Illustration: AtticMedia for ISHR (with the use of MidJourney)
Are you a human rights defender looking for tips on how to engage with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission, or ACHPR)? If so, delve into our new e-learning module and discover all you need for real world advocacy in Africa!
The ACHPR module is 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.
This brand new tool is made for human rights defenders, based on extensive in-house research and expertise from ISHR, as well as consultation with human rights defenders from partner organisations (see below). It is strategic, practical, and full of tips and tricks, tailor-made for the real-world advocacy needs of civil society in Africa.
The ACHPR module is divided into three parts, providing:
As a human rights defender, you can take the course in any order you like – you decide what is most interesting to you, based on your needs and objectives!
The module is interactive and dynamic, full of quizzes, video testimonies, practical scenarios, and real-life stories from human rights defenders from across Africa. With examples from Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Madagascar and much more, you can gain insights on how other human rights defenders and civil society actors have engaged with the African Commission and how effective this has been for their advocacy.
You will also find an updated Security section on the ISHR Academy with content on reprisals in the context of the African Commission.
‘The course provides valuable insights into the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and equips human rights defenders with essential tools to engage effectively with the Commission. For defenders in Madagascar, it is an indispensable resource that strengthens our advocacy efforts, both nationally and internationally’.Bonnie Shariff, Madagascar
With democracy and human rights under attack around the world, now more than ever it is imperative for African civil society to invest in engaging with regional human rights mechanisms and spaces like the African Commission, promoting, protecting, and defending human rights for all. It is our hope that this new e-learning module will help train, educate, and guide the next generation of human rights defenders in their advocacy efforts on the African continent.
The ACHPR module is being launched together with a new updated Road Map on Civil Society Engagement at the African Commission, an ISHR publication on the State reporting procedure, the African Commission’s main human rights protection mechanism.
We hope you will enjoy this new course on the premier and foremost regional human rights mechanism in Africa!
‘The module on the African Commission gave me a better understanding of the mechanisms for protecting human rights and I can use this to strengthen actions in favour of communities and the environment.’Obakèmi Jean-Pierre Olofindji, Benin
We warmly thank all the human rights defenders in Africa who strongly supported us in building this course with their valuable inputs and feedback:
Note that the French version of the ACHPR module is currently in development.
If you have any questions or feedback, please write to us at: [email protected]
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Developed for human rights defenders, the Road map provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities when engaging with the State reporting procedure of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
On 4 April 2025, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a substantive resolution to enhance the protection of human rights defenders in the face of the specific challenges posed by new and emerging technologies.
