Prominent attorney Christopher Townsend to join international human rights body

Prominent attorney-at-law Christopher Townsend has accepted an offer to be a member of the Organization for Human Rights Defence, which is affiliated with the United Nations. 

Townsend said today that being a member will give him the power to investigate on behalf of the organisation any breaches of human rights in any country, particularly in the Caribbean. 

"I have to go through some level of security clearance and when that is done I will be able to take up my appointment," he said. 

Townsend said he has years of service in the protection of human rights.

"It is a great honour to be offered such a post and I do believe that I am equal to the task since it is something that I have in fact been doing for a while,” he said.

"It is good to be recognised in this fashion and given this opportunity to affect human rights not only on a local scale but on a regional scale," he added.

Townsend's appointment to the organisation will take place at a ceremony to be held in Romania later this year.

The objectives of the organisation are to investigate human rights abuse and misuse and create projects and plans of action to help resolve any such abuses around the world.

The role of the organisation is to ensure that the rights and freedoms of all people are protected under the

United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

- Barbara Gayle

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