8. On 31 August 2010 Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen received the visit of Mr. Greg SHAW, Director, International and Corporate Relations of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) on 27 August 2010.
9. The IFA is based in Toronto, Canada, and is, inter alia, involved in the development of building capacity in Health Care Programs in Africa. The IFA has worked closely with the South African Human Rights Commission to establish an older persons forum in that country and has a representative status at the United Nations. It has also helped the Mauritian government to activate an old persons forum recently.
10. Mr. Shaw was keen to learn of the actions undertaken so far by the African Commission to promote and protect the rights of the older people
and more particularly of the involvement of the Working Group in preparing a draft protocol. The IFA has expressed interest to work with the ACHPR in the future.
11. On 2nd October 2010 Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen attended the function marking the International Day of Elderly Persons held at the State House, Le Reduit Mauritius. Almost 1,000 elderly persons turned out at a tea party/ cultural show hosted by the President of the Republic of Mauritius, to mark that yearly event.
12. On 4th November 2010 Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen contributed to the publication of a booklet of illustrated drawings launched by Amnesty International (Mauritius) branch by writing its preface. The drawings are meant to help diffuse and promote human rights and civil liberties which are embedded in the Constitution of Mauritius.
13. On 9th November 2010 during my stop over in Dakar Senegal, Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen visited the Island of Goree and the “maison des esclaves”. Goree Island has the sad reputation of having served as embarkation point for millions of Africans who were captured and sent to toil as slaves particularly in the Americas.
14. Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen was privileged to sign the Visitors’ Book at the museum in Goree and received an accolade on behalf of the Mayor of Goree. viz: the Distinction of the Goree Pilgrim Award.
15. Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen will be receiving in Mauritius a delegation led by the Chief Justice of Zimbabwe next month and looks forward to share views with the distinguished delegation on best practices to guarantee the independence of the Judiciary in both Countries.
16. In line with his mandate as Chairperson of the Working Group on Older Persons and People with Disabilities in Africa, and in order to finalise the work already commenced in Ghana by experts of the Working Group, a meeting of members of the Working Group was organised in Mauritius from 9 to 11 September 2010.
17. The main objective of the meeting was to finalise the Draft Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa with a view to present it for consideration during the 48th Ordinary Session of the African Commission.
18. The meeting also mapped out strategies to finalise the draft Protocol on the Rights of People with Disabilities, with a view to finalise the same through the participation and collaboration of other stakeholders by 2011.
19. All the members of the Working Group attended this meeting, including the Chairperson of the ACHPR, member and Commissioner, Reine Alapini-Gansou, Mr. Papa Malick Fall, Mrs. Nadia Abdel-Wahab El-Afify and Dr. Tavengwa Nhongo.
20. Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen is pleased to report that the meeting was able to finalize the draft Protocol on Older Persons in Africa and is am proud to announce that the final draft Protocol on Older Persons is ready in both English and French for adoption by this Commission.
21. Regarding the draft Protocol on People with Disabilities in Africa, the meeting decided that the draft submitted should be polished by Mr. Fall, in collaboration with one of the African Institutional stake holders involved with upholding the rights of peoples with Dissabilities. I am
equally pleased to state that substantial work has been done on this draft and hopefully it will be finalized in a very near future
