Final Communique of the 72nd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

Virtual Session
19 July - 2 August 2022
 
1. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Commission), held its 72nd Ordinary Private Session (the Session) virtually from 19 July to 2 August 2022. 

2. The Session was chaired by the Honourable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson of the Commission, assisted by the Honourable Commissioner Maya Sahli-Fadel, Vice-Chairperson.

3. The following Commissioners were in attendance:
i.Honourable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairman;
ii.Honourable Commissioner Maya Sahli-Fadel, Vice-Chairperson
iii.Honourable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso;
iv.Honourable Commissioner Hatem Essaiëm;
v.Honourable Commissioner Maria Teresa Manuela;
vi.Honourable Commissioner Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga;
vii.Honourable Commissioner Marie Louise Abomo;
viii.Honourable Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie;
ix.Honourable Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo; and
x.Honourable Commissioner Idrissa Sow.  

4. The Commission reviewed and adopted its agenda, with amendments.

5. The Commission held induction sessions for the new Commissioners who took office in November 2021. 

6. The Commission considered and commented on the proposals of the Working Group on specific issues, including the improvement of its working methods. 

7. In the course of its proceedings, the Commission examined and adopted the following documents:
i.The Chairperson's Report on the meetings of the deliberative organs of the African Union, namely the 44th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee, the 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 4th Biannual Coordination Meeting between Member States, the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities held from 20 June to 8 July 2022, from 14 to 15 July 2022 and on 17 July 2022 respectively;
ii.Guidelines for Parallel Reports to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; 
iii.The General Comments of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights on the obligations of States to regulate private actors involved in the provision of social services under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Charter); and
iv.Rules to establish and operate the alert and reporting mechanism to the Commission in situations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment referred to as the Abidjan Rules.
 
8. The Commission also considered and adopted the concluding observations of the following periodic reports:
i.The Combined Report of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th periodic reports of the Republic of Chad on the implementation of the Charter, covering the 1998 to 2015 period;
ii.The 7th Periodic Report of the Republic of Namibia on the implementation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the 2nd Report on the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) covering the 2015 to 2019 period; and
iii.The 6th to 10th Combined Periodic Reports of the Republic of Benin under the Charter covering the 2009 to 2018 period. 

9. The Commission further considered and commented on the following reports:
i.The Report of the Secretariat on measures to follow-up actions of the 69th, 70th and 71st Ordinary Sessions;
ii.The Report of the Working Group on Communications;
iii.The Narrative Report on the Audit of Communications;
iv.The Secretary's Report on the Administrative Admission of Complaints;
v.Report on the preparations for the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Commission; and
vi.Report on the 15th and 16th Extraordinary Sessions of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union held on 27 and 28 May 2022 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, respectively on Humanitarian and Pledging Issues and on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa.

10. During the session, the Commission considered the following thirteen (13) communications:
i.Five (05) Communications on Merits; 
ii.Seven (07) communications on admissibility, of which five (05) were declared admissible and two (02) inadmissible; and 
iii.One (01) communication on admission.

11.  The Commission held a closed meeting during which matters concerning the Commission of Inquiry on the Tigray Region of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia were considered.

12. The Commission discussed issues related to the next experience sharing session between the Peace and Security Council and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) to be held in August 2022.

13. The Commission considered and adopted five (05) Resolutions, namely:
i.Resolution on the protection of women against digital violence in Africa;
ii.Resolution on the renewal of the mandate of the Working Group on the Rights of Older People and Persons with Disabilities in Africa and on the appointment of its Chairperson and Members;
iii.Resolution on the adoption of the Rules to establish and operate the mechanism for alerting and reporting to the Commission on situations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment referred to as the Abidjan Rules;
iv.Resolution on the Renewal of the Mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; and
v.Resolution on the Extension of the Mandate and Composition of six Special Mechanisms of the Commission. 

14. These Resolutions will be published on the Commission's website at  www.achpr.org.

15. The Commission decided to hold its 73rd Ordinary Session from 20 October to 9 November 2022. 

Done on 2 August 2022