The NGOs Forum shares updates on the human rights situation in Africa by the African and international NGOs community with a view of identifying responses as well as adopting strategies towards the promotion and protection of human rights in the continent.

‘Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for building the Africa we want’ At its virtual meeting held on 6 February, 2021, the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of Africa at the 34th Ordinary Summit emphasized the need for no country to be left behind in its continental response to Covid19 as it enhances integration. The Summit further declared 2021 theme as ‘Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for building the Africa we want’. The theme will seek to consolidate and support the growth and recognition of Africa's cultural and artistic riches as a common unifying foundation that can galvanize the common will of the African people, those of the continent as well as those of the Diaspora To ensure that the right to culture, like every other human rights are fully enjoyed, there are international and regional policies, legal frameworks that promote and protect the said right and related subjects as is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Art. 27), the Cultural Charter for Africa, Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Art. 17), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Art. 12) amongst others. Unfortunately, the level of awareness of the existence of the stated treaties remains on the low side and by large the enjoyment of the said freedoms and rights. Considering the importance of the theme in the current and post Covid19 environment, the theme for the Forum on the participation of NGOs in the 68th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights which will take place virtually from 12-13 April, 2021 will be framed around the 2021 AU theme ‘The Africa we want: the role of arts, culture and heritage in the realization of human rights and democracy in a post COVID19 environment’. The NGOs Forum will also seize the opportunity of the theme of the year to take stock of the implementation of the decisions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights regarding indigenous people (ACHPR communication 276/03). The discussions of the said Forum would greatly contribute to the increase of knowledge about the treaties to promote and protect cultural rights in Africa and of Africans in the diaspora.