African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights ©ISHR
The African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights is Africa’s main human rights body, holding public sessions twice a year at which States’ compliance under the African Charter on Human & Peoples’ Rights is reviewed.
Preceding these sessions, human rights defenders gather at the NGO Forum to discuss human rights concerns and urge the Commission to take action. Such engagement is key to strengthening the African human rights system.
For over a decade ISHR has engaged actively with the Commission. Through lobbying, support to Special Rapporteurs, membership of Commission working groups and the NGO Forum Steering Committee, and by the publication of biannual reports and periodic monitors on the NGO Forum and Commission sessions, ISHR contributes to building this human rights system.
While acknowledging the tremendous contributions NHRIs and CSOs continue to make to its promotional and protection activities, the African Commission reminded these actors of their obligations to submit reports of their activities every two years.
Panellists in an African Commission’s panel reiterated the clarion call for a progressive interpretation of the principle of confidentiality under Article 59(1) of the African Charter to ensure broader participation of individuals and non-governmental organisations to proceedings before the Commission and speed up the implementation of the Commission decisions.
At a side event co-organised by ISHR on the sidelines of the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia, panellists reflected on positive and negative developments regarding the protection of defenders’ rights 25 years after the adoption of the UN Declaration and the potential role of the Declaration +25.
On the situation of LGBTQI human rights defenders in Côte d'Ivoire and how to support their work, on the sidelines of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights' 81st Ordinary Session.
Looking at a new tool tracking freedom of association and assembly in Africa, unveiled at the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, in Banjul.
During a side event, ISHR co-hosted on the margins of the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission, panelists reviewed the state of environmental defenders’ rights and reiterated their call for an African regional framework on environmental rights.
The health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has led States to take measures to combat the spread of the virus. Despite the state of health emergency, some of these measures were considered inappropriate and have considerably limited the rights of defenders with a considerable impact on their work.
In order for the African human rights system to function to its fullest potential, human rights defenders must be able to share crucial information and perspectives regarding situations on the ground. However, many defenders still face unacceptable risks and are unable to cooperate safely with the African human rights system.
A landmark new manual for and about women human rights defenders has just been launched by the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition. Providing women human rights defenders with the tools to document their experience and that of colleagues, the manual aims at generating awareness about violations and abuses against defenders and supporting demands for human rights change.
This issue of Kumulika - our analytical publication on the African Commission - covers key developments at the 55th session and the NGO Forum which preceded it.
The Road map for civil society engagement: State reporting procedure of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights outlines a programme through which civil society organisations (CSOs) can maximise their impact while engaging with the African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).
