1. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) held its
64th Ordinary Session from 24 April to 14 May 2019 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Arab Republic of Egypt.
2. A Delegation of the Commission, led by its Chairperson Honourable Commissioner Soyata Maïga, was received in audience by His Excellency Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, which hosted the 64th Ordinary Session of the Commission.
3. The following Members of the Commission participated in the Session:
i. Honourable Commissioner Soyata Maïga, Chairperson;
ii. Honourable Commissioner Lawrence Murugu Mute, Vice Chairperson;
iii. Honourable Commissioner Kayitesi Zainabo Sylvie;
iv. Honourable Commissioner Lucy Asuagbor;
v. Honourable Commissioner Maya Sahli-Fadel;
vi. Honourable Commissioner Jamesina Essie L. King; vii. Honourable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso; viii. Honourable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem;
ix. Honourable Commissioner Maria Teresa Manuela; and
x. Honourable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu.
4. Honourable Commissioner Yeung Kam John Yeung Sik Yuen was absent with apologies.
5. His Excellency Omar Marawan, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt graced the opening ceremony with his presence and declared open the 64th Ordinary Session.
6. Mrs. Hannah Forster, Director of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, speaking on behalf of the participants of the NGO Forum, provided details on the proceedings of the Forum, which was held in conjunction with the 38th African Human Rights Book Fair. According to Mrs. Forster, this Forum, which took place from 20 to 22 April 2019 at Jolie Ville Royal Peninsula in Sharm el-Sheikh, provided the opportunity for participants to discuss the human rights situation on the
continent, bearing in mind the African Union theme for 2019: “Year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa”. The Forum adopted several resolutions and requests containing a number of recommendations and appeals. Mrs. Forster also highlighted the conclusions of the Forum on the positive and negative developments in the human rights situation in Africa. Furthermore, while thanking the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the hospitality shown to participants of the Forum, she noted the low level of participation of civil society actors in the proceedings of the Forum, in comparison to past editions, due to visa-related issues.
7. Mr. Erasto Hilarious Mugwadi, Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Zimbabwe, speaking on behalf of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), stated that Africa is the continent most affected by the issue of forced displacement with statistical data showing that more than one-third of people across the world who find themselves in situations of forced displacement are in Africa. In this regard, NANHRI is working in collaboration with the African Union and other partners towards finding a solution to this phenomenon. He also noted the establishment of a Working Group on Migration within NANHRI and informed the audience that the Working Group, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Council of Egypt, organised a side event on the margins of the 64th Ordinary Session on the implementation and monitoring by NHRIs of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
8. Speaking on behalf of AU Member States, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe, began his address by welcoming the fact that his country is about to bring itself up-to-date with its reporting obligations to the Commission. In this regard, he stated that reports due under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Maputo Protocol will be submitted to the Commission. Honourable Ziyambi then conveyed his country’s willingness to implement the recommendations contained in the Concluding Observations as well as various other recommendations issued by the Commission to Zimbabwe, including those relating to freedom of assembly, association and access to the media. Finally, he provided an overview of human rights developments in Zimbabwe since the Commission’s consideration of its last Periodic Report in 2006. The Minister concluded by reaffirming his country’s willingness and commitment to promote and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all its citizens.
9. Mr. Vladen Stefanov, Chief of the National Institutions, Regional Mechanisms and
Civil Society Section at the Division of Field Operations and Technical Cooperation,
speaking on behalf of Mrs. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, noted the relevance of the African Union 2019 theme in view of the importance of the phenomenon of forced displacement in Africa. He commended and encouraged States and communities which, despite their own socio-economic and security challenges, host millions of people in situations of forced displacement. He recalled the High Commissioner’s participation in the High-Level Dialogue on the
2019 theme of the African Union at the 32nd AU Summit, during which she stressed
the need for concerted, effective and, above all, preventive action to address the issue of forced displacement in order to ensure that “no one is left behind” as referred to in Agenda 2030. Mr. Stefanov then informed the participants that his institution, in collaboration with the Commission and within the framework of the Addis Ababa Road Map, will organise a Consultation during this Session on the preservation of the civic space, which is faced with increasing restrictions. He concluded by reiterating the determination of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to work with the Commission to ensure the implementation of the African Charter and jointly address the challenges of this mission.
10. Honourable Lady Justice Chafika Bensaoula, speaking on behalf of the Honourable Justice Sylvain Oré, President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Court), noted the relevance of the 2019 theme of the African Union and established a link between the reason why Africa is still lagging behind in terms of its development and the phenomenon of forced displacement, which itself is ultimately caused by the failure of the justice system and the lack of justice. In view of the above, Honourable Lady Justice Bensaoula acknowledged the importance of the three judicial mechanisms within the African Union, namely the Commission, the Court and the Committee, which must be strengthened so as to allow them to effectively carry out their protection and dispute resolution mandate. It is only through the genuine coordination of their actions that these three organs will be able to achieve the necessary complementarity in order to reach their common objective of rendering justice through the promotion and protection of human rights. Finally, she concluded by reaffirming the commitment of the Judges of the Court to work with the other two organs towards the development of the African continent, with a particular focus on justice, in accordance with Agenda 2063.
11. In her opening statement, the Chairperson of the Commission, Honourable Commissioner Soyata Maïga welcomed participants and expressed her sincere gratitude to the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the 64th Ordinary Session of the Commission. The Chairperson extended the Commission’s compliments and her most sincere gratitude to His Excellency Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for having granted an audience to a
delegation of the Commission on 22 April 2019 at the Presidential Palace. At this audience, he welcomed the delegation and instructed it to convey his congratulations to all members of the Commission and participants of the 64th Ordinary Session.
12. In her address, the Chairperson stated that the Commission’s presence in a country hosting its sessions also offers an opportunity to discuss the country’s human rights situation.
13. As is customary, the Chairperson gave a general description of the current situation of human and peoples’ rights on the continent. She indicated that although there are varying and even worrying situations, there is still reason for hope and positiveness which must be encouraged. With regard to the areas of concern, she cited the various serious human rights violations linked to crisis situations and other phenomena in countries such as Mali, where the inter-ethnic conflict is compounded by the scourge of terrorism, which also affects countries in the Sahel region including Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, as well as other countries such as Somalia and Kenya. There is also the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon and the conflict in the DRC which continue to cause deaths and unimaginable suffering among the populations in violation of their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter and other regional and international human rights instruments. She drew attention, in particular, to the ongoing war in Libya and called on the protagonists to immediately cease hostilities for a peaceful resolution of this crisis and the effective enjoyment of their human rights by Libyan populations who have been suffering the consequences of this situation for too long. The Chairperson also talked about the suffering and material damage caused by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. The situation in Algeria and Sudan was also mentioned by the Chairperson, who called on stakeholders to uphold the fundamental rights of the population in all circumstances.
14. Referring to the situation in South Africa, the Chairperson deplored the xenophobic attacks which are still being perpetrated against foreigners and their property. These actions, which have consequences on the lives of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants who are the primary victims, should be of concern to us all at the highest level particularly during this year dedicated to refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons and migrants.
15. In terms of the positive developments regarding the current human rights situation on the continent, the Chairperson noted with satisfaction the peaceful presidential elections held in Madagascar, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal. She welcomed the signing of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation between the various parties to the conflicts in the Central African Republic and invited
the representatives of the parties to the Agreement to cooperate fully and in good faith with a view to a definitive cessation of hostilities and the restoration of peace and security in the country. The Chairperson welcomed, on behalf of the Commission, the decriminalization of homosexuality and the prohibition of any discrimination based on sexual orientation in Angola. Along the same lines, she welcomed the ratification of the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area by Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Namibia.
16. The Chairperson expressed the Commission’s regret to all civil society stakeholders who, due to difficulties in obtaining visas in their respective countries, were unable to travel to Sharm El-Sheikh, despite the guarantees obtained by the Commission from the host country prior to the Session.
17. Finally, the Chairperson called on the States to take ownership of the recommendations contained in the Commission’s country resolutions, decisions and concluding observations and to respond to its letters of urgent appeal, which represent a privileged solution for the prevention of social demands and crises that often lead to the phenomenon of forced displacement.
18. Dr. Khabele Matlosa, Director of the Department of Political Affairs, speaking on behalf of Mrs Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Political Affairs, began by commending the leadership and commitment of the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the African Union’s human rights agenda as illustrated in the hosting of this 64th Ordinary Session of the Commission. He acknowledged the significant work of the Commission (Commissioners and the Secretariat) towards building an effective culture of human rights as a key element in the implementation of Agenda 2063: The Africa we want! Dr Matlosa then highlighted the efforts of the African Union, in collaboration with its partners, to resolve conflicts in parts of Africa and especially in Libya as well as to address the consequences of Cyclone Idai. Dr Matlosa recalled that, for the African Union, 2019 represents a special year with regard to the phenomenon of forced displacement as it marks the fiftieth anniversary and a decade of existence of the two regional conventions dealing with the issue of forced displacement. These, he indicated, include the OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and the African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons in Africa respectively. He called on the Commission and all stakeholders to intensify their advocacy efforts for the ratification of these two treaties by all fifty-five AU member States. Dr Matlosa also informed about the creation of the African Humanitarian Agency within the framework of the 2019 AU theme and indicated that this Agency shall work in close collaboration with the special mechanism in charge of the issue of forced displacement
within the Commission. In his concluding remarks, Dr Matlosa informed the participants of the adoption, in February 2019 by the African Union, of its Transitional Justice Policy, which will also be launched during this Ordinary Session of the Commission to encourage its implementation by State Parties.
19. His Excellency Omar Marawan, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, speaking on behalf of His Excellency President Abdel-Fattah El- Sisi, welcomed the participants to the 64th Ordinary Session of the Commission. Recalling the coincidence between the work of the Commission and the Constitutional Referendum in Egypt, he commended the Egyptian people for the political maturity exhibited, and highlighted the significant achievements made following the adoption of constitutional amendments; particularly in the area of the political representation of women, persons with disabilities and other groups.
20. Mr. Omar Marawan indicated that the fact that Egypt is the current Chair of the African Union and the host nation of this 64th Ordinary Session shows that Egypt indisputably belongs to the African Continent which needs to position itself, in all dignity and pride, in all areas without accepting any external values inimical to its genuine development under the guise of universalism. While calling for vigilance to prevent their resurgence, he also mentioned dark moments in the history of Africa characterized by discrimination, racism, exploitation of resources and the pseudo- superiority of other civilizations over African ones.
21. Mr. Omar Marawan, while taking stock of the advancements made by Africa in the area of human rights, noted the immense contribution of the African human rights system and the Commission in particular to existing international frameworks, and identified economic, social and cultural rights as being areas where considerable efforts must be exerted. In this regard, he referred specifically to Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which guarantees the right of every person to enjoy scientific progress and its applications, without failing to mention the obligations of States to that effect. Furthermore, in respect of this right and the aforementioned obligations, Mr Omar Marawan, on behalf Egypt, officially invited the Commission to carry out a holistic study of the ways and means by which African States could derive benefits from scientific progress and technological advancements as stipulated in Article 15. According to Mr. Marawan, the recommendations of this study are highly anticipated, particularly concerning sectors linked to related rights such as the right to health, education, decent housing and others.
22. He also cited some challenges and efforts made by Egypt on human rights. Thus, some initiatives and programmes have been put in place to ensure that the youth and women enjoy all their human rights to enable them contribute satisfactorily to the development of the country, even as Egypt is in the process of strengthening the legislative and political frameworks on the right to education, to health and to decent housing. In the same vein, the human rights institutional framework is being strengthened in Egypt through the creation of new national human rights structures, including the Permanent High Council of Human Rights and the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities. Furthermore, Egypt is in process of finalising the procedures for accession to the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa. It is along these same lines that Mr. Omar Marawan indicated in his statement the efforts made by his country to fight against religious extremism and ensure respect of the freedom of religion.
23. The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt reiterated Egypt’s commitment to work towards the implementation of common projects and objectives of the African Union, in particular “Silencing the Guns by 2020”, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and Agenda 2063. This commitment towards the aforementioned common interests which aim at preserving the dignity of the African, will be pursued even beyond Egypt’s term as Chair of the African Union.
24. His Excellency Omar Marawan, concluded his statement by thanking all the participants for their presence at the Session and on this note declared open the 64th Ordinary Session and wished the participants fruitful deliberations.
25. Honourable Commissioner Soyata Maïga presided over the deliberations of the 64th
Ordinary Session of the Commission.
26. The 64th Ordinary Session of the Commission recorded a total of three hundred and fifty-five (355) delegates, distributed as follows:
i. One hundred and fifty-eight (158) of the delegates represented twenty-seven (27) State Parties, namely Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, The Gambia, Gabon, Kenya, the Kingdom of Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe;
ii. Nine (9) AU Institutions;
iii. Thirty (30) NHRIs;
iv. Thirteen (13) international and intergovernmental organisations;
v. Eighty-one (81) NGOs;
vi. Four (4) other observers; and
vii. Sixty (60) representing Members of the Commission and the Secretariat, interpreters, and translators.
27. The Commission took the opportunity offered by the 64th Ordinary Session to pay a well-deserved tribute to Honourable Commissioners Maïga Soyata (Outgoing Chairperson), Lawrence Murugu Mute (Outgoing Vice-Chairperson), Yeung Kam John Yeung Sik Yuen and Lucy Asuagbor, whose respective terms of office will expire at the end of the last quarter of 2019, in recognition of their immense contribution to the work of the Commission.
28. The Commission launched the following documents and instruments:
i. Growing Socio-Political Crises in Central Africa: 2016-2018 Fundamental
Freedoms and the Situation of Human Rights Defenders;
ii. Newsletter of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa;
iii. Newsletter No. 12 on Policing and Human Rights in Africa;
iv. Eighth Edition of the Newsletter of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in
Africa;
v. Indicative Questions to State Parties in Respect of Article 5 of the African Charter; vi. Arabic and Portuguese versions of the General Comment No. 4 on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Right to Redress of Victims of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Punishment and Treatment
(Article 5); and
vii. Study on Transitional Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa.
29. The 64th Ordinary Session provided the African Union with the opportunity to present its Transitional Justice Policy to the participants.
30. The Commission, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, held a Consultation on Combating Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and its Related Intolerance. This Consultation was organised in preparation of the Global workshop on regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights scheduled in October 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.
31. The Commission commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. On this occasion, it awarded trophies and certificates of recognition to State Parties, and they included
Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan for their relentless and immense efforts on the rights of refugees.
32. The following panel discussions were organised during the Session:
i. Panel on the launch of the newly-adopted Transitional Justice Policy of the African
Union;
ii. Panel on the Abolition of the Death Penalty;
iii. Panel on the Preservation of the Civic Space in Africa and the Right to Freedom of
Peaceful Assembly and Association;
iv. Panel on the Surveillance of Prisons by Civil Society Organisations – A Means of
Preventing Torture;
v. Panel on the Issue of Trafficking in Persons and Trafficking of Migrants from the
Human Rights Perspective;
vi. Panel on the Support for State Action against Torture and Degrading Treatment in
Africa;
vii. Panel on the Obligations and Guidelines on State Reporting in accordance with the Maputo Protocol;
viii. Panel on the Review of the Declaration of Principles on the Freedom of Expression
in Africa;
ix. Panel on the Ratification of the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons; and
x. Panel on the Negative Impact of Non-Repatriation of Illicit Funds on the
Enjoyment of Human Rights in the Countries of Origin.
33. Representatives of the following eighteen (18) State Parties made statements on the human rights situation in their respective countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Kingdom of Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
34. Representatives of the following seven (7) NHRIs also made statements on the human rights situation in their respective countries:
i. National Human Rights Council of Côte d’Ivoire;
ii. National Commission for Human Rights of Mauritania;
iii. National Commission for Human Rights of Niger;
iv. National Commission for Human Rights of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic
Republic;
v. National Commission for Human Rights of Algeria;
vi. Human Rights Commission of South Sudan; and vii. Commission for Gender Equality of South Africa.
35. A total of thirty-seven (37) NGOs with Observer Status with the Commission also made statements on the human rights situation in Africa.
36. A representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also made a statement on the assessment of the situation in prisons and conditions of detention in Africa by his institution.
37. The Commission reported on the status of its relationship and cooperation with the NHRIs and NGOs. It gave an update on the status of submission of activity reports by NHRIs and NGOs.
38. In accordance with its Resolution on the Criteria for Granting and Maintaining Observer Status to Human Rights NGOs in Africa, the Commission granted Observer Status to one (1) NGO, Unwanted Witness, thus bringing the total number of NGOs with Observer Status with the African Commission to five hundred and nineteen (519).
39. The Commission gave an update on the status of submission of periodic reports by
State Parties.
40. In accordance with Article 62 of the African Charter and Article 26 of the Maputo Protocol, the Commission considered the periodic reports of the following three (3) State Parties:
i. Combined Periodic Report of the Kingdom of Lesotho under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the 2nd to the 8th Period Reports covering the period from 2001 to 2017 and the Initial Report under the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa;
ii. Combined Periodic Report of the Arab Republic of Egypt under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the 9th to the 17th Periodic Reports covering the period from 2001 to 2017; and
iii. The Combined Periodic Report of the Republic of The Gambia under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the 4th to the 15th Periodic Reports covering the period from 1995 to 2018 and the Initial Report under the Protocol of the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa.
41. The Arab Republic of Egypt presented to the participants a documentary film on the prisons in the country to enable the participants appreciate the efforts of the Egyptian government and the various stakeholders in making prisons more human rights compliant.
42. The following members of the Commission presented their intersession reports highlighting the activities undertaken in their capacity as Commissioners and mandate holders of Special Mechanisms:
i. Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and of the
Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa;
ii. Vice-Chairperson of the Commission and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
Expression and Access to Information in Africa;
iii. Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa;
iv. Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Africa and
Focal Point on Reprisals;
v. Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing in Africa;
vi. Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally-Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa;
vii. Chairperson of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and
Human Rights Violations in Africa;
viii. Chairperson of the Working Group on Death Penalty and Extrajudicial and
Arbitrary Killings in Africa;
ix. Chairperson of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa;
x. Chairperson of the Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Persons Living with HIV and Those at Risk, Vulnerable to and Affected by HIV;
xi. Chairperson of the Working Group on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in
Africa;
xii. Chairperson of the Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and People with Disabilities; and
xiii. Chairperson of the Working Group on Communications.
43. The Commission considered and adopted the following documents, after amendment:
i. Concluding Observations on the Periodic Report of the Republic of Rwanda;
ii. Draft General Comment on Article 12(1) of the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights;
iii. ACHPR Study on Human Rights in Conflict Situations in Africa as required by
Resolution ACHPR/Res. 332 (EXT. OS/XIX) 2016;
iv. Audit of Communications;
v. Forty-Sixth Activity Report of the Commission; and
vi. Proposal of a Memorandum of Understanding between the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Democracy at the University of Abomey-Calavi and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
44. The Commission considered and made observations on the following documents:
i. Update on the PANAF Support Programme;
ii. Proposal of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR); and
iii. Report of the Secretary to the Commission.
45. The Commission adopted the following eight (8) Resolutions:
i. Resolution on Benin;
ii. Resolution on the Situation in Algeria;
iii. Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in Libya;
iv. Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in the Republic of Sudan;
v. Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in Mali;
vi. Resolution on the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Africa;
vii. Resolution on the Impacts of Extreme Climatic Conditions in Eastern and
Southern Africa Resulting from Climate Change, on Human Rights; and
viii. Resolution on the Obligation of States to Regulate the Involvement of Private
Stakeholders in the Delivery of Health and Education Services.
46. The Commission considered seventeen (17) Communications as follows:
i. Two (2) Communications on the Merits were deferred;
ii. Six (6) Communications on Admissibility: two (2) were declared admissible, two
(2) declared inadmissible and two (2) deferred;
iii. Four (4) Communications on Seizure: The Commission decided to be seized of three (3), dismissed two requests for provisional measures and deferred the consideration of the fourth Communication;
iv. The Commission reconsidered one (1) Communication;
v. One (1) Communication was struck-out;
vi. The Commission granted the request for the withdrawal of one (1) Communication; and
vii. The Commission gave guidance on two (2) Communications.
47. The Commission considered its 46th Activity Report, which will be submitted to the
35th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council and the 33rd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
48. The Commission noted with appreciation the offers of the Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Lesotho to host one of its Ordinary Sessions and takes this opportunity to reiterate its appeal to other State Parties to host future Sessions of the Commission.
49. The Commission decided to hold its 26th Extraordinary Session from 16 to 30 July 2019 in Banjul, The Gambia.
50. The Commission decided to hold its 65th Ordinary Session from 21 October to 10
November 2019 in Banjul, The Gambia.
51. The Commission expresses its sincere gratitude to the Government and People of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to the participants and for creating a congenial atmosphere for the smooth conduct of its Session.
52. The closing ceremony of the 64th Ordinary Session took place on 14 May 2019, in
Sharm El-Sheikh, Arab Republic of Egypt.
Done in Sharm el-Sheikh, Arab Republic of Egypt, on 14 May 2019
