The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 75th Ordinary Session, held in Banjul, The Gambia from 3 to 23 May 2023;
RECALLING its mandate of promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa under Article 45 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter);
ALSO RECALLING that as part of fulfilling its mandate, the Commission has established various mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa;
RECOGNISING its fundamental role to protect vulnerable groups in Africa from human rights violations, especially people living with HIV and those at risk, who are currently one of the most vulnerable groups exposed to serious violations of human rights in Africa;
FURTHER RECALLING its Resolution ACHPR/Res.163 (XLVII) 2010 adopted at its 47th Ordinary Session on the establishment of a Committee on the Protection of the Rights of People Living with HIV and Those at Risk, Vulnerable to and Affected by HIV (the HIV Committee) and Resolutions ACHPR/Res.172 (XLVIII) 2010, ACHPR/Res.195 (L) 2011, ACHPR/Res.285 (EXT.OS/XVI) 2014 and ACHPR/Res.325 (LVII) 2015, respectively appointing various Chairpersons and Members for the HIV Committee;
TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION Resolutions ACHPR/Res.220 (LI) 2012; ACHPR/Res.279 (LV) 2014, ACHPR/Res. 352(EXT.OS/XX) 2016, ACHPR/Res.383 (LXI) 2017; ACHPR/Res.425 (LXV) 2019 and ACHPR/Res.460 (LXVI) 2020 on the Renewal of the Mandate and Reconstitution of the HIV Committee;
NOTING Resolutions ACHPR/Res.501 (LXIX)2021 and ACHPR/Res. 523 (LXXII) 2022 on the Reconstitution of the expert membership of the HIV Committee;
BEARING IN MIND the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) relating to its Special Mechanisms, adopted during its 27th Extra-Ordinary Session held from 19 February to 4 March 2020, in Banjul, The Gambia, providing for the working modalities of Special Mechanisms, general roles and responsibilities of mandate holders, the composition, appointment, tenure and conduct of mandate holders; as well as terms of office of Expert Members;
FURTHER NOTING that ACHPR/Res.534 (LXXIII) 2022 on the Renewal of the Mandate, Appointment of the Chairperson, and Reconstitution of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of People Living with HIV and those at Risk, Vulnerable to and Affected by HIV adopted during the 73rd Ordinary Session in Banjul, requested the re-advertisement of the call for application of expert membership of the Working Group for North Africa, with immediate effect, in order to fulfil the requirement of geographical representation stipulated by the SOPs on Special Mechanisms;
FURTHER RECOGNISING that the Secretariat re-advertised the call for applications on the Commission’s website and social media between 8 February and 27 March 2023, to enable applications from suitable candidates from North Africa for the expert membership of the HIV Committee, and has now completed the processing of the applications received;
DECIDES to:
- Appoint Prof Rana Moustafa Ahmed Fouad Essawy (North Africa) as an Expert Member of the Committee for a term of two years with effect from 23 May 2023.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia, 23 May 2023
