Human and Peoples' Rights Conference ends

Accra, May 30, GNA - Participants at the 41st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) on Wednesday adopted a communiqu=E9 which, among other things, touched on the prevention and prohibition of torture and other cruel inhuman punishment on the Continent.

The 11-page communique would be submitted to the 11th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) and the Ninth Summit of the Heads of State and Governments of the AU scheduled for July in Accra.

Mr Mumba Malila, Commissioner of the African Commission, who presented the communiqu=E9, said the Conference attended by more than 480 participants from national human rights institutions and other inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, presented statements pertaining to human rights issues in their countries. He said during deliberations, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights observed that human rights violations in Darfur were disheartening.

Mr Malila said the Commission adopted the Report of the Promotion Mission of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Mali, Burkina Faso, Swaziland and Cameroon.

An Advisory opinion on the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Populations and the Report of the Research and Information Visit to Central African Republic were also adopted. He said the Commission would organize seminars related to the Commission's mandate on issues such as Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Africa; Situation of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons; Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Terrorism.

Other resolutions adopted included Health Reproductive Rights of Women and Reiterating the Importance of Compliance with Reporting Obligations under the African Charter.

Ms Salamatu Sawadogo, Chairperson for the African Commission, said the first week of the session was devoted to public sessions for the exchange of information on issues such as Rights of Women in Africa; Conditions of Detention; Freedom of the Press; Prohibition of Torture and Death Penalty.

She said the private sessions considered issues related to activities of the Commission and its relations with other institutions and prepared a consultative opinion, which would be transmitted to the authorities of AU.

She underscored the need for activists to aim at greater commitment to give effect to the Charter and to take concrete measures regarding the implementation of recommendations issued from the deliberations. "In this manner you would prove to the African populations on whose behalf you are supposed to be fighting that the sessions of the African Commission are not fruitless meetings...."

Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who closed the conference, called on the Commission to explain the Charter to all at the grassroots level.

She urged the Commission to facilitate the development of appropriate syllabus on human rights into the curriculum of educational institutions in member States.

"It is only when people know their rights and how to access them that they can effectively demand for them." Ms Botchwey said member States of the Commission should always be committed to coordinated policies and programmes that would ensure that development was attained to the comfort of the citizenry.