Participants group photo for the ACHPR Training. Photo credits: ISHR.
From 5 to 13 October, ISHR, DefendDefenders and Front Line Defenders organised the second edition of the training for civil society ahead of the African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). Defenders also participated in the NGO Forum to raise their issues.
If you wish to learn more on how to engage at the ACHPR as a human rights defender, start our free online course on the ISHR Academy!
From 5 to 13 October, 2026, a select group of 17 experienced African-based human rights defenders (HRDs) gathered in Dakar, Senegal, for the second edition of an intensive training programme hosted by the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), in partnership with Front Line Defenders and DefendDefenders.
The course was strategically timed between the NGO Forum and the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), giving participants direct access to regional advocacy opportunities, including related to the African Union 2026 theme: Water sustainability.
The call for applications attracted more than 1,040 people. The final cohort represented a broad spectrum of human rights work across Africa, and we had participants from: Algeria, Cameroon, Centrafrican Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Libya, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Participants included environmental justice advocates, women’s rights defenders, indigenous rights activists, digital rights specialists, lawyers, and youth leaders, each bringing a number of years of national-level advocacy experience and some prior engagement with regional human rights systems and protection laws.
What I liked most was that the training was very practical. It showed me how the mechanisms of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights work, and how to use them in my advocacy. Taking the training right before the NGO Forum and the opening of the session in Dakar allowed me to immediately put what I had learned into practice.ACHPR training participant
Over 2.5 days of in-person sessions, combined with pre-course online sessions on digital and physical safety, participants engaged in peer-learning, shared stories of good practices across diverse contexts, from defending land rights of Indigenous Pygmy communities in DRC to combating gender-based violence in Mali; from documenting extractive industry impacts in Sierra Leone to advancing digital security for HRDs in Nigeria.
They also deep dive into the Commission’s mandate, instruments (communications, State Periodic Reviews, country visits etc.), and how to navigate its procedures strategically. They attended and actively participated in the NGO Forum organised by the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) and the opening of the 89th Ordinary Session.
Participants met also a range of stakeholders including Honorable Commissioner Remy Ngo Lumbu, Mrs Hanna Foster (director of ACDHRS), Mr Seydi Gassama (President of the Senegalese Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COSEDDH) and Director of Amnesty International Senegal), and Benjamin Moreau, deputy representative from the UN Office for High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) in Dakar.
Finally, a side event on protecting environment, land, and digital space in Africa was organised, showcasing participants.
The collective feedback indicated that all participants found the training transformative and highly valuable.
A clearer roadmap emerged for integrating the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights into national advocacy campaigns, effectively transforming continental mechanisms into tangible local change that defenders can implement back in their communities. The participants forged connections with peers from over fifteen different countries, creating a pan-African solidarity network designed to provide mutual support and lay the groundwork for future collaboration across diverse regions of the continent.
Session with Adélaïde Etong Kame
In addition, through the training, defenders enhanced their ability to prepare effective communications, navigate the often-complex procedural requirements of the Commission, and anticipate potential State responses when engaging with its various mechanisms and processes. Their understanding of risk mitigation strategies and protocols for dealing with reprisals improved significantly, bolstered by dedicated security sessions and the invaluable exchange of experiences among fellow activists who face similar challenges.
For years we knew about the ACHPR theoretically, but this training showed us how to use it to amplify our voices back home.ACHPR training participant
This initiative directly supports the broader goal of a vibrant, independent civil society. By equipping defenders with the tools to engage effectively with the ACHPR, the programme helps ensure that human rights violations documented at the community level are not silenced but rather brought before regional scrutiny, leading to stronger protections and accountability in Africa.
If you wish to learn more on how to engage at the ACHPR as a human rights defender, start our free online course on the ISHR Academy!
Supporting programmes like this is critical. With your contribution, more defenders can attend future editions, ensuring that every corner of Africa has a voice at the continent’s premier human rights body. We thank Irish Aid, Bread for the World and the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for their generous contributions
DefendDefenders, Front Line Defenders and ISHR are organising an in-person training to equip African defenders with the knowledge and skills to integrate the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights into their existing work at the national level in a strategic manner.
This year eleven activists completed ISHR’s flagship training, the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme, to strengthen their advocacy skills and develop an individual roadmap to push for change in their country.
ISHR introduces a new on-line course on advocacy for environmental human rights defenders, a practical, self-paced resource for activists, community leaders, and allies to defend the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment using UN and regional mechanisms.
