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AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone 002511-115 517 700 Cables: OAU, Addis Ababa website : www. africa-union.org EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Eleventh Ordinary Session 25 – 29 June, 2007 Accra, GHANA EX.CL/364 (XI) REPORT OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS (ACHPR) EX.CL/364 (XI) Page 1 TWENTY-SECOND ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS INTRODUCTION 1. This Report is divided into three (3) sections: Section one deals with the holding of the 41st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereinafter referred to as the ACHPR or the African Commission); Section two describes the activities undertaken by members of the Commission during the period covered by the Report; and Section three deals with Financial and Administrative matters of the Commission. The Report has three (3) annexes.1 2. The present Report covers the period November 2006 - May 2007. SECTION I The 41st Ordinary Session 3. The African Commission held its 41st Ordinary Session in Accra, Ghana from 16 – 30 May 2007. The Agenda of the session is attached to the present Report as Annexure one (1). 4. The 41st Ordinary Session was preceded by a series of events including three workshops organized by the Commission of the African Union, namely: a workshop on the implementation of AU decisions on human rights; a workshop on monitoring and documentation of human rights violations by national human rights institutions; and a round-table discussion on the Media in Africa. The ACHPR, in collaboration with local NGOs in Ghana, organised a two-mile march on the right to reproductive health and further held a round-table discussion on the subject. As it is customary, the NGO Forum was organised by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), in collaboration with the African Commission. 5. The main objective of these events, which started on the 9th and ended on the 15th of May 2007 in Accra, Ghana was to underscore the importance of mainstreaming human and peoples' rights in Africa. They also provided NGOs working in the field of human rights in Africa with an opportunity to reflect, in partnership with the African Commission and other relevant stakeholders, on ways and means of enhancing the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights on the continent. 1 Agenda of the 41st Ordinary Session held from 16 – 30 May 2007 in Accra, Ghana; Decision on communication finalised at the 41st Ordinary Session and the African Commission’s Report of the Fact-finding mission to the Republic of The Sudan undertaken from 08 – 18 July 2004. EX.CL/364 (XI) Page 2 Attendance at the Session 6. The following Members of the African Commission attended the 41st Ordinary Session-: • Commissioner Salamata Sawadogo, Chairperson; • Commissioner Yassir Sid Ahmed El Hassan, Vice-Chairperson; • Commissioner Kamel Rezag-Bara; • Commissioner Musa Ngary Bitaye; • Commissioner Reine Alapini-Gansou; • Commissioner Mumba Malila; • Commissioner Angela Melo; • Commissioner Sanji Mmasenono Monageng; • Commissioner Bahame Tom Mukirya Nyanduga; and • Commissioner Faith Pansy Tlakula. 7. In accordance with Article 39 (2), following a decision of the 40th ordinary session of the ACHPR the seat of Commissioner Mohamed Ould Babana was declared vacant by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union. Participation at the 41st Ordinary Session 8. During the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by H.E Salamata Sawadogo, Chairperson of the African Commission, Honourable Osei Prempeh, Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Ghana, Honourable Patrick Chinamasa, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe on behalf of AU Member States, H.E. Julia Joiner Commissioner for Political Affairs of the Commission of the African Union, Mrs. Kahinde Ajoni on behalf of African National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), Mrs. Hannah Forster on behalf non- governmental organizations (NGOs). Finally, Honourable Joe Ghartey, the Attorney- General and Minister for Justice of the Republic of Ghana delivered an opening address on behalf of H.E. Dr. John Kufuor and officially opened the 41st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR. 9. The Session was attended by four hundred and eighty five (485) participants representing thirty two (32) States Parties,2, eleven (11) National Human Rights 3 4 Institutions , and several African and International intergovernmental and non- 2 Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea (Conakry), Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 3 The National Human Rights Institutions were from: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Tanzania and Togo. EX.CL/364 (XI) Page 3 governmental organizations, including the UN family and specifically the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 10. H.E. Mrs. Salamata Sawadogo, the Chairperson of the African Commission, in her welcome address, thanked the government and the people of Ghana for hosting the 41st Ordinary Session of the African Commission. She also congratulated H.E. Dr. John Kufuor, the President of the Republic of Ghana for the successful celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Ghana’s independence. She noted that it was Ghana’s independence in 1957 that broke the backbone of colonialism in Africa, galvanized and inspired Africa to realise its dream of freedom. 11. She underscored the fact that though her term as Chairperson of the African Commission is coming to an end, the African Commission is at the crossroads of many changes and challenges that are presenting new opportunities to promote democracy and protect human rights. She stated that the Commission as the premier institution responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights in the continent is making use of the opportunities of change occasioned by the peoples’ quest for freedom, African leaders’ desire for change and the dynamism of civil society. She urged States Parties to mainstream human rights in their development policies. She noted that in the course of the past four years, the Commission has strengthened its relationship with States Parties through dialogue while at the same time preserving its independence. 12. She took the opportunity to express her gratitude to Member States of the AU, her colleagues, staff members of the Secretariat and all the partners of the ACHPR for the support during the period of her mandate. 13. In conclusion, she encouraged Member States of the AU to implement the provisions of the Constitutive Act of the AU in the promotion and protection of human rights on the continent. 14. Honourable leaders of delegations of Member States of the African Union, and representatives of intergovernmental organisations, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organisations read their statements on the situation of human rights on the continent. Rapporteur of the 41st Ordinary Session 15. The Members of the Commission appointed Commissioner Mumba Malila to serve as the Rapporteur for the 41st Ordinary Session. 4 The following Intergovernmental Organizations were also present at the 41st ordinary session: the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). EX.CL/364 (XI) Page 4 Cooperation between the African Commission, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) 16. The African Commission considered the application for Affiliate Status of the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms of Cameroon and deferred the matter to its next session pending further clarification on the status of the National Human Rights and Freedoms Committee of Cameroon which already has an affiliate status with the Commission. 17. The African Commission appealed to States Parties that had not yet done so, to establish national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles and with its own resolution on national institutions and strengthen the capacities of existing ones. 18. During the session, the African Commission also considered the applications of seven (7) NGOs seeking observer status before it. In accordance with its Resolution ACHPR /Res.33(XXV)99: on the Criteria for Granting and Enjoying Observer Status to Non-Governmental Organizations Working in the field of Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted in 1999, the African Commission, after consideration, granted observer status to the following NGOs: • African Women Organisation in the Diaspora (AWODO) of The Gambia; • Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights of Zimbabwe; • Zimbabwe Exiles Forum of South Africa; • Federation of Women Lawyers of Kenya; and • Centre for Democratic Governance in Burkina Faso of Burkina Faso. 19. This brings the number of NGOs with Observer Status before the African Commission to three hundred and sixty seven (367). SECTION II a. Activities of Members of the Commission 20. During the period under consideration, members of the Commission undertook several activities,