The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 27th Extraordinary Session held from 19 February to 04 March 2020, in Banjul, The Gambia:
Recalling its mandate to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter);
Recallingits Resolution ACHPR/Res.372 (LX) 2017 on the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites and Territories, which calls upon States Parties to recognize the contribution of sacred natural sites and territories and their customary systems of governance to the protection of human and peoples’ rights;
Further recallingResolution ACHPR/Res. 403 (LXII) 2018 on the need for a study on the situation of sacred natural sites and territories in Africa, adopted at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Commission held from 24 October to 13 November 2018 in Banjul, The Gambia, mandating the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities to undertake a study on the status of sacred natural sites, related customary governance systems and existing laws, policies and programmes in Africa;
Considering that the deadline for the completion of the study expired in November 2019;
Aware of the need to give the members of the Working Group sufficient time to finalize the draft study;
The Commission decides to extend by one (1) year the time limit for the preparation and submission of the study.
Done in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia, 04 March 2020
