Banjul, 30 October 2018 – APRM tables three of its country reports before the 63rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in accordance with paragraph 25 of the APRM Base Document NEPAD/HSGIC/03-2003/APRM/MOU/Annex II. The latter stipulates that reports should be formally and publicly tabled before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights within six months from being peer-reviewed by the Heads of State and Government of the participating member countries.

The APRM was represented at the Session by the Chairperson of the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons, Honourable Brigitte Mabandla and the Coordinator, Dr. Messan Koffi Adorgloh.

Honourable Brigitte Mabandla made a presentation on Djibouti, Chad and Senegal reports. She also updated the Commission on the progress made by these countries with regard to the implementation of their respective NPoAs since the reports had been peer-reviewed by the Heads of State and Government of participating member countries on 28 January 2017 in Addis Ababa.

Honourable Mabandla’s presentation aroused great interest among the Commissioners as attested by the questions they posed. One Commissioner wanted to know how the APRM Country Review Process address the matter on indigenous people while another Commissioner sought to know how the Djibouti report could consider traditional mechanisms of conflict resolution as a good practice when they often conceal discriminatory practices against women. He concluded that it was important to put traditions and human rights in perspective. It was observed that the APRM and the Commission could have the same vision of the conventions. A third Commissioner raised questions about the impact of the Commission since the reports tabled before had already been adopted. Commissioner Soyata Maiga, the ACHPR Chairperson, congratulated the APRM delegation and the Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Persons, Honourable Brigitte Mabandla for her enriching presentation.

The APRM delegation also held a one-hour formal meeting with Commissioner Soyata Maiga, ACHPR Chairperson, on the sidelines of the Public Session. In attendance were the Vice-Chairperson, Commissioner Lawrence Mute, Commissioner Zainabou Sylvie Kayitesi, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Mary Maboreke and the Legal Officer, Ms Eva Heza. The purpose of this meeting requested by Honourable Mabandla was to have a preliminary exchange of ideas with the ACHPR on the partnership between both institutions in general and on the Draft Framework for collaborative activities she sent some weeks earlier to the Commission for comments. This document seeks to operationalize the MoU between the APRM and the ACHPR which came into force in Nouakchott on 3 May 2018 where it was signed by the representatives of both parties, Commissioner Soyata Maiga on behalf of the ACHPR and Honourable Brigitte Mabandla on behalf of the APRM. In his welcome remarks, the Vice-Chairperson thanked the Chairperson of the APR Panel for her initiative and energy. He stressed the critical importance of this partnership for both organizations and acknowledged receipt the Draft Framework for collaborative activities. He added that the Commission will provide a feedback on the Draft Framework during the Private Session. The Vice-Chairperson suggested the need for the APRM and the ACHPR to prioritize one or two issues and also make the reporting procedures concrete.

Commissioner Zainabou Sylvie Kayitesi, who agreed on the proposed Framework for collaborative activities, emphasized the need for on-the-ground impact and the sharing of information at the proper time for use during the review and implementation phases. She added that the APRM should send the report to the Commission before its presentation to the country under review. For her part, Dr. Mary Maboreke congratulated the Chairperson of the APR Panel for her leadership and requested the APRM to send information to the Commission to enable it to synchronize. She also requested the APR Panel Chairperson to invite the Commission to the Forum of Heads of State and Government meetings. Honourable Mabandla thanked Commissioner Soyata Maiga, and colleagues for the productive meeting.