1. In the inter-session period between the last Ordinary Session of the Commission in May, 2009 and the present session, I undertook the following promotional activities as Member of the African Commission.
Participation in the Global Peace Festival
2. On 11th June 2009, I was invited in my capacity as Member of the ACHPR to participate in a one day Global Peace Festival held in Lusaka, Zambia organised by the Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace. This organisation is a partner of the Global Peace Festival and is a programme with the aim of promoting and celebrating people and events that contribute to lasting peace, harmony, observance of human rights and cooperation among members of the human family. I was particularly interested to see how the organisation perceives human rights actors such as the ACHPR in their overall work plans. I discussed the existence and programmes of the ACHPR with a number of the participants.
Launch of the 2nd Annual State of Human Rights Report
3. On the 23rd June 2009 I was invited by the Zambian Human Rights Commission to officially launch their second Annual State of Human Rights Report whose theme was ‘Constitutionalism and Human Rights’. The Report reflected various human rights aspects in Zambia in the preceding twelve months and contained recommendations on how to
remedy some identified human rights situations. It was also an educational report for members of the public as well as an advocacy too.
4. I also took the opportunity to answer a number of questions and clarify on the human right promotion and protection mechanisms in African generally and the ACHPR in particular.
Participation in the Open Forum on HIV/AIDS
5. On the 29th July 2009 I participated in a one day open forum on HIV/AIDS and human rights in Zambia. The Forum was organised by the Human Rights Commission. It examined various issues related to the human rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS such as discrimination, access to treatment and social services. Meeting with Independent Expert on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty.
6. On 25th August 2009 I met with Ms Magdalene Sepulveda, the United Nations Independent Expert on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty during her mission to Zambia. We discussed various issues relating to the adequacy or otherwise of the measures that have been put in place to mitigate instances of extreme poverty in Zambia, in particular the need for greater regard and recognition of economic social and cultural rights.
Conclusion
7. In the inter- session period I also continued to hold meetings with leaders of professional bodies such as the Law Association of Zambia and media organisations and advised them on various human rights issues and the existence of the ACHPR and how some human rights questions confronting them have been dealt with in the ACHPR. I encouraged them to take a more keen interest in the work of the Commission.
8. Owing to resource and logistical constraints, I did not undertake any promotional mission to the Republic of Kenya as I had initially envisioned. I, however, continued to follow with interest the various human rights situations in the four countries under my watch namely, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi. The handling of the perpetrators of post election violence in Kenya, the proposed legislation on the gay community in Uganda, the prosecution and conviction of abductors and killers of albinos as well as the displacement of pastoralist from their land in Tanzania were some of the issues that called for close following.
