Tuesday, 25 October 2016 (15:15-16:45)
Theme: “The role and impact of women in promoting and protecting human rights”
1. Within the framework of its activities to mark 2016 as the “African human rights year, with a particular focus on the rights of women”, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders (SRHRD), will organising a Conference on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa with the a special focus on Women Human Rights Defenders.
2. The Conference will aim to show challenges and best practices of Women Human Rights defenders (WHRDs) across the Africa during their continuous efforts to promote Human Rights in the Continent. The Conference will be structured in such a way that the Mechanism of the SRHRD not only portrays some best practices encountered by HRDs, but it will also introduce our project regarding the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa which will be considered by the Commission during the private session. The Office will seek to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including its partners, State Parties, and international, regional and local actors.
I. Venue and Time:
3. Kairaba Beach Hotel, total time 90 minutes
II. Format and time allocation:
4. Each intervening organization/person would have 5 minutes to cover their subtheme. The organizations presenting will be representing the five regions of the continent: North, West, East, Southern, and Central Africa. There will be an interaction with attendees followed by a conclusion of the activity by its Chair.
Intervening Organizations/persons
i. Commissioner Reine Alapini Gansou – Chair
ii. International Service for Human Rights
iii. Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa
iv. West Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
v. East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project
vi. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies
vii. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
viii. Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
ix. Human Rights Institute of South Africa.
x. WHRD - TBC
Structure:
- Welcome remarks and introduction of panellists – Commissioner Gansou (5 minutes)
- Presentations of HRD situation/issues/achievements in the 5 geographical sub-regions (25 minutes)
- Testimony of a WHRD - TBD (10 minutes)
- Presentation of the project on the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa (15 minutes)
- Discussions moderated by Commissioner Alapini-Gansou (35 minutes)
