in Kenya, the marginalised minority groups continue to suffer
discrimination, includes slum dwellers, intersex persons, and
indigenous persons who by virtue of their traditions reside in
forest areas. There have also been an increased in police
brutality when the police was enforcing covid 19 protocols,
including enforced disappearances.
Western Africa
Lack of aaccess to vaccines covid-19 (production and fake news);
Unconstitutional changes in govt in Mali and Guinea; and other
questions (terrorism, immigration issues, and climate change)
Central Africa
M any countries have not secured the resources for the Covid-19
vaccines. Rural areas have suffered by not being able to have
water for washing hands etc. Many places do not also have access
to Covid 19 tests due to the high prices. There has been
discrimination concerning access to vaccines and a violation of
the principle of universal access to health. Many political actors
do not understand the importance of vaccines and they need to
be sensitised about the same. Non-implementation or nonrespect of most member States of the African Union of the
decisions of the human rights mechanisms such as the African
Commission and the African Court continues to be a problem.
Key recommendations from Session 1:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
To organise democratic and transparent elections
To respect the rights of migrants
To respect the freedom of assembly and association
To respect human rights and guarantee just trials to human rights defenders
To advocate for restrictions in terms of covid-19 to be human rights compliant
To advocate for vaccination equality and access. Various stakeholders on the
continent come together and develop capacity to manufacture vaccines.
To encourage States to ratify the African human rights instruments
To encourage States to meet the Abuja Declaration commitment of allocating
15% of the budget towards health as at the moment, only South Africa and
Rwanda have met the target.
Session 2: Reflections on the Complementary Relationship between NHRIs and the
African Commission over the past 40 years of the African Charter
This session focused on the complementary relationship between the NHRIs and the
African Commission. The first NHRI was created in 1987 in Africa in Togo. In 1990s, the
number of NHRIs in Africa increased exponentially which made it necessary to have a
more defined relationship between NHRIs and the African Commission, hence the
adopted of the 1998 Resolution.
The expert presentation started with the statutory basis and context of such
complementary relationship and elaborated on the origins and evolutions of the
relationship between the African Commission and NHRIs.
8
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