ENE

The UN Human Rights office, in cooperation with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights convened a day-meeting of the Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Special Mechanisms of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to explore ways of improving cooperation and coordination in promoting and protecting human rights in Africa.  The meeting took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 18 to 19 January 2012.

This meeting, bringing together mandate-holders, civil society organizations, UN and AU agencies as well as individual experts, was the first of its kind. “It is a historic opportunity to join hands and work together in discharging the important mandates entrusted to us for the benefit of rights-holders in Africa,” said Ms. Farida Shaheed, chairperson of the Coordinating Committee of the Special Procedures.  “Peer-to-peer learning is an invaluable tool in the framework of enhanced collaboration and building synergies that the two systems are seeking to establish,” added Ms. Reine Alapini Gansou, former Chairperson of the Africa Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.  

The experts discussed ways to undertake joint actions, including joint public statements, joint awareness raising events and joint visits to African countries. Particular emphasis was put on the need for better information sharing through the existing tools.  

At the end of this important gathering, AU Special Mechanisms and UN Special Procedures mandate-holders pledged to strive to achieve greater coordination in the discharge of their mandates, through the development of common working methods, including with regard to country missions, communications and public statements.