What will happen during the NGO Forum and 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission?
The NGO Forum
The Forum on the Participation of NGOs in ordinary sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, also known as the ‘NGO Forum’ is an advocacy platform coordinated by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) to promote advocacy, lobbying and networking among and between human rights NGOs, for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa.
The NGO Forum shares updates on the human rights situation in Africa by the African and international NGOs community with a view of identifying responses as well as adopting strategies towards the promotion and protection of human rights in the continent.
This session will be hosted in person in Banjul, the Gambia. The theme in 2025 will be centred on reparations under the African Union theme of the year: ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descendent Through Reparations’.
The Forum will deliberate on the following sub-themes:
- Economic Reparations for Sustainable Development: This theme examines how reparations can address systemic poverty and wealth inequalities rooted in slavery and colonial exploitation. Discussions will focus on resource allocation, financial compensation mechanisms, and utilising reparations to support education, healthcare, and infrastructure development in affected communities.
- Addressing Modern-Day Slavery and Exploitation: This focus explores strategies to dismantle contemporary systems of exploitation by strengthening legal frameworks, providing support for survivors, and addressing the socio-economic conditions that enable slavery to persist.
- Gender Justice in Reparations: Women and girls often face unique and compounded harms in both historical and modern contexts of slavery. This focus highlights the importance of gender-sensitive approaches in reparations, addressing issues like sexual exploitation, forced marriages, and access to reparative resources for women.
- Corporate Accountability and Ethical Practices: This theme explores the role of multinational corporations in perpetuating exploitation through forced labour and resource extraction. Discussions will center on holding corporations accountable, implementing fair labour standards, and integrating corporate reparative contributions into justice frameworks.
- Global Advocacy and Solidarity for Reparative Justice: Building global alliances is essential to advance the reparations agenda. This focus addresses strategies for collaboration between African nations, the diaspora, and international organisations to push for reparative justice in international forums, while ensuring shared responsibility and global solidarity.
- Global Crime Networks and Reparative Justice: This theme examines crime on a global scale while highlighting how transnational organised crime and criminal networks exploit Africa’s weak state governance systems, thereby undermining effective state-building efforts. Additionally, the issue of reparative justice for victims, particularly within the African context affected by international crime, remains largely unaddressed. This theme will guide discussions on the challenges of combating global crime networks and explore potential strategies and initiatives designed to tackle this pressing issue.
- Governance and Policy Frameworks: Exploring practical strategies for African governments to institutionalise reparative actions and embed human rights-based approaches into their policies is essential for fostering accountability and sustainable development. By integrating these frameworks, governments can take decisive action to enhance governance, uphold justice, and implement meaningful reparations that redress historical injustices while promoting long-term social cohesion and equity.
The Forum will cover three main thematic areas:
- Status of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, updates from subregional focal points on the general situation.
- Networking for Human Rights in Africa, adoption of strategies, best practices for contribution towards the attainment of peace, security and development in Africa.
- Special Interest Group Discussions, which will allow participants to identify recommendations to address challenges raised in panel discussions.
Panel discussions will tackle the following themes:
- Historical Context, legal Foundations, and mental health impacts of reparations
- Combating modern-day slavery and exploitation
- From land dispossession to famine: the case for reparations and justice in Sudan
- Crackdown on civic space in East Africa: the suppression of Human Rights Organisations and the crisis in Cameroon
- Women and reparative justice
- Religious and traditional leaders: partners in justice and reparations
- The role of human rights defenders in advancing justice
- Economic justice and wealth redistribution
- Digital technology and human rights in Africa
- Transnational organised crimes: a human rights perspective
Among other goals, the NGO forum is expected to achieve the following:
- Documenting general trends and Situation of education, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Africa.
- Networking and partnership building with and amongst participants and stakeholders
- Reporting on the special interest groups.
- Adopting Recommendations and resolutions where necessary to highlight them at the opening of the 83rd Ordinary Session.
The 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Panels and Launches (Item 4)
- Panel on silencing violence against human rights defenders (2 May, 16:30 – 17:30 (GMT))
- Panel on the current human rights situation in Sudan (3 May, 11:30 – 12:30)
- Panel on extrajudicial killings in the fight against terrorism in Africa (7 May 2025, 11:30 – 12:30)
- Panel on the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls & launching of the SRRWA’s Women Empowerment Newsletter (7 May, 12:30 – 13:30)
- Panel on the need for a torture-free trade treaty (7 May, 16:30 – 17:30)
- Panel on lessons from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and current challenges: human rights in conflict situations and transitional justice (10 May, 11:30 – 12:30pm)
- Panel on justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations (10 May, 14:30 – 15:30)
Consideration of State periodic reports (Item 8)
During this session, pursuant to Article 62 of the African Charter which compels States to report every two years on all measures taken with a view to giving effect to the rights and freedoms recognised and guaranteed by the Charter, two countries will be reviewed:
Activity reports (item 6)
During every session, special mechanisms from the African Commission present their activity reports showcasing their activities and initiatives undertaken between sessions. The following mandate holders will present their reports during this 83rd session:
- Chairperson of the ACHPR and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Reprisals in Africa
- Vice-Chairperson of the ACHPR and Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa
- Chairperson of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights Violations in Africa
- Chairperson of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa
- Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing in Africa
- Chairperson of the Working Group on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa
- Chairperson of the Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and People with Disabilities in Africa
- Chairperson of the Working Group on Communications
- Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa
- Chairperson of the Working Group on Death Penalty and Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings and Enforced Disappearances in Africa
- Chairperson of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of People Living with HIV and those at Risk, Vulnerable to and Affected by HIV
- Chairperson of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities and Minorities in Africa
- Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa
For the full programme, click here.
What will ISHR do during this session?
During this session, ISHR will make several statements under Items 3 and 5:
- Human rights situation in Africa (item 3)
- Activity reports (item 6)
- Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa
ISHR will also organise a number of events around the session:
- Launch of new e-learning module on engagement with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. ISHR is pleased to launch the ACHPR module, a free, online, interactive, and self-paced learning tool. It is the first of its kind dedicated to human rights defenders, covering the entirety of the African Commission, its procedures and mechanisms, as well as how civil society can best engage with its work.
- Launch of a new report on the situation of defenders from the island countries of Africa. In Africa, human rights defenders from island countries are often forgotten. Their lived experience and their contexts remain little known, and they generally receive less protection. Join us for the launch of this new ISHR report, highlighting the realities, needs, and concrete support strategies for human rights defenders.
What are the opportunities for advocacy?
Human Rights Situation in Africa
Under Item 3, civil society organisations with observer status have can make a statement highlighting specific issues relating to human rights enshrined in the African Charter. This opportunity can be used to call the attention of the Commission on a specific issue or update Commissioners on an issue brought to their attention previously.
Examination of Country Reports
Under article 62 of the African Charter, States must submit a report every two years on the legislative and other measures they have taken in order to give effect to the rights and freedoms recognised and guaranteed by the Charter. During the examination process, civil society organisations can submit shadow reports ahead of the session during which countries will be reviewed in order to inform the Commission’s recommendations and to provide States with guidance on how they can better implement their obligations. Civil society can thus constructively engage with the Commission and States on the realisation of human rights across the continent.
Country and Special Rapporteurs mandates
The mandate of each of Commissioner covers 5 countries in Africa. During the session, civil society organisations have the opportunity to meet with the Commissioners whose mandates cover their countries of interest. It is important to seize this moment to update the relevant mandate holder on the issues specific to your country of interest and more specifically call their attention to an issue you want them to raise with State representatives directly or during the session.
Though it is recommended that civil society share information with Special Rapporteurs throughout the year, at each session, organisations can make statements highlighting important issues of interest during the presentations of activity reports by each Commissioner, including Special Rapporteurs.
How can you follow the session?
Live streams of the following sessions will be available on the ACHPR’s YouTube page:
- 2 – 11 May: Public sessions (in-person), Banjul, The Gambia
- 22 may: Closing Ceremony (Public Session)
ISHR will monitor and report on key developments at the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission. Follow us on Twitter/X at @ISHRglobal, using #ACHPR83, or take a look at @ISHR_fr for content in French. You may also follow our staff directly at @salome_ishr and @AITremblay.
Find us on Bluesky at @ishr.ch, @aitremblay.bsky.social, @salomeishr.bsky.social.
