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At the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, during the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report of Benin, ISHR and Changement Social Benin delivered a joint statement encouraging Benin to do more for the protection of defenders in the country.
In compliance with Article 62 of the African Charter, States have the obligation to report every two years on the legislative, administrative and political measures taken with a view to give effect to human rights guaranteed by the Charter. Despite the challenges of conducting the sessions online, it doesn't prevent the African Commission from holding States accountable to their human rights obligations.
Today, UN member States elected members to the UN's top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, for the 2022-2024 term. 18 candidates ran for 18 seats, and all were elected, leaving civil society disappointed in a process that can hardly be called an election.
This week in an online event, 10 candidate States publicly spoke to an audience of around 200 people on their pledges as incoming Human Rights Council members for 2022 – 2024. They also faced questions on pressing human rights issues from both States and civil society organisations.
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During the 67th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR or the Commission), ISHR delivered statements during the interactive dialogue regarding activity reports of the Commissioners of the Commission under item 6. The statements reminded the importance of protecting women's rights, raised concerns about the situation of human rights defenders facing intimidation, reprisals, and restriction, and noted that abuses against environmental, land, and indigenous people’s defenders continue to increase across Africa.
On 24 November, ISHR delivered a statement on the situation of human rights in Africa, with a particular focus on the restrictions to freedom of assembly in Africa and the recent arrests of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights’ (EIPR) staff in Egypt.
In a packed event for recently-confirmed candidates for Human Rights Council membership, Costa Rica and Sudan spoke to their human rights records and pledges. This second 2019 #HRCpledging event in New York was designed to enable UN member States to make good, informed choices when they cast their ballots on Thursday.
