Appendix 9. COMMONWEALTH HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM November 20th and 21st, 2005, Valletta, Malta CONCLUDING STATEMENT AND RECOMMENDATION KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 1) That there should be a formal report-back to the next CHOGM on the implementation of Heads’ commitments for human rights in Valletta 2) That governments should ensure that human rights norms are not compromised using security as an excuse 3) That the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group should investigate the situations in Uganda and the Maldives, and the Commonwealth should stay engaged with Zimbabwe 4) That there should be a Commonwealth Expert Group on the future of policing 5) That the Commonwealth should agree that all members should offer a standing invitation to UN Rapporteurs and other UN investigators as a commitment to transparency Introduction On 20th and 21st November 2005 – just prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on November 25th to 27th - human rights activists from across the Commonwealth met in Valletta, Malta, for the second Commonwealth Human Rights Forum. Members of human rights non-governmental organizations, National Human Rights Institutions and other civil society actors participated in the meeting, as well as a representative of the Commonwealth Secretariat as observer. Complementing the official CHOGM theme of “Networking the Commonwealth for Development”, participants focused on “Networking for Human Rights” and examined the reality of space available to civil society for human rights within member countries and the Commonwealth as an association. Participants shared experiences and discussed how to raise the profile of human rights within the Commonwealth system. Participants of the 2005 Commonwealth Human Rights Forum: Note that the association has always acknowledged that principles of human rights, democracy, good governance and the rule of law are central to the Commonwealth, as outlined in varied Commonwealth declarations, most importantly the Harare Commonwealth Declaration. Note that the Commonwealth has repeatedly recognized the importance of civil society participation, and yet civil society involvement in Commonwealth processes such as CHOGM remains limited or tokenistic. Note that for civil society to play its full role in human rights issues, enabling environment must be provided through legislation, policies and processes by the association and its members. Note that the existence of democracy is not sufficient in itself for guaranteeing human rights and space for civil society. Note that constitutional protection for human rights is important. Recognise the importance of raising awareness of human rights in Commonwealth countries to enable the development of local ownership over these issues; and the value of sharing human rights experiences across the Commonwealth. Reaffirm that economic justice, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty are pressing human rights issues and require a rights-based approach with the active engagement of civil society. 46