GENEVA (3 February 2023) - The UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali, Alioune Tine, will conduct an official visit to the country from 6 to 17 February 2023. “This visit will allow me to continue the overall assessment of the human rights situation in the country and support the Malian transitional authorities in their efforts to promote and protect human rights,” Tine said. “During this visit, I will meet public authorities to discuss progress made in the implementation of commitments made on my previous recommendations, particularly on issues of protection of civic space, respect for the rule of law and the fight against impunity,” Tine said. During his visit to Bamako and the rest of the country, Tine will meet with Malian authorities, civil society and victims" associations, non-governmental organisations, diplomats and UN agencies. Tine will present his annual report to the Human Rights Council in March 2023. Mr. Alioune Tine (Senegal) took office as independent expert on the human rights situation in Malion 1 May 2018. The mandate of independent expert was renewed by the Human Rights Council on 1 April 2022 for a period of one year to assist the Government of Mali in its actions to promote and protect human rights and in the implementation of the recommendations made in Council resolutions. Mr. Tine was a founding member and President of the African Meeting for the Defense of Human Rights (RADDHO) and Coordinator of the Forum of African NGOs at the World Conference against Racism in 2000. Between 2014 and 2018, Mr. Tine was Amnesty International"s Regional Director for West and Central Africa. He has published many articles and studies on literature and human rights. The independent experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council"s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. UN human rights country page - Mali For additional information and media inquiries, please contact: Jean-Claude Misenga (+41 22 917 9059 / jeanclaude.misenga@un.org ). In Bamako (during the visit): Guillaume Ngefa (+223 94950226 / ngefa@un.org) and/or Anne-Marie Dongui (+223 95940624/ annemarie.dongui@un.org ). For media enquiries regarding other UN independent experts, please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org) Follow news related to the UN"s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts Concerned about the world we live in? Then STAND UP for someone"s rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org