• • Commission in the promotion and protection of human rights at the regional and national level Activity and alternative reports of the NHRIs are taken into consideration by the African Commission when preparing concluding observations NHRIs can follow up on the implementation of the decisions of the African Commission at the domestic level The gaps are as follows: • • • • • • The African Commission has not been proactive in this collaborate and depends more on the effort of NANHRI. Apart from workshops and panel discussions, working relationship between the two is invisible NANHRI’s Constitution does not refer to the African Charter and the complementarity with the African Commission NHRIs do not consistently participate in the sessions of the African Commission There is no focal point for NHRIs at the secretariat of the African Commission with there being no response to correspondences in many instances The African Commission does not reprimand weak NHRIs which are not compliant with the Paris Principles The African Commission does not support NHRIs that face govt reprisals in the course of their work Recommendations from session 5: • • • • • • • NANHRI needs to reflect on how they can foster the relationship between NHRIs and the African Commission. It needs to identify areas of cooperation and to motivate NHRIs to engage with the African Commission There is a need for a better mechanism for the protection of whistle blowers and human rights defenders NHRIs with affiliate status have to present their reports to the African Commission every 2 years Need to assess how to make the African Commission and the NHRIs work closely beyond reporting and coming to sessions but through the constant flow of information The African Commission needs to assist NHRIs with B Status to upgrade and to operationalise The African Commission needs to speed up the applications of those NHRIs which have applied for affiliate status There is a need for a focal person on NHRIs at the African Commission Session 6: Complementarity in the Protection Mandate: A Focus on NHRIs FollowUp on Implementation of African Commission’s Decisions Relating to Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR) This session assesses how NHRIs can assist the African Commission in the implementation of its decisions in African countries. The contestation around ESCR started with the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights which led to 2 separate instruments namely the International Covenant on Economic, Social and 15