The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 73rd Ordinary Session, held in Banjul, The Gambia from 20 October to 9 November 2022:
Recalling its mandate of promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa under Article 45 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter);
Considering as part of fulfilling its mandate, the Commission has established various mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa;
Recognizing its fundamental role to protect vulnerable groups generally and indigenous people and minorities in particular in Africa, from human rights violations;
Reaffirming its previous Resolutions: ACHPR/Res.51(XXVIII)00 establishing a Working Group of Experts on the Rights of Indigenous or Ethnic Communities; Resolution ACHPR/Res. 65(XXXIV) 03 which adopted the Report of the Working Group and also re-constituted the Working Group as a Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa and vested it with a mandate; and Resolution ACHPR/Res. 455 (LXVI) 2020 adopted at the 66th Ordinary Session, which expanded the mandate of the Working Group to include the rights of minorities and amended the title of the mandate as the “Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities and Minorities in Africa”;
Recalling Resolutions: ACHPR/Res.123 (XXXXII) 2007; ACHPR/Res.155 (XLV1) 2009; ACHPR/Res.204 (L) 2011; ACHPR/Res.237 (LIII) 2013; ACHPR/Res.249 (LIV) 2013,ACHPR/Res.323 (LVII) 2015; ACHPR/Res. 329 (EXT.OS/XIX) 2016; ACHPR/Res. 354(LIX) 2016; and ACHPR/Res.382(LXI) 2017; and ACHPR/Res.425 (LXV) 2019; all relating to the appointment of members and the renewal of the mandate of the Working Group;
Noting with appreciation the work done by the Working Group under the leadership of all the former chairpersons in the discharge of its mandate;
Noting also, its Resolution ACHPR/Res. 523 (LXXII) 2022 on the Extension of the Mandate and Membership of Six Special Mechanisms of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which extended the expert membership of all its Special Mechanisms including that of the Working Group “retrospectively for a further period of three (3) months, effective from 02 August 2022;
Bearing in mind the Standard Operating Procedures on the Special Mechanisms of the Commission (the SOPs on Special Mechanisms) adopted at its 27th Extraordinary Session held from 19 February to 4 March 2020 in Banjul, The Gambia;
Noting in particular the guidelines set out in the SOPs on Special Mechanisms, including the general roles and responsibilities of mandate holders, the composition of the mechanisms, the appointment of members and the duration of their mandate as well as the code of conduct for mandate holders;
Further noting the decisions taken during this 73rd Ordinary Session regarding the allocation of responsibilities among the Commissioners;
1. Decides to: -
i. Appoint Commissioner Litha Musyimi-Ogana, as Chairperson of the Working Group, for a period of two years effective 09 November 2022;
ii. Renew the mandate of Commissioner Marie Louise Abomo, as the Vice-Chairperson of the Working Group, for the same period;
iii. Appoint for the same period Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso, as a Member of the Working Group;
iv. Renew the mandate of the following expert members for the same period:
- Dr Pag-Yendu M. Yentcharé (West Africa);
- Ms Hawe Hamman Bouba (Central Africa); and
v. Appoint the following Expert Member for the same period:
- Mr Samuel Tilahun Tessema (Eastern Africa).
vi. Request the re-advertisement of the call for application of expert membership of the Working Group for North and Southern Africa, with immediate effect, in order to fulfil the requirement of geographical representation stipulated by the SOPs on Special Mechanisms.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia, 09 November 2022
