Maseru ___ The Ministry of Law and Justice held a three-day workshop for members of parliament in Maseru from Tuesday.

The workshop was brought up as a way of sensitizing the members of parliament on human rights and the role of parliament in promotion and protection of human rights.

In his remarks while opening this workshop, the Minister of Law and Justice Mr. Richard Ramoeletsi said that he hopes this workshop will assist the participants in recalling their responsibilities as Parliamentarians which is an important role to play to the citizens with regards to promotion and protection of human rights as well as how best Parliament can monitor human rights reporting, ratification and domestication of such treaties.

Mr. Ramoeletsi indicated that Lesotho is a State Party to the major international human rights instruments which include, amongst others, the two founding Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention Against Torture (CAT), which will form the crux of this workshop and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

He stated that all these impresses on the respect of the inherent human dignity, non-discrimination, equality, fairness, liberty and life regardless of one’s race, language, religion, social, political rank or status but subject to the Constitution and other national laws.

Mr. Ramoeletsi also mentioned that when it comes to promotion and protection of human rights Parliaments and Members of Parliament are essential actors and parliamentary activity as a whole like legislating, adopting the budget and overseeing the executive branch, cover the entire range of political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights have an immediate and direct impact on the enjoyment of human rights by the people.

Additionally, Mr. Ramoeletsi indicated that Parliament must always be cognizant of this role at all times because the country’s social harmony, peace and steady development largely depend on the extent to which human rights underpin all Parliamentary activity showing that practices worldwide have proved that promotion of human rights is a project without a life span, that demands continuous and steady or ever rising efforts from equally committed partners.

Meanwhile, the Head of Cooperation EU Delegation in Lesotho Mr. Mario Guiseppe Varreti said that there is a need to intensify collective efforts to fulfill collective responsibility of ensuring that life in dignity and self-fulfillment becomes an opportunity to every Mosotho.

He indicated that Parliamentarians have a mammoth task of ensuring that full recognition and honour of the bedrock priceless of human rights in terms of universality, equality and non- discrimination, indivisibility and interdependence.

Meanwhile, one of the participants of this event Mr. Montoeli Masoetsa who is a parliamentarian under the flag of All Basotho Convention (ABC) said that these workshops come in of no use as they are often held then the recommendations put on paper are usually shelved by officer without seeing implementation.

Lesotho is reported to be one of the leading countries in Southern Africa with a remarkable record of ratifications, however, she is lagging behind in her reporting obligations.

The Constitution of Lesotho of 1993 in its Chapter II guarantees the respect, promotion and protection of these rights subject to the limitations that are laid down by law.