Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia's Minister of Family Affairs and Human Rights, Amb. Khadiija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, on Wednesday praised President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for formally completing the establishment of the country's long-awaited National Independent Human Rights Commission.

In a statement, the minister welcomed the president's signing of the commission's final formation decree -- an action that coincided with International Human Rights Day -- describing it as a "significant step" toward strengthening human rights protections in Somalia.

"I sincerely thank President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for officially signing and completing the formation of the members of the National Independent Human Rights Commission, which had already been approved by both Houses of Parliament and the Cabinet," Al-Makhzoumi said.

She noted that the president's signature concludes a lengthy process in which the ministry and other state institutions had invested substantial effort over several years to establish an independent body mandated to safeguard and promote human rights.

The Ministry of Family Affairs and Human Rights has long advocated for the creation of such a commission, one of the key recommendations of Somalia's National Human Rights Conference. Under the country's provisional constitution, the president has the authority to formally endorse the establishment of independent commissions.

The minister said the new body marks an important milestone in Somalia's state-building efforts and its commitment to accountability, justice and the protection of citizens' rights.