2011: Resolution on Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and Protection of Journalists in Africa

Posted on October 31, 2011 by admin

We, the participants to the NGO Forum in the 50^th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and 24^th African Human Rights Book Fair held from 19^th – 21^st October, 2011 in Banjul, The Gambia

Recognising that enjoyment of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information in facilitating the promotion as well as protection of other civil, political, economic and social rights and that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and protection of journalists as essential component of democracy, providing all with opportunities to, inter alia, express their political views, receive and impart information and participate in cultural activities as well as economic and social activities that will lead to development, engage in religious practices or other beliefs, form and join trade unions and cooperatives, and elect leaders to represent their interests and hold them accountable as well as participating in other processes of national importance;
We recommend the African Commission to:

Adopt a resolution to expand the Article IV of the Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa to incorporate the principles of this Declaration
Propose at the January 2012 AU Summit to adopt 28 September as the African “Right to Information Day”
Urge Member States to repeal all criminal incitement laws which continue to infringe the rights to freedom of expression and of the press
Strongly condemn incidences of attacks and harassment of journalists during the course of their work
Urge the states to put in place measures to protect journalists even in cases of attacks by non state actors
Urge the Government of the Republic of The Gambia to release information on the fate and whereabouts of the journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh who disappeared in 2006.

Done in Banjul – 21^st October, 2011

Resolution on serious and systematic trade union rights violations in Africa

Posted on November 9, 2010 by admin

We, participants at the NGO Forum in preparation for the 48th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, from 7^th – 9^th Nov. 2010, in Banjul, The Gambia,

Considering that African workers have consistently been denied the right to form free trade unions and trade union leaders and activists have faced harsh treatment, including arbitrary arrest and detention;

Considering that independent and democratic trade unions in Africa have been facing severe persecution and crackdown;

Considering the indisputable and renowned role of the trade union movement in Africa in securing the independence of many African countries;

Knowing that trade union rights are human rights;

Urge the African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights to:

1. Express strong support and solidarity for all the workers of Africa seeking the right to freedom of association and assembly.

2. Condemn violations of human and trade union rights particularly the right to freedom of association and assembly, two of the basic pillars of human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

3. Address the human and trade union rights situation in Africa by protecting the trade union rights and the lives of African workers as a matter of high priority in close cooperation with the African trade union movement.

4. Call on member states of the African Union to respect their obligations under continental and international human rights standards, including all treaties to which they are party.

Done at Banjul, November 9th, 2010

Resolution on Djibouti

Posted on May 8, 2006 by admin

The Forum on the participation of NGOs to the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights;

Recalling the repeated violations since 1995 of the rights of human rights defenders and in particular those of trade unionists who defend economic and social rights in Djibouti including the detentions and arbitrary arrests, the wrongful dismissals, the intimidations, the harassment by the Police and the Judiciary, the obstacles to freedoms of Association and of Expression;

Considering the massive arrests of September 2005 of about 156 demonstrators and 12 Trade Union leaders aimed at suppressing the general strike action by the staff of the Port of Djibouti and restricting, de facto, the freedom to strike and to demonstrate;

Considering that following the demonstrations of September 2005, 36 individuals who were arrested, including the Trade Union leaders, were wrongfully dismissed, and that 12 representatives of the Union of Port Workers (UPW) had been condemned, due to their unionist activities, to 1 and 2 months suspended imprisonment at the end of an illegal proceedings;

Considering the arbitrary arrest of the Chairperson of the Djibouti Human Rights League (DHRL) on the 14th December 2005, the arrest and detention of four leaders of the central independent Trade Union, the Djiboutian Workers Union (UDW) in early 2006 and the legal proceedings brought against them with the false charge of “intelligence with a foreign power”;

Profoundly deploring the fact that, in spite the recommendations of the ILO, the new Labour Code which was promulgated in January 2006 contains provisions which are liberticidal for the rights of Djiboutian workers, in particular, Article 215 which places the existence and recognition of Trade Unions under the exclusive control of the Executive Powers;

Hereby requests the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to adopt a Resolution:

Condemning the violations of the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and requesting the national Authorities to strictly guarantee the rights of assembly, of expression and demonstration;

Programming a mission of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to the Republic of Djibouti comprising notably of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders;

Furthermore requesting the ACHPR to request the Djiboutian Authorities:

– To respect the Declaration of the Human Rights Defenders adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the 9th December 1998, and more particularly to urge the national Authorities to respect, under any circumstances, the physical and moral integrity of the Human Rights Defenders;
– To conform to the restrictive provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, of the fundamental Conventions of the International Labour Organization (notably Convention 87) and the international instruments relative to the protection of human rights to which Djibouti is signatory;
– To conform to the recommendations and arbitration activities of the International Labour Office in the area of trade unionist freedom notably by modifying Article 215 of the Labour Code;
– To take all useful measures to guarantee the independence and effective exercise of the judicial system in accordance with Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights;

Done in Banjul, 8th May 2006