ADDRESSING CHALLENGES OF AFRICAN NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS
Banjul, November 8, 2009 – At the Third Conference of African National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) which started, today, Sunday, 8 November 2009, in Banjul, Republic of Gambia, representatives of National Human Rights Institutions have shared experiences, challenges and opportunities with a view to improving capacity building and enhancing or reinforcing their mandates.
On challenges, the representatives of the NHRIs agreed that funding and staffing levels had an effect on their work. Scarce financial resources affected their activities and hence they cannot meet all their objectives. Regarding human resources, for instance, in some countries, Commissioners for Human Rights work on part time basis. Participants shared the need for capacity building and training. The representatives also highlighted the issue of managing public expectations. They shared experiences on how to make their mandate clear to the general public in order to answer properly to the complaints received. The country presentations also focussed on the evaluation and monitoring of the activities and gave indicators for mapping achievements.
Despite all the challenges, the NHRIs shared many opportunities which will permit them to better protect and promote human rights in Africa and empower national institutions. Some participants stated that, in their countries, the political will to promote and protect human and peoples' rights existed although funding did not meet their expectations and did not fall in line with all the planned activities.
As a way forward, they proposed that governments programs should be influenced to make them human rights based. They suggested also that strategic partnerships should be formed with civil society and synergies promoted in order to speak with one voice. Presentations were made by representatives of the Human Rights Commissions of Chad, Ethiopia Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Senegal, and Zambia.
This first day of deliberations was concluded with a presentation by Dr. Mamadou Dia, Head, Division of Democracy, Governance, Elections and Human Rights at the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union, on the relations between the African Union Commission (AUC) and the NHRIs. His presentation focused on enhancing and sustaining synergies between the AUC and NHRIs and on what should be the substantive or content driver of the synergy. He highlighted the added value of building synergy as it "seeks to encourage effective coordination and harmonization of human rights policies amongst member States with the aim of promoting regional and continental integration".
The meeting continues on Monday, 9 November 2009 at Sene Gambia Beach Resort, Banjul, The Gambia.
