The 71st online session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights was held between 21 April and 13 May 2022. This session addressed the impact of crises on the achievement of human rights on the continent and post-Covid-19 reconstruction.
The 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council, from 13 June to 8 July 2022, will consider issues including sexual orientation and gender identity, violence and discrimination against women and girls, poverty, peaceful assembly and association, and freedom of expression, among others. It will also present an opportunity to address grave human rights situations including in Afghanistan, Belarus, China, Eritrea, Israel and OPT, Russia, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela, among many others. Here’s an overview of some of the key issues on the agenda.
ISHR and RFK call on the Superior Court of Justice of Lima, Peru, to ensure the mining company ‘Yanococha’ is held accountable for violating the human rights of Elmer Campos and other defenders, attacked during a protest.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) examined the combined report of the 12th and 13th periodic reports of the Republic of Kenya during the virtual session held from 21 April to 13 May 2022. The report presents the progress made by the country regarding the state of human rights in Kenya.
The European Commission’s proposal must be strengthened to end corporate harm to human rights, the environment and climate.
ISHR and Rencontre pour la paix et les droits de l’homme (RPDH) called upon the African Commission to urge the Republic of Congo to comply with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) rules on transparency for extractive industries and to protect defenders working on connected issues.
Despite the African Union adopting the AGENDA 2063: “The Africa We Want” in May 2013, 2021- and beginning of 2022 have been marked by military coups in 5 African countries with considerable impact on human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy and governance. This needs to change.
Despite their vital work for protecting the environment and fighting climate change, Indigenous peoples as well as land and environmental defenders continue to be attacked. New data shows alarming pattern of violence and harassment as a precursor to lethal attacks against defenders. This needs to change!
On 29 and 30 April 2022, Nigerian civil society met in Abuja during a workshop co-organised by ISHR and Development Dynamics to discuss and strategise on ways to reduce legislative restrictions which impair the work of defenders and to strengthen legislative protections to support, safeguard and enable their work.
A historical first step or the beginning of a tick-the-box exercise? The EU Commission proposes a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence which would establish new human rights requirements for companies. The proposal is a milestone for the protection of people and the environment, but fails to recognise and include the voice of human rights defenders.
