ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON THE 2030 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AND PRETRIAL DETENTION

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Open Society Foundation and UNODC held a round table discussion in London to discuss Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.3:

Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

Omar presented his previous work on alternatives to imprisonment and reducing pre-trial detention in East Africa and took part in discussions related measuring progress against the current indicator and possible improvements to future measurement.

While the inclusion of Pre-Trial Detention in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a positive step the quality of the indicator of progress has come under question.

Indicator 16.3.2: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population.

Presentations form UNODC and Penal Reform International addressed possible solutions for reducing the unnecessary use of pre-trial detention.

DOCTORAL RESEARCH: Pre-Trial Detention in Brazil

Omar is currently undertaking PhD Criminology research at the University of Westminster, London.

The focus is on understanding the most effective methods for reducing Pretrial Detention in Brazil.

He will be examining the local interpretation of normative Euro-American understanding of human rights and how this effects reform and implementation.