GENEVA (29 August 2025) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K Barume, will conduct an official visit to Botswana from 1 to 12 September 2025.
The expert will examine a diverse range of issues affecting Indigenous Peoples, including the right to lands, territories and resources, administration of justice, equality and non-discrimination, participation in decision-making, violence against Indigenous women and girls, Indigenous language, education and culture, business and human rights, and climate change and environment.
Barume will visit Gaborone (South-East District), Kgalagadi District, Ghanzi District, North-West (Ngamiland) District, Central District and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
The Special Rapporteur will meet with Government officials, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, civil society, academics and UN representatives. He will also visit Indigenous communities to discuss their priorities and concerns.
Barume will hold a press conference to share his preliminary findings and recommendations at 11:00 in UN Building, Cnr Khama Crescent & President’s Drive, Government Enclave, Gaborone. Access is limited to accredited journalists and registration will be required in advance.
The Special Rapporteur will present his final report on the visit to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2026.
ENDS
Albert K. Barume, is the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/
UN Human Rights, country page – Botswana
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