8 July 2013 - The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (ASG), Ivan Å imonovic arrived in Guinea-Bissau on 8 July, at the invitation of the transitional government, to attend Guinea-Bissau's first National Conference on Impunity, Justice and Human Rights and to conduct the first ever high-level human rights mission to the country.

Following a briefing with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Guinea-Bissau, José Ramos-Horta, ASG Å imonovic today held meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernando Delfim da Silva, the Transitional President of the Republic, Serifo Nhamadjo, and with representatives of civil society organisations at Casa dos Direitos (House of Rights).

ASG Å imonovic then departed for Mansoa, a city 60 Km north of the capital, Bissau, where he visited local authorities, the Mansoa Prison, and the Center for Access to Justice, a joint initiative between the Ministry of Justice and UNDP's Rule of Law Project that provides citizens with free legal assistance.

Throughout the week, ASG Å imonovic will conduct additional meetings with national authorities, civil society representatives, the National Human Rights Commission, academics and international partners in order to discuss the human rights situation, with a particular emphasis on the right to health, including addressing HIV/Aids, the conditions in prisons and detention centers, the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence, and impunity.

In Guinea-Bissau, impunity constitutes one of the main challenges to the promotion and protection of human rights.