ISHR
On 5 and 6 May 2025, during its 83rd Ordinary Session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held the second joint forum of its special mechanisms. It serves as an opportunity to bring actors from various backgrounds to discuss the possibility of converging human rights and sustainable development for the benefit of Africans.
The theme of the second joint forum held during the public ordinary session of the ACHPR was ‘Human rights as an imperative for people-centred sustainable development in Africa’. Commissioners, Special Rapporteurs, States representatives, national human rights institutions (NHRI), civil society organisations (CSO), human rights and development experts, academics, law practitioners, representatives of international and regional human rights bodies and others discussed topics like economic investment, health, justice, protection of vulnerable groups and civic space as interdependent with human rights for the realisation of sustainable development. Hence, during ten panel-discussions, panellists called for the consideration of human rights in the development processes.
During the panel on ‘freedom of association, assembly, expression and access to information as enablers of human and sustainable development, Geereesha Topsy Sonoo, ACHPR’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information quoted James Wolfensohn:
If you cannot enfranchise poor people, if they do not have a right to expression, if there is no searchlight on corruption and inequitable practices, you cannot build the public consensus needed to bring about change.James Wolfenson in 'Voices for the poor', The Washington Post, 10 November 1999.
Geereesha Topsy Sonoo further recalled that:
Freedom of expression is an essential enabler of sustainable development. In addition to empowering individuals, communities and civil societies, it facilitates a wide range of other rights including those underpinning sustainable development such as the right to health, education, water and a clean environment. It allows the government to be better informed and more responsive to the needs of the people (…). A meaningful access to information is also a key dimension of development and an indicator and driver of development. Access to information supports and enables a wide range of human rights (…).Geereesha Topsy Sonoo, ACHPR’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information
Additionally recalling the indivisible relation between development and human rights as mentioned in the Preamble of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, she called for the respect of these fundamental rights in the broad sustainable development processes.
Bearing in mind the African Union’s 2025 theme ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations’, former UN’s Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Clement Voule stated that freedom of association and assembly are some of the fundamental rights which allowed Africans to initiate movements toward their liberation from colonialism and apartheid. He added that:
Freedom of association, assembly, expression and access to information are rights that are at the foundation of any democratic, inclusive and peaceful society. (…) They allow civil society organisations and other public persons to become agents of their own development.Clement Voule, former UN’s Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Andrew Songa, member of this panel, also expressed the widely-shared view that development and participation rights are interdependent and indivisible. He agreed that human rights cannot be separated from sustainable development under any circumstances.
To conclude those two days, Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, ACHPR’s Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders and focal points on reprisals, recognised that human rights defenders are also agents of development; consequently, their involvement or the consideration of human rights-based approaches in the achievement of sustainable development is not optional. It is a fundamental condition for any State knowing that:
A country where freedom of expression, association and assembly are restricted, is a country that is not democratically viable (…).Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, ACHPR’s Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders and focal points on reprisals
At the 83rd ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission, or ACHPR), the African Commission reviewed Ethiopia under the State reporting procedure, as per article 62 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. We call on Ethiopia to do more to protect human rights defenders in the country.
On 8 May 2025, during the 83rd ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), ISHR delivered a statement under Item 5, which focused on the activity report of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. The statement reaffirmed ISHR’s strong commitment to the protection and empowerment of defenders across Africa.
63 press freedom and human rights NGOs strongly condemn the Chinese government's ongoing arbitrary detention of journalist, human rights defender and former lawyer Zhang Zhan, on the 5th anniversary of her arrest.
