The Continental platform for Non-Governmental Orgnisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations and other rights related activist otherwise called ‘NGO Forum’ has opened yesterday, in Banjul.
The forum intensified calls for effective and efficient implementation of provisions of African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, especially those on promotion and protection of fundamental human rights as freedom of expression, association, speech, assembly as well as the rights of human right defenders both men and women defenders without any reservation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairperson of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights H.E Commissioner Soyata Maiga described this year’s theme of the Ordinary Session very crucial cognizant of situation of Africa and harmful nature of corruption to our overall sustainable development objectives, saying corruption is widely spread in Africa and beyond, hence there is the need to address it in order to achieve the desired development objectives for Africa and humanity at large.
The Commission Chairperson outline what she called horrors and scourge of various crisis across Africa, especially rebellion, insecurity and other human rights violations taking place in different countries, efforts done by the Commission, African Union, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and other development partners towards resolving some of them at various levels.
She cited crisis situations as Cameroon, Bokoharam in Nigeria, especially Kibogo girls, Central African Republic, DRC, Burundi, Somalia among others as concern areas for the commission, saying despite challenges such crisis pose to the overall development of Africa and its people.
She added that African Commission will never relent in finding lasting solutions to them, through implementation of international, regional and domestic instruments such as treaties, protocol, national laws and other mechanisms.
She assured the NGO and Civil Society Community of the commission’s support at all times, especially human right defenders both male and female defenders.
Honorable Miarom Begoto, Chairman of African Union (AU) Board on Anti-corruption reminded audience that, African Union leader’s chooses Anti-corruption as the theme for this year’s event and that despite the fight against corruption in Africa, it continues to remain in our midst and it is seriously undermines our development objectives, hence the decision for choosing the theme and the need to get rid of it for the interest and welfare of all Africans and humanity as a whole.
The AU chair on corruption assured his office’s support and further urged the NGO and Civil Society Community to always count on the support of African Union at all times, but was quick to remind them about what he called “The need for them to make effective use of all international, regional and national instruments, as organs and mechanisms of the African Union, United Nations among others”.
Hanna Foster is the Executive Director of African Centre on Democracy and Human Rights Studies and chaired the NGO opening session with detailed historical overview of the forum, its objectives, success made, challenges and the way forward as required by the world of right defenders, which she said requires life time commitment.
The African Centre boss spoke about the role of her institution as a research, documentation and communication centre on the promotion and protection of human rights across Africa and their role in organisation of NGO Forum since its inception to date.
Mr Salifu Nyass, member of the NGO forum welcome delegates of the forum and those expected to participate in the 63rd Ordinary Session of African Commission and drew their attention to its theme on corruption, which he said held Africa behind for far too long from achieving its sustainable development objectives.
However, a three day intensive training of trainers on International and Regional Human Rights system, organized by African Centre on Democracy and Human Rights Studies, in collaboration with UN Human Rights Commission, ISHR and CIVICUS held at the cited Hotel from 17th -19th October 2018, preceded by the NGO forum.
The was part of series of activities that paves the way for successful organization of both the NGO Forum and Ordinary Session of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
It took participants drawn from NGO, Civil Society Community and other Interested Groups through treaty bodies, special procedures, Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Report (UPR), mandate, compassion and scope of operations of the UN and other international, regional and national organisations, as well as legal instruments to that effect.
Author: Sanna Jawara