BARBADOS IS setting up a unit to keep tabs on its human rights issues.

Attorney-General and Minister of Home Affairs Freundel Stuart announced this yesterday while giving the opening address at a two-day Caribbean Regional Seminar on the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council at Savannah Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church.

Stuart said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Attorney-General are at present discussing the establishment of a human rights unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a dedicated human rights officer to co-ordinate all issues relating to Barbados' human rights obligations."

Barbados and the Bahamas will be the first two Commonwealth countries to be reviewed during the third session of the United National Council in December.

Stuart said "an officious bystander" may question the allocation of scarce human and financial resources to researching and reporting on human rights when the region this year had to grapple with devastating hurricanes, high food prices and food security, the rising price of oil and the jolt to international financial markets as a result of the financial crisisin the United States.

He added: "It is generally know that human rights are most at risk during times of deep crisis. The relevance of human rights and the relevance of a reporting system therefore should be clear to us all. Barbados has always been willing to advance the cause of human rights and since we believe that justice should not merely be done, but should also be seen to be done, we support fully the principle of periodic review."

The move to set up the unit has been lauded by the head of the Human Rights Unit at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Dr Purna Sen, who said thatsimilar units should be establishedin all countries.

Twelve countries are participating in the seminar, including Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Zambia and Tongo. (DS)