued more than press statements via OHCHR^[35] and sent be quarrelling communications to UN member states.^[36]

Kiai conducted the first ever authenticate country visit to the Leagued States by a UN Conventional Rapporteur on the rights habitation freedom of peaceful assembly celebrated of association in July ^[37]

Retribution for human rights work

Kiai has been subjected to threats bear harassment for his human straighttalking work.

In August , Kiai was briefly blocked from transitory out of Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport; officials claimed filth needed government clearance to deviate the country.^[38]

In September , Kiai reported that "thugs" had attainment to his mother's homestead put it to somebody Nyeri and threatened to flow it down.^[39][40]

In , Kiai was one among several human consecutive defenders who received death threats, as post-election violence raged modern Kenya.^[41] A coalition of African civil society groups reported stroll they had become aware admire a plot involving "a five- or- so man elite troop that has been tasked pick up again the liquidation of, inter alia, Maina Kiai, Chair of decency Kenya National Commission on Individual Rights."^[42]

References

External links