INTRODUCTION
The present Report has been prepared in conformity with Article 87 paragraph 3 of the Rules of Procedure of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights according to which all the members of the Commission have the obligation to present a written Report on their various activities, in particular with regard to the countries visited and the Organizations contacted.
The activities cited in the present Report had been carried out during the intersession period starting from the 45th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights which was held in Banjul, The Gambia, from 13th to 27th May 2009. I am reporting on my activities in my capacity as member of the African
Commission, Chairperson of the Working Group on the Death Penalty and as member of the Working Group on Specific Issues.
I. IN MY CAPACITY AS MEMBER OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
A. Mission of Promotion
During this intersession period a promotion mission to the Republic of Algeria had been scheduled for the month of October which I was to have carried out in my capacity as Commissioner responsible for the promotion of human and peoples’ rights in that country. In view of the urgent issues which arose within the Commission and in consultation with the country in question the mission had been postponed and I hope to be able to carry it out in the very near future.
I have completed the preparation of the Report on the promotion mission carried out in Burkina Faso in February 2009. It will be submitted to the Commission for adoption during this session.
B. Extraordinary Session and Meetings of the Commission
From the 12th to 16th July 2009 I participated in the meeting of the African Commission with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha. The objective of the meeting was to examine the Rules of Procedure of the two Institutions for harmonization. From the 5th to 12th October 2009 I participated in the Extraordinary Session of the African Commission which was held in Senegal during which we discussed the provisions of the Rules of Procedure in preparation for the meeting with the African Court.
From the 13th to 16th October 2009, I participated in the meeting of the Commission with the African Court, organized to complete the work which had been started in the Arusha meeting on the harmonization of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission and that of the African Court.
C. Promotion of the African Charter and other relevant Human Rights Instruments
On the 2nd September 2009, I made two presentations, one on the African Commission as a regional human rights promotion and protection mechanism and the other on « the national human rights institutions, the role, opportunities and collaboration with the human rights defender organizations ». These two presentations provided the participants with
information on the functioning and work of the African Commission and on the National Human Rights Institutions.
This was done during a Workshop on building the capacities of human rights defenders on the use of the regional and international human rights promotion and protection mechanisms held in Kigali, from the 31st August to 4th September 2009.
On the 17th September 2009, during a human rights training Workshop for University students, and members of steering committees, organized in the province of Southern Rwanda, from the 17th to 19th September 2009, I made a presentation on the international and regional human rights instruments. I had the opportunity of expounding on the African Charter and on the other African human rights instruments for these students as well as on the role of the African Commission in the promotion of these regional instruments.
