BANJUL, REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
24 APRIL TO 20 MAY 2026
1. Pursuant to Article 64 (2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter), read together with Rule 27 of its Rules of Procedure (2020), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) convened its 87th Ordinary Session (the Session). The Session began with a Private Session held virtually from 24 April to 04 May 2026, followed by an in-person Public Session from 11 to 20 May 2026 in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia.
2. The following members of the Commission participated in the 87th Ordinary Session:
i. The Honorable Commissioner Idrissa Sow, Chairperson;
ii. The Honorable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, Vice-Chairperson;
iii. The Honorable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso;
iv. The Honorable Commissioner Maria Teresa Manuela;
v. The Honorable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu;
vi. The Honorable Commissioner Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga (virtually);
vii. The Honorable Commissioner Marie Louise Abomo;
viii. The Honorable Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie;
ix. The Honorable Commissioner Geereesha Topsy-Sono;
x. The Honorable Commissioner Litha Musyimi Ogana; and
xi. The Honorable Commissioner Selma Sassi-Safer.
3. The Session was chaired by Honorable Commissioner Idrissa Sow, Chairperson of the African Commission, assisted by Honorable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, Vice-Chairperson.
4. During the Private Session, the Commission considered and adopted the following documents:
i. Report on the follow-up actions of the 86th Ordinary Session;
ii. Report on applications for observer status;
iii. Implementation Plan of the Commission’s Strategic Plan 2026–2028;
iv. 2026–2028 Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Plan of the Commission;
v. Paper on the Consideration of State reports, modalities, and time allocation;
vi. Tripartite Study on Challenges of Litigating Women’s and Girls’ Human Rights before African Union Human Rights Organs;
vii. Draft Guidelines on State Reporting under the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons;
viii. Draft Guidelines on State Reporting under the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa;
ix. Study on the Impact of Climate Change on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa;
x. Report of the Committee on Resolutions; and
xi. Final Communiqué of the 87th Ordinary Session.
5. The Commission also considered and adopted the following reports:
i. Promotion mission to the Republic of Ghana;
ii. Promotion Mission to Republic of Zimbabwe;
iii. Promotion Mission to the Kingdom of Eswatini; and
iv. Joint Fact-Finding Mission on the human rights situation in Sudan, physically conducted in the Republic of Chad.
6. The Commission considered and took note of the following documents:
i. Draft revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Special Mechanisms of the Commission;
ii. Draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Urgent Letters of Appeal and Other Interventions of the Commission;
iii. Draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Development of Normative and Supplementary Instruments and Strategic Framework on the Timing and Triggering Supplementary Instruments;
iv. Concept Note for the Continental Program Commemorating the 45th Anniversary of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2026) and the 40th Anniversary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2027.
7. The Commission received a presentation on the Electronic Case Management System.
8. The Commission considered thirteen (13) Communications and adopted the following:
i. Three (03) Communications on the Merits;
ii. Five (05) Communications on Admissibility, of which one (01) was declared Admissible and four (04) were declared Inadmissible;
iii. Three (03) Communications on strike out;
iv. One (01) Request for Withdrawal of a Communication. The Commission took note of the request and decided to close the matter; and
v. One (01) Request for Review of a Decision on Merits which was rejected.
9. The Commission adopted the following Country-Specific Resolution: Resolution on the extension of the mandate of the Joint Fact-Finding Mission on the human rights situation in the Republic of Sudan.
10. Furthermore, it adopted the following four (04) Thematic Resolutions:
i. Resolution on the situation of human and peoples' rights defenders in Africa;
ii. Resolution on the extension of the deadline for the completion of the study assessing the level of compliance of national legislations with the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa;
iii. Resolution on the Extension of the Deadline for the Development of Guidelines on the Protection of the Rights of Workers in the Informal Economy Sector in Africa; and
iv. Resolution on the Development of Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of Human and Peoples’ Rights in the Context of Climate Change.
11. In accordance with its Resolution on the Criteria for Granting and Maintaining Observer Status to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on human and peoples’ rights in Africa, the Commission granted observer status to the following eight (8) NGOs:
i. Fondation Défenseurs d’Afrique ;
ii. West Africa Civil Society Initiative;
iii. Centre d’Assistance et de Promotion des Droits Humains ;
iv. Collectif Cri de Cœur ;
v. Nyale Institute for Sexual and Reproductive Health Governance;
vi. Association pour la Consolidation de la Paix, le Développement, la Protection et la promotion des Droits Humains ;
vii. International Society for Peace and Safety; and
viii. Mozambique Bar Association.
12. The total number of NGOs with Observer Status with the Commission has reached six hundred (600).
13. No application for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) affiliate status was considered at the Session. Thus, the number of NHRIs with affiliate status with the Commission remains thirty-nine (39).
14. The Public Session of the 87th Ordinary Session commenced with an opening ceremony held on 11 May 2026 at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia. It was officially opened by H.E. Mr. Dawda A. Jallow, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Republic of The Gambia and chaired by Honourable Commissioner Idrissa Sow, Chairperson of the Commission.
15. During the opening ceremony, key statements were delivered by the following:
i. Mr. Sadikh Niass, Adviser to the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, on behalf of the NGO Forum Steering Committee;
ii. Professor James Mouangue Kobila, Chairperson of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions;
iii. H.E. Ms. Kajsa Ollengren, European Union Special Representative for Human Rights;
iv. Mr. Marcel Akpovo, Regional Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for East Africa and to the African Union, representing H.E. Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
v. Honourable Sabrina Gahar, Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child;
vi. Honourable Justice Blaise Tchikaya, President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
vii. Hon. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Second Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament;
viii. H.E. Ambassador Willy Nyamitwe, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi to the African Union, Chairperson of the Permanent Representatives Committee of the African Union and Chairperson of its Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance;
ix. Honourable Idrissa Sow, Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
x. H.E. Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, Chief of Staff representing H.E. Mr. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; and
xi. H.E. Mr. Dawda A. Jallow, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Republic of The Gambia, on behalf of the host country – the Republic of The Gambia.
16. All statements delivered during the opening ceremony are available on the Commission’s website.
17. The opening ceremony was followed by the swearing-in of the re-elected members of the Commission, namely:
i. Honorable Commissioner Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga (virtually);
ii. Honorable Commissioner Marie Louise Abomo; and
iii. Honorable Commissioner Litha Musyimi Ogana.
18. The Commission launched the Commemoration of the 45th Anniversary of the Adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 40th Anniversary of its entry into force.
19. A total of eight hundred and sixty-seven (867) delegates took part in the Session, including: two hundred and forty-three (243) representatives of States Parties from thirty-two (32) countries; twenty (20) representatives of African Union organs; twenty-two (22) representatives of international and intergovernmental organizations; fifty-one (51) representatives of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs); three hundred and forty-five (345) representatives of African and international non-governmental organizations; eighty-four (84) other observers; thirty-eight (38) representatives of press and media organizations, and sixty-four (64) members representing the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
20. The NGO Forum Steering Committee presented the key findings of the NGO Forum organized ahead of the Session.
21. Representatives from the following twenty-four (24) States Parties delivered statements on the human rights situation in their respective countries:
i. People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria;
ii. Republic of Angola;
iii. Republic of Botswana ;
iv. Republic of Cameroun;
v. Republic of Chad;
vi. Republic of Cote d’Ivoire;
vii. Democratic Republic of Congo;
viii. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
ix. Republic of Equatorial Guinea;
x. State of Eritrea;
xi. Kingdom of Eswatini;
xii. Republic of The Gambia;
xiii. Republic of Kenya;
xiv. Kingdom of Lesotho;
xv. Republic of Malawi;
xvi. Islamic Republic of Mauritania;
xvii. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic;
xviii. Republic of South Africa;
xix. Republic of The Sudan;
xx. United Republic of Tanzania;
xxi. Republic of Tunisia;
xxii. Republic of Uganda;
xxiii. Republic of Zambia; and
xxiv. Republic of Zimbabwe.
22. Representatives from ten (10) National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) with affiliate status with the Commission also made statements regarding the human rights situation in their respective countries.
23. Representatives of two (2) international organizations also made statements on the human rights situation in Africa, namely the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues and the Representative of the West Africa Regional Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
24. Sixty-two (62) Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) with observer status with the Commission made statements on the human rights situation in Africa.
25. During the Session, several panels on various themes were organized with a view to strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights on the continent:
i. Panel on Compliance Engagement: Removing Reservations to Realize the Full Potential of the Maputo Protocol;
ii. Joint Panel of the African Commission and UN Independent Fact-Finding Missions on Sudan, followed by the reading of the Banjul Joint Declaration on Sudan;
iii. Panel on the AU Theme of the Year 2026: Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems in Africa to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063;
iv. Panel on the Promotion and Protection of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities in Africa: A Recap;
v. Panel on the African Declaration on the Promotion of the Role of Human Rights Defenders and their Protection in Africa; and
vi. Panel on Climate change-induced displacement in Africa: Protection Challenges and Prospects for an African Legal Framework.
26. The Commission also launched the Framework Paper on the Lifting of Reservations to Certain Provisions of the Maputo Protocol.
27. Additionally, it reviewed the status of its relations and cooperation with NHRIs and NGOs and provided an update on the status of the submission of their activity reports.
28. The Commission also reviewed the status of ratification of treaties under its oversight, as well as the implementation of its decisions and recommendations by State Parties.
29. The Commission presented the update on the submission of periodic reports by States Parties under Article 62 of the African Charter. In this regard, it noted that seven (7) countries are up to date, five (5) countries are in the review cycle, ten (10) countries have one overdue report, six (6) have two overdue reports, two (2) countries have three (3) overdue reports, eighteen (18) countries have more than three (3) overdue reports, and six (6) countries have not yet submitted their initial reports.
30. Following this, the Commission considered the periodic reports of the following States Parties:
i. Combined Periodic Report of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (2013-2025) under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Initial Reports on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa; and
ii. 14th Periodic Report of the Republic of Kenya on the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and 2nd Report on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
31. Members of the Commission presented their intersession reports highlighting activities carried out in their capacities as Commissioners, Country Rapporteurs, and mandate holders under Special Mechanisms. The presentation of these reports prompted interventions and responses from State delegates, NHRIs, and NGO representatives.
32. Finally, the Commission decided to hold its 88th Private Ordinary Session virtually, from 17 to 31 July 2026. It will also hold its 89th Ordinary Private Session virtually from 05 to 15 October 2026 and its Public Session from 21 to 30 October 2026, in Dakar, Republic of Senegal.
33. The Commission expresses its sincere gratitude to the States Parties, international organizations, NHRIs, NGOs, and all stakeholders who participated in the Ordinary Session.
34. In particular, the Commission expresses its profound gratitude to H.E. Mr. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, to the Government, and to the people of the Republic of The Gambia, for hosting the 87th Ordinary Session, as well as for the hospitality and facilities extended to the Commission, its staff, and the participants in the Session.
35. The closing ceremony of the 87th Ordinary Session took place on 20 May 2026.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia, on 20 May 2026.
