Virtual Session
21 February – 7 March 2023
1.The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) held its 74th Ordinary Private Session (the Session) virtually, from 21 February to 7 March 2023.
2.The Session was chaired by the Honourable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson of the Commission, assisted by the Honourable Commissioner Maya Sahli-Fadel, Vice-Chairperson.
3.The following Commissioners were in attendance:
i.Honourable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairman;
ii.Honourable Commissioner Maya Sahli-Fadel, Vice-Chairperson
iii.Honourable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso;
iv.Honourable Commissioner Hatem Essaiëm;
v.Honourable Commissioner Maria Teresa Manuela;
vi.Honourable Commissioner Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga;
vii.Honourable Commissioner Marie Louise Abomo;
viii.Honourable Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie;
ix.Honourable Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo;
x.Honourable Commissioner Idrissa Sow; and
xi.Honourable Commissioner Litha Musyimi-Ogana
4.The Commission adopted its agenda, with amendments.
5.The Commission examined and adopted the following reports of the meetings of its Administrative and Technical Special Mechanisms:
i.Report of the Advisory Committee on Budgetary and Staff Matters;
ii.Report of the Working Group on Communications;
iii.Report of the Working Group on Specific Issues related to the Work of the Commission; and
iv.Report of the Resolutions Committee.
6.The Commission further examined and adopted its report on the Status of the Follow-up Actions of its 73rd Ordinary Session and 36th Extra- Ordinary Session.
7.The Commission adopted the Report of the Chairperson on the participation of the Commission at the 45th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee held virtually from 16 to 27 January 2023; the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council held from 15 to 16 February, 2023; the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government held from 18 to 19 February 2023 respectively in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AU Summit); and other high-level meetings.
8.The Commission adopted the Concluding Observations of the 3rd Periodic Report (2016-2019) of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire.
9.The Commission adopted the following Promotion Mission reports:
i.Report of the Promotion Mission to Republic of Mauritius;
ii.Report of the Promotion Mission to Republic of Sao Tome and Principe; and
iii.Report of the Promotion Mission to the Republic of Togo.
10.The Commission considered and adopted the Guidance Note on State Reporting, which explains the different stages and processes of periodic reporting for States Parties.
11.The Commission considered a total of twenty-two (22) Communications:
i.Four (4) Communications on Merit;
ii.Ten (10) Communications on Admissibility, of which five (5) were declared Admissible and five (5) Inadmissible; and
iii.Eight (8) Communications were struck out for want of diligent prosecution.
12.The Commission received a presentation from the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
13.The Commission considered and adopted the Guidelines on Adhering to Human and Peoples’ Rights Standards under the African Charter when declaring States of Emergency and Disaster (Resolution 447).
14. The Commission held a private meeting of its Members to discuss and adopt decisions regarding its internal working methods.
15.The Commission adopted three (3) resolutions namely:
i.Resolution on a Human Rights-Based Approach to the Implementation and Monitoring of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement;
ii.Resolution on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Intersex Persons in Africa; and
iii.Resolution on Business and Human Rights in Africa.
16.The resolutions will be published on the Commission’s website at www.achpr.org
17.The Commission decided to hold its 75th Ordinary Session from 3 to 23 May 2023.
Done on 7 March 2023
