EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The Kingdom of Lesotho is a democratic country headed by a constitutional monarchy. It is situated in Southern Africa. It is a former British Protectorate which gained independence in 1966. Prior to independence, Lesotho was formerly known as Basutoland, named after a nation called Basotho which occupied the territory during the 1800s. It was thereafter renamed Lesotho.
2. The Kingdom of Lesotho ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) on 9 April 1991. Pursuant to article 62 of the African Charter, Lesotho submitted its initial report on implementation of the African Charter in 2000 and it was considered in 2001. The initial report covered the period between 1991 and 2000.
3. The second periodic report was due in 2004 and subsequent reports every two years thereafter. However, due to several factors including lack of human and financial resources as well as political instability, Lesotho has not been able to report periodically as stipulated in article 62 of the Charter. The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria has provided technical assistance which has enabled the Kingdom of Lesotho to submit this report which combines the second to eighth periodic reports covering the period between 2001 and 2017.
4. Part B of this report contains information on Lesotho’s implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Humana and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (The Protocol) which Lesotho ratified on 26 October 2004. It covers the period between 2004 and 2017.
5. The current report was prepared in accordance with the reporting guidelines developed by the African Commission. Consultations were made with various government departments and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who played a crucial role in drafting and validation of this report.
