The Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) of the United Nations Human Rights Council elected His Excellency Samuel U. B. Saffa ESQ., Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and other international organizations in Geneva, as its Chair-Rapporteur by acclamation. The Working Group was established under Human Rights Council resolution 56/5 to explore and draft a potential Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which would reaffirm the right of every child to education, including early childhood education and care, free pre-primary and secondary education.
In accepting the role, Ambassador Saffa expressed his gratitude to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio for entrusting him with the opportunity to represent Sierra Leone on the international stage. He emphasised that President Bio’s flagship Free Quality School Education Programme has become part of the global agenda and is now reflected in the international community’s commitment to advancing education rights.
‘This connection between national vision and global leadership is a source of pride for all Sierra Leoneans,’ said Ambassador Saffa. ‘I thank President Bio for his bold and visionary leadership, and I commit to carrying out this responsibility with diligence, even in the face of adversity.’
Resolution 56/5, adopted on 10 July 2024, marked a milestone in global education advocacy. It reaffirmed the universal right to education enshrined in international treaties, emphasised its transformative role in advancing equality and sustainable development, and highlighted deep concerns that millions of children remain excluded from school, especially at pre-primary and secondary levels, due to financial and systemic barriers.
A group of states, including Luxembourg, Armenia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nauru, Panama, Romania, Gambia, Sierra Leone and the Dominican Republic — the main sponsors of resolution 56/5 — nominated Ambassador Saffa for the role of Chair-Rapporteur.
The Sierra Leonean diplomat brings a wealth of experience to the position. A barrister and solicitor of the Superior Court of Judicature in Sierra Leone, he has more than 25 years of professional and administrative experience. He was recently appointed as Co-Chancellor of the United Methodist Church in Sierra Leone and played a key role in advancing justice sector reforms during his time with the British Council from 2000 to 2003 and again from 2009 to 2010. This included establishing the Pilot National Legal Aid Programme, which is now known as the Legal Aid Board of Sierra Leone.
In Geneva, he has made significant contributions to Sierra Leone’s international engagement, including during the country’s tenure as a regional representative on the Bureau of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He is also well known for his active role in the Human Rights Council, where his professional contributions and his distinctive bow tie are widely recognised.
Ambassador Saffa also serves as a mediator and arbitrator with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), which is part of the World Bank Group.
Following his election, he will now guide the IGWG’s deliberations towards drafting a potential new Optional Protocol to the CRC, which aims to strengthen global commitments to inclusive, equitable and free education for all children.
BONTON DANTON
Email: bontondanton@yahoo.com
