Claiming Human Rights - in Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a member of the United Nations and the African Union. It has ratified many UN Human Rights Conventions (compare list on the right) and thus has made binding international commitments to adhere to the standards laid down in these universal human rights documents.

Malawi is an English- and Chichewa-speaking country in Southeast Africa. It is a landlocked, middle-sized country with an area of 118,484 square km. On a global scale, its population density is high. The capital of the country, which became independent on 6 July 1964 from the United Kingdom, is Lilongwe. Malawi is a member of the regional economic communities SADC and COMESA.

With a Human Development Index of 0.49 Malawi ranks 160^th of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 14.3 million inhabitants at birth is 48 years, population growth is 2.5 percent per year. GNI is 290 US-$ per capita. External debt is 24.6 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 87.0 percent.

In as far as Malawi has ratified the Optional Protocols for UN Human Rights Conventions or has accepted the Competence of the corresponding UN Treaty Bodies (compare list on the right), the inhabitants of Malawi and their representatives are able to invoke their human rights through these bodies.

All inhabitants of Malawi may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations.

Since Malawi is a member state of UNESCO, its citizens may use the UNESCO procedure for human rights violations in UNESCO's fields of mandate.

Employers' or workers' and certain other organizations (not individuals) of Malawi may file complaints through the ILO procedure in the cases of those conventions which Malawi has ratified.

Since Malawi is an AU member, its citizens and NGOs may file complaints to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

They may also file complaints according to the EU guidelines (on Human Rights Defenders, Death Penalty and Torture) to Embassies of EU Member States and the Delegations of the European Commission.

In cases of human rights violations by multinational enterprises, they may also invoke the National Contact Point in an OECD member state.

Malawi has joined the International Criminal Court, it may thus be called upon in case of severe crimes.