On 30 April, ISHR delivered a statement following the presentation of the report of the Special Rapporteur on defenders in Africa. The statement focused on the need to include civil society in the newly established protection mechanisms and the need for the Special Rapporteur to publish their first report on reprisals against those who engage with African human rights mechanisms.
The statement delivered by ISHR shared some concerns about the lack of institutional involvement of defenders in the protection mechanism in Côte d’Ivoire.
“While we welcome the institutional involvement of civil society in the mechanisms in Mali and Burkina Faso, we regret that this is not yet the case in Côte d’Ivoire” stated Stéphanie Wamba, ISHR’s Africa Programme Advocate.
ISHR reminded the Commission of its report which presented a disturbing pattern of intimidation and reprisals in several African countries against civil society working with African human rights mechanisms and the need for the mandate of the Focal point on reprisals to publish their overdue first report on reprisals.
“For the African human rights system to function at its best, human rights defenders need to be able to share crucial opinions and information about situations on the ground” added Stéphanie Wamba.
To conclude ISHR reminded the Commission of the efforts made so far for the legislative protection of defenders in Africa and the importance to ensure those are in line with the content and spirit of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders.
“We call on the Rapporteur to continue to support and accompany civil society and States in adopting laws and policies in line with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders” concluded Stéphanie Wamba.
Download as PDF
At a Human Rights Council debate with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, ISHR delivered a joint statement with Sudanese Women’s Rights Action and the Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in South West Asia and North Africa.
At the last session of its current membership, the NGO Committee’s rate of approval for organisations awaiting consultative status dropped to a record low of 5% amidst continued politicisation of NGO engagement at the UN.
During its 87th session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) heard about the human rights situation on the continent, reviewed the periodic report of the Republic of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and of the Republic of Kenya, and held different panels to advance the protection of human rights on specific themes and countries.
