AFRICAN UNION
UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
African Commission on Human &
Peoples’ Rights
Commission Africaine des Droits de
l’Homme & des Peuples
31 Bijilo Annex Layout, Kombo North District, Western Region, P. O. Box 673, Banjul, The Gambia
Tel: (220) 4410505 / 4410506; Fax: (220) 4410504 E-mail: au-banjul@africa-union.org; Web:
www.achpr.org
42ND ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND
PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
Submitted in Accordance with
Article 54 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
I.
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INTRODUCTION
1. This 42nd Activity Report of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
(the Commission), is presented in accordance with Article 54 of the African Charter
on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter) and covers the period of
January to May 2017 (1st quarter of 2017), including the Commission’s 21st ExtraOrdinary Sessions, held in February 2017 in Banjul-The Gambia.
II.
STATUTORY MEETINGS HELD DURING REPORTING PERIOD
2. Two (02) Statutory meetings were held during the reporting period, namely: (i) the
28th African Union Summit that held in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia from 22- 31 January
2017; and (ii) the 21st Extra-Ordinary Session of the Commission that held in BanjulThe Gambia from 22 February to 4 march 2017
(i) 28th African Union Summit, Addis Ababa-Ethiopia on 22- 31 January 2017
1. The Chairperson of the Commission, Hon. Commissioner Pansy Tlakula led a
delegation to the AU Summit comprising; the Vice-Chairperson Hon. Commissioner
Soyata Maiga; the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa Hon.
Commissioner Lucy Asuagbor; resident Commissioner in Ethiopia, Hon. Commissioner
Solomon Dersso; Hon. Commissioner Yeung Kam John Yeung Sik Yuen; and the
Secretary to the Commission Dr. Mary Maboreke. The delegation was supported by
staff of the Secretariat.
2. The Chairperson of the Commission, Hon. Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, On 23
January 2017, presented the 41st Activity Report of the Commission during the 33rd
Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC). The presentation
was followed by a discussion on Reports by State Parties, during which the
Ambassador of the Republic of Chad and Chairperson of the PRC, Mr. Cherif Mahamat
Zene reiterated the decision taken during the 27th AU Summit in Kigali in June 2016,
where it was decided that the PRC did not have the mandate to amend the reports of
the AU Organs, including that of the Commission. Accordingly, he proposed that State
Parties focus on consideration of the Commission’s draft decision.
3. Other interventions to the 41st Activity Report of the Commission came from the
delegations of (i) the Kingdom of Swaziland; (ii) the State of Eritrea; (iii) the People’s
Democratic Republic of Algeria; and (iv) the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Hon. Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, provided
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answers, clarifications and insights on various issues and concerns related to the
execution of the work of the Commission raised by the respective intervenors.
4. As it has become the practice, the 41st Activity Report was not presented before the 30th
Ordinary Session of the Executive Council that held from 25 to 27 January 2017, but the
Report was discussed within the framework of the PRC’s Report to the Council. The
publication of the 41st Activity Report of the Commission was authorized by the 30th
Meeting of the Executive Council through Decision EX.CL/Draft/Dec.10(XXX).
5. Although not considered as statutory meetings, the Bureau of the Commission and
members of the delegation held several side meetings on the margins of the Summit.
These were the following:
(i) The Pre-Summit Consultative Meeting on Gender Mainstreaming in the African
Union and the 9th African Union Gender Pre-Summit. The delegation was led to
this meeting by Honorable Commissioner Lucy Asuagbor in her capacity as the
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, the delegation attended;
(ii) Meeting of the Bureau with the Eritrean delegation led by Ambassador Araia
Desta, the Permanent Representative of the State of Eritrea to the African Union
and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA);
(iii) Meeting of the Bureau with the Danish Minister for Equal Opportunities and
Nordic Cooperation, H.E. Karen Elleman and her delegation;
(iv) Meeting of the Chairperson of the Commission with Mr. Denis Atemnkeng of
the Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC);
(v) Meeting of the Bureau with a delegation from the African Peer Review
Mechanism (APRM), which included Hon. Brigitte Mabandla, APRM Panel of
Eminent Persons and Professor Eddy Maloka, the CEO of the APRM Secretariat,
and members of the APRM Secretariat;
(vi) Meeting of the Bureau with Mr. Mahamane Cisse-Gouro, the Chief of the Africa
Branch in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR);
(vii) Meeting of the Bureau with Ambassador Ranieri Sabatucci, the new Head of the
European Union (EU) Delegation to the African Union;
(viii) The 29th GIMAC Consultative Meeting, which is a platform of NGO networks
promoting gender equality and account for women’s rights in Africa. At this
event, 6 (six) African women were awarded the Women’s’ Pioneer Award. The
Commission’s Vice-Chairperson, from Mali, Honourable Soyata Maiga was one
of the recipients of this Award.
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(ii) 21st Extra-Ordinary Session - Banjul, The Gambia, 23 February to 4 March
2017
6. The Chairperson Hon. Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, opened the Session and presided
over this Session.
7. The order of business for the Extra-Ordinary Session included consideration of the
following documents, which were approved by the Commission with amendments:
(i) Guidelines for the Policing of Assemblies by Law Enforcement Officers in Africa;
(ii) General Comments on the Rights to Redress for Victims of Torture and other
Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Punishment or Treatment under Article 5 of the
African Charter; (iii) the Banjul Declaration of the 59th Ordinary Session of the
African Year of human rights with particular focus on the rights of women under
the theme “women’s rights our collective responsibility”; All these documents are
available on the Commission’s website. The Commission resolved that the
Guidelines on the Implementation of the Right to Water in Africa be further
reviewed and referred to public consultation.
8. The Commission considered and made comments on the following documents for
further review by its Secretariat: (i) draft Guidelines on Freedom of association and
assembly in Africa; (ii) draft Guidelines on Combatting Sexual Violence and its
Consequences in Africa; (iii) draft review of the Rules of Procedure; (iv) draft
memorandum of understanding with the APRM; (v) Report of the Political and
human rights situation in The Gambia and Proposed Plan of Action; (vi) Report of
the Status Of Preparedness for the 60th Ordinary Session scheduled for NiameyNiger from the 8 to 22 may 2017; and (vii) Brief Paper on Commemorative Activities
for the 30th Anniversary of the Commission to be organized during the 61 st
Ordinary Session.
9.
At this same Session, the Commission considered and noted budgetary and
administrative matters. These were: (i) the Status Report of the Secretariat on
Follow-up Actions from the 59th Ordinary Session; (ii) the Project Implementation
Plan under the EU-PANAF fund; (iii) the 2017 Annual Work Plan; (iv) the Quarterly
Report on AU Budget execution; (v) the Submission to the AUC for the Review of
Emoluments of Elected Officials of the ACHPR; (vi) the Review of the Organogram
of the Commission.
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10. The Commission Considered and seized eight (08) Communications and granted
three (03) requests for Provisional Measures.
11. During the course of the Session, the Commission paid a courtesy call on the newly
elected president of The Gambia, H.E Adama Barrow. Central to this engagement
was a high-level discussion on the human right situation in The Gambia following
the post-election crisis in this country. The Commission also held a working meeting
with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, Mr. Ousainou Darboe to take
some of the more functional elements of the discussion with the President forward.
12. Related to the human rights situation in the Gambia, the Commission received a
World Bank Mission to the Gambia on a Fragility Assessment of the Gambia as well
as a United Nations Mission on the Human Rights Assessment to the Gambia. In the
engagement with the UN, the Commission was represented by the ViceChairperson and Hon. Com. Soyata Maiga and Hon. Com. Reine Alapini-Gansou
and the UN was represented by the Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, Mr. Jeffrey
D. Feltman, and the Special Representative of the Un Secretary General for West
Africa and the Sahel, Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas.
13. With a view to forging relations with other AU organs with similar mandates, the
Commission also held a working session with a delegation of the African Peer
Review Mechanism which discussed the content of a Memorandum of
Understanding as well as possible joint activities that could be undertaken in the
future towards promoting human rights and good governance in Africa.
(iii) 60th Ordinary Session – Niamey, Niger, 8 May to 23 May 2017
14. The 60th Ordinary Session of the Commission held in Niamey, Niger following the
generous offer of the Government of Niger to host this Session.
15. The Session was attended by a total number of 631 (Six Hundred and Thirty-One)
Participants from 45 (Forty-Six) Member State Countries. In addition to the
Secretariat, service providers and experts present at the Session who numbered 46
(Forty-Six), of this number 96 (Ninety-Six) were State Delegates from 20 Member
States; 06 (Six) were from 3 (Three) UN and related International organisations. 325
(Three Hundred and Twenty-Five) were from 15 different Member States; 04 (Four)
were from Organs of the African Union.
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16. During this Session, the following Guidelines were adopted: (i) Guidelines on
Combating Sexual Violence and its consequences in Africa; (ii) Guidelines on
Freedom of Association and Freedom of Peaceful Assembly in Africa. (iii) Principles
on Declassification and De-Criminalisation of Petty Offences in Africa.
17. During the same Session, the Commission also adopted, jointly with the African
Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child, the General Comments on Child
Marriages.
18. In addition, the following thematic resolutions were adopted: (i) Resolution on the
Right to Life in Africa; (ii) Resolution on the Regional Action Plan on Albinism in
Africa; (iii) Resolution on Human Rights Defenders in Africa; (iii) Resolution on
Transforming the Study Group on Freedom of Association into a Working Group;
(iv) Resolution on Protection of Sacred Natural Sites and Territories; (v) Resolution
on the Situation on Internally Displaced Persons in Africa; (vi) Resolution on the
Need to Implement the New York Declaration on the Protection of Refugees and
Migrants; (vii) Resolution on Ensuring the Observance of the African Charter in the
Extractive Industries Sector in Africa; (viii) Resolution on the Granting of Affiliate
Status to National Human Rights Institutions and Specialised Human Rights
Institutions in Africa; and (ix) the Resolution on the Right to Food Security in Africa.
19. During its Private Session, the Commission undertook a review of its Rules of
Procedure. Amongst other things, this review was aimed at re-formulating the
Rules in order to reduce the timelines for the resolution of human rights
communications, introduce mechanisms for the follow-up of decisions and
recommendations of the Commission with member states, and enhancing the
linkages between the Commission and the Court, on the one hand, and the
Commission and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, on the other
hand, with respect to the promotion of human rights in the continent.
III.
STATE REPORTING
20. The Commission considered one (1) State Periodic Report, and provided its
Concluding Observation on the Periodic Report of Mauritania.
21. The status of submission of Periodic Reports to the Commission by Member States
as at the 60th Ordinary Session stands as follows:
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Status
Up to date: 09
1 Report overdue: 11
2 Reports overdue: 7
3 Reports overdue: 2
More than 3 Reports
overdue: 19
Never submitted a
Report: 7
IV.
State Party
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, Niger, South Africa;
Cameroon, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique,
Nigeria, Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Uganda;
Angola, Liberia, Libya, The Sudan, Togo; Rwanda; Mauritania
Botswana, Burundi;
Benin, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of
Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, The Gambia,
Ghana, Guinea Republic, Kingdom of Lesotho, Madagascar,
Mauritania, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia
and Zimbabwe;
Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome
and Principe, Somalia and South Sudan.
HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINTS BEFORE THE COMMISSION
a) Communications
22. There are 222 (Two Hundred and Twenty-Two) Communications currently pending
before the Commission. Communications considered during the reporting period
were the following:
Session
Phase of Communication
Number considered
21st
Ordinary
Session
Communication Seized
Communication
Seized
and
Provisional Measures Issued
Communications not Seized
Communications Deferred
Communications
declared
Admissible
Communications
declared
Inadmissible
Communications for Struck out
Communications considered on
15
9
7|Page
0
0
1
0
0
0
their Merits
Communications referred by the
Secretariat to the Commission for
Guidance
TOTAL
NUMBER
OF
COMMUNICATIONS
CONSIDERED
Session
Phase of Communication
60th
Ordinary
Session
Communication Seized
Communication
Seized
and
Provisional Measures Issued
Communications not Seized
Communications Deferred
Communications
declared
Admissible
Communications
declared
Inadmissible
Communications struck out
Communications considered on
their Merits
Communications referred by the
Secretariat to the Commission for
Guidance
TOTAL
NUMBER
OF
COMMUNICATIONS
CONSIDERED
23.
5
15
Number considered
10
3
0
0
1
0
4
0
5
15
The Commission continues to lament the low compliance rate of Member States
with decisions of the Commission, and encourages
V.
APPLICATIONS FOR OBSERVER AND AFFILIATE STATUS
a) NGOs granted Observer status
24. The Commission during the 21st EOS did not consider any application for grant of
Observer Status. However, during the 60th Ordinary Session, the Commission
considered 7 (Seven) applications for the grant of Observer Status, and granted
observer status to the following NGOS: (i) Centre d’Information et de Formation en
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Matriere de Droits Humains en Afrique (CIFDHA) of Burkina Faso; (ii) Association
pour le Development de la Promotion des Droits Humains (ADPDH) of Mauritania;
(iii) Coalition Mondiale contre la Peine de Mort of France; (iv) Ensemble contre la
Peine de Mort of France; (v) Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and
Assistance of Malawi; (vi) Help Age International of Kenya; and (vii) Association
Angola 2000 of Angola.
25. The current number of NGOs with Observer Status as at the 60th Ordinary Session of
the Commission to 511 (Five Hundred and Eleven).
b) Applications by NHRIs for Affiliate Status
26. The Commission received only one application during the reporting period. This
was from the National Human Rights Institution of the Republic of Zimbabwe. The
Commission granted this NHRI Affiliate Status. No applications were received from
NHRIs for Affiliate Status, bring the total number of NHRIs with Affiliate Status to
27 (Twenty-Seven) as at the end of the reporting period.
VI.
STATE COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMMISSION’S DECISIONS,
REQUEST FOR PROVISIONAL MEASURES AN LETTERS OF URGENT
APPEAL
27. The Commission noted that State compliance with its Decisions, Requests for
Provisional Measures and Letters of Urgent Appeal is relatively low, as reflected by
the information reaching the Commission regarding State compliance which was as
follows:
a) Requests Provisional Measures
28. During the reporting period, a total of 12 (twelve) Requests for Provisional Measures
issued by the Commission. These Provisional Measures related to the following
alleged human rights violations:
No.
Communication
1.
Communication …./17 Frank Diongo
Samba (Represented by All4Rights) v.
Democratic Republic of Congo
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Nature of alleged Date
human
rights Request
violation
of
2.
Communication …./17 Anas Ahmed
Khalif v. Arab Republic of Egypt
Communication …/17 Ahmed Abdul
Wahab Al Khateeb v. Arab Republic of
Egypt
Communication 647/17 Mahmoud
Zakaria Amin Abdel Rehim v. Arab
Republic Egypt
Communication 647/17 Mahmoud
Zakaria Amin Abdel Rehim v. Arab
Republic Egypt
3.
4.
5.
28 October
2016
25 October
2016
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
b) Letters of Urgent Appeal
29. There were 3 (three) Letters of Urgent Appeal sent to State Parties during the
reporting period, regarding human rights issues alleged to have occurred in their
respective countries, was as reflected in the table hereunder:
State
Date of Letter
1. United Republic 14 March 2017
of Tanzania (1)
2.
Republic
of
South Africa (1)
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Issue
warranting
Urgent
Letter
of
Appeal
This letter concerned
the
alleged
forced
evictions of certain
indigenous people in
Tanzania,
most
of
whom were women
and children.
The letter regarded
alleged
xenophobic
Status
of
Implementation
The State is yet to
respond.
The State is yet to
respond.
3. Republic
Sudan (1)
of 1 March 2017
4.
Republic
Egypt (1)
of 20 May 2017
VII.
attacks
on
foreign
nationals in South
Africa.
The letter related to the
alleged
prolonged
dentention and unfair
trial of Centre for
Training and Huamn
Rights
Development
(TRACKS)
staff
members and another
from
an
affiliate
organisation.
Regarding
the
imminent execution of
a convict.
The State has since
tried
and
sentenced
the
detainees.
The
State
responded.
has
LETTERS OF APPRECIATION
State
Date of Letter
1. United Republic 22
of Tanzania (1)
2017
2.
Republic
Malawi (1)
of 25
2017
Positive development warranting Letter of
Appreciation
February This letter commended the United Republic
of Tanzania for the adoption and signing
into law of the Access to Information Act.
February The letter commended the adoption and
signing into law of the Access to
Information Act.
VIII. PRESS STATEMENTS
30. The Commission issued twenty-two (22) Press Statements/Releases during the
reporting period, which are available, inter alia, on the website of the Commission.
IX.
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PROMOTION MISSIONS AND ADVOCACY VISITS
31. Within the framework of its protection and promotion mandate under Articles 45
and 58 of the African Charter, the Commission undertook the following missions
during the reporting period:
a) Promotion Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 21 to 30
November 2016;
b) Promotion Mission to Mauritania from the 15 to 21 December 2016;
c) Promotion Mission to Namibia from 24 to 29 April 2017;
d) Promotion Mission to the Republic of The Gambia from 21 to 26 April 2017
X.
ACTIVITIES OF COMMISSIONERS
32. Activities undertaken by Commissioners in their capacities as Members of the
Commission and as Members of Special Mechanisms are available on the website of
the Commission on www.achpr.org. These activities consist of participation in
statutory meetings of the Commission, promotion missions, seminars, conferences,
workshops and meetings organised by the Commission and its Special Mechanisms,
and also those organised by human rights stakeholders such as State Parties, the
United Nations system and civil society.
XI.
THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION ON THE CONTINENT
33. This section was introduced pursuant to Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.639
(XVIII) calling upon the Commission to brief the Policy Organs on the human rights
situation on the continent. The practice of the Commission is to draw the content of
this section from the interactions of the Commission with State Parties and NGOs
with observer status with the Commission during Ordinary Sessions of the
Commission, supplemented by information gathered as the Commission monitors
the human rights situation in the various States Parties during the intersession
period.
34. This time round, the content and format of the 59th Ordinary Session were framed
in such a way as to reflect the commemorative nature of the occasion. Therefore, the
exchanges that normally take place between the Commission and stakeholders were
not as extensive as usual. Consequently, the information availed for this section was
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also not as extensive. It is against this background that the Commission highlights
with appreciation the following developments:
a) Positive developments
35. The Commission notes with appreciation some of the key positive human rights
developments observed during the reporting period:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
The peaceful, free and fair election process, ushering in a democratic
Government in the Republic of the Gambia;
The peaceful, free and fair election process in the Republic of Ghana;
The successful recovery of 82 of the Chibok Girls in the Republic of Nigeria;
The passing into law of the Access into Information Law in the Republics of
Tanzania and Malawi;
The passing into law of a legal framework for Human Rights Defenders in
the Republics of Tanzania, Mali, Burkina Faso, the DRC, Cote d’Voire and
Sierra Leone;
The signing into law of a Prevention of Torture Bill, criminalizing torture in
accordance with CAT, by the Government of Kenya;
b) Areas of concern
36. The Commission notes with concern some of the following human rights challenges
observed during the reporting period:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
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Reported conflicts, humanitarian crisis, and internal displacement of people
in South Sudan, DRC, Nigeria, Libya, Mali, Egypt and Somalia, which
disproportionately affects women and children;
Reported xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in the Republic of
South Africa;
Reported forced evictions of indigenous populations to give way to
development projects in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya;
Reports of physical attacks on indigenous populations in Eastern Chad,
Algeria and Tanzania;
The reported instability and election-related violence in the Republics of
Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote d’Voire;
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
XII.
continued reports of violence, discrimination, stigma and social exclusion
directed at persons with albinism in the Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and
other parts of Africa; and
Reported arrests and harassment of journalists and human rights defenders
in Cameroon, Burundi, Eritrea and Sudan and South Sudan;
reported continuous detentions of Government officials without trial in the
Republic of Erithrea and Sudan;
The declaration of states of emergency in Ethiopia and Tunisia, and reported
acts of torture, cruel and degrading treatment of persons in Ethiopia and
Tunisia during this period;
Reports of shoot-to-kill orders issued in Kenya and South Sudan resulting
injury and deaths of civilians;
Reports of disproportionate response of the Police during public
demonstrations in Cameroon, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo
and various parts of Africa;
Reports of overcrowding, poor conditions of detention and sanitary
conditions, lack of medical facilities, the incarceration of accused and
convicted inmates in the same cells, the incarceration of minors and children
in the same cells, in some Member States;
RECOMMENDATIONS
37. In light of the foregoing, the Commission recommends as follows:
a) State Parties to:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
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provide the Commission with adequate funding to avoid its dependence on
partner funding;
address the human rights issues identified in their respective countries;
continue to engage stakeholders at the national level on reported human
rights violations, including through active participation at the sessions of the
African Commission, engagements with Expert Mechanisms of the
Commission, and by authorising country visits;
comply with Requests for Provisional Measures, decisions and
recommendations of the Commission, as set out in the Communications to
which they are parties and inform the Commission of the measures taken in
line with Rule 112 of the Commission’s Rules of Procedure;
respond to Letters of Urgent Appeals sent by the Commission;
vi.
implement recommendations made by the Commission arising out of the
Banjul Declaration on of the 59th Ordinary Session of the African Year of
human rights with particular focus on the rights of women under the theme
“women’s rights our collective responsibility”;
ratify and implement the Maputo Protocol;
establish or designate Independent National Bodies mandated to undertake
regular visits to Prisons and grant requests for prison visits from
independent and non-governmental stakeholders;
implement the Guidelines for the Policing of Assemblies by Law
Enforcement Officials in Africa as well as the Luanda Guidelines.
vii.
viii.
ix.
b) AUC to expedite:
i.
ii.
iii.
recruitment of essential staff of the Secretariat of the Commission, especially
Arabic and Portuguese Translators and Interpreters, to enhance the capacity of
the Commission to deliver on its mandate;
adopt the review of the structure and organogram of the Commission with a
view to providing the Commission ‘s Secretariat with the requisite capacity to
adequately support the Commission and its work; and
review the emoluments of elected officials of the ACHPR to bring them in line
with the emoluments of other AU organs.
XIII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SITUATION
a) Funding
38. The Commission continues to rely on partners to fund some of its key activities such
as Extraordinary Sessions, which are devoted mainly to the consideration of
Communications. Such a situation is not desirable for an AU Organ dealing with
such important and sensitive matters.
39. The insufficient funding of the Commission from the member state budget also
impedes the Commission’s capacity to follow-up on implementation as it prevents
the Commission from developing effective follow up of its findings during country
visits, and recommendations arising from its findings, resulting in the overall
weakening of the effectiveness of the Commission.
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40. Therefore the situation needs to be reviewed so that State Parties shoulder their
responsibilities in this regard.
b) Governance
41. Commissioners, Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups of the Commission,
including the Bureau, hold a part-time tenure and undertake much of their thematic
mandate and oversight over the Secretariat during the inter-session period. This
adversely impacts on the ability of the Commission to carry this workload as it
competes with equally important commitments of Commissioners in their home
countries.
42. It would therefore be desirable for the Bureau of the Commission to be appointed on
full-time basis, and for the remuneration of elected officials to be reviewed in a
manner that is commensurate with the inter-session obligations of officials.
c) Staffing
43. The recruitment process is on-going and efforts are underway to fill a number of
vacant posts, both at the professional and general services levels. The Commission
calls for recruitments for the Commission to be prioritised and fast-tracked,
particularly the appointment of a Public Relations and Information Officer, Human
Resource Officer, Legal Officers (Protection), Communications and Database Officer
and Arabic and Portuguese Revisers and Interpreters, to enable the Commission to
work, produce and communicate its work in all the official languages of the AU.
44. The personnel establishment should also be reviewed to establish a fully-fledged
Unit in charge of implementation of the decisions of the Commission on
Communications. This Unit should be equipped with the necessary human and
operational capacity to deliver on its mandate.
d) Construction of the Headquarters of the Commission
45. The Commission welcomes the positive engagements with the new Government of
the Republic of the Gambia regarding the construction of Headquarters for the
Commission. The Commission hopes that the new Headquarters of the Commission
can be handed over to the Commission during its 30 year celebratory 61st Ordinary
Session which will be held in Banjul the Gambia in November, 2017.
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XIV. DATES AND VENUE OF THE 22ND EXTRAORDINARY SESSION AND
THE 61ST ORDINARY SESSION OF THE COMMISSION
46. The 22nd Extraordinary Session of the Commission will take place from 29 July to
the 7 August, 2017 in Dakar, the Republic of Senegal. The 61st Ordinary Session of
the Commission will take place from in November, 2017 in the Republic of Sudan.
47. The Commission expresses its appreciation to the Republic of Niger for hosting the
60th Ordinary Session, to State Parties that have already hosted Sessions of the
Commission and to the Republic of Sudan for offering to host the 61st Ordinary
Sessions of the Commission. The Commission also seizes this opportunity to urge
States Parties that have never hosted Ordinary Sessions of the Commission to
consider doing so.
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