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The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) is currently holding its 48th session (10 to 24 November 2010), in Banjul, the Gambia to discuss the human rights situation in Africa. Among other items on the agenda, the ACHPR will examine the periodic reports of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the draft reports of promotional missions to Sudan, Mozambique and the mission of special mechanisms to Tunisia. Also, all special mechanisms will present their reports. Download a copy of the agenda.
Read a statement given by ISHR at the 48th session of the ACHPR, under item 4.
Prior to the ACHPR sessions, the NGO Forum of African and international NGOs met for three-days. The forum discussed the general human rights situation in Africa in order to highlight human rights issues that need to be addressed by the ACHPR. This year, the NGO forum took place from 7-9 November.
As a key organisation involved in the work of the NGO forum and the Commission, ISHR is carrying out advocacy activities, including the accreditation of NGOs working on sexual rights issues, raising awareness of the critical situation of Human Rights defenders in the Great Lakes region, and questions related to Women Human Rights Defenders.
Together with its partners, ISHR is holding a side event on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Great Lakes region (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda) in order to bring their precarious situation to the attention of the ACHPR. ISHR is facilitating discussions on protection concerns of human rights defenders between those present at the NGO Forum and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa. Again, ISHR will use this opportunity to hold a briefing on the United Nations Human Rights Council Review, as well as on matters related to reprisals against human rights defenders who cooperate with the United Nations human rights mechanisms.
Finally, ISHR and Conectas Direitos Humanos, in collaboration with African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRDN), the West Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN/ROADDH), and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition, held a regional meeting with African women human rights defenders (WHRDs) from 4-6 November 2010.
Twenty five WHRDs, mainly from Africa, Latin America and Asia, took part in the meeting. Key special rapporteurs within the ACHPR and prominent WHRDs from Latin America were present. The aims of this activity were to enable grass-roots WHRDs from Africa to highlight key challenges that they face as WHRDs working in Africa with UN and regional mechanisms, to share effective strategies with the UN Special Rapporteur used by WHRDs in Africa to address the challenges, and to make recommendations to her on how the mandate can address the situation of women human rights defenders in Africa.
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