Tanzanian emerges top contender for UN human rights post

DAR ES SALAAM: A Tanzanian lawyer and human rights advocate, Advocate Onesmo Olengurumwa, has emerged as one of the leading global contenders for the position of United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

Adv Olengurumwa has been selected as the second candidate for the prestigious mandate following a recommendation by the UN Consultative Group to the President of the Human Rights Council during its 61st session (HRC61).

The selection followed a highly competitive, transparent and rigorous international process that assessed 65 eligible candidates from around the world.

The recognition places the Tanzanian advocate among a small group of globally respected experts deemed fit to oversee and advance the protection of human rights defenders internationally.

His nomination reflects strong confidence in his professional expertise, independence, integrity and vision for the mandate.

In a congratulatory statement issued yesterday, the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) described the ranking as a reflection of Adv Olengurumwa’s exceptional leadership and long-standing contribution to the human rights movement in Tanzania, the East African region and beyond.

“His selection is a powerful acknowledgement of years of principled advocacy, sacrifice and courage in defending civic space and those who stand on the frontlines of human rights struggles,” the coalition said.

Adv Olengurumwa is the Founding National Coordinator and Board Secretary of THRDC, one of the region’s most influential platforms for the protection and empowerment of human rights defenders. Under his leadership, the coalition has grown from a modest 14-member initiative into a nationwide network of about 300 organisations by 2025. It has become a key voice for grassroots defenders, journalists, pastoralists and marginalised communities.

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A law graduate by training, Adv Olengurumwa joined the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) in 2009 as a researcher, where he documented Tanzania’s human rights record until 2012. In the same year, he co-founded THRDC at a time when civic space was fragile and the very concept of “human rights defenders” was poorly understood.

Over the past decade, THRDC has gained national, regional and international recognition for its role in policy advocacy, protection mechanisms and solidarity for defenders at risk. The coalition noted that even government institutions have acknowledged its contribution to strengthening civil society.

While the final appointment remains subject to the renewal of the mandate by the President of the Human Rights Council, THRDC described the nomination as a historic milestone for Tanzanian civil society and an inspiration to emerging human rights defenders across Africa and the Global South.