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The Centre for Human Rights, together with the Institute for Human Rights and Business' office in Kenya, hosted a consultation for East Africa on behalf of the African Commission Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights violations in Nairobi, Kenya, from 19 - 21 January 2015. The consultation brought together representatives from civil society, national human rights institutions, affected communities and role players from the extractive sector in East Africa for a three-day consultation focusing on challenges, best practices and the way forward in the sub-region. The Working Group was represented by Commissioners Pacifique Manirakiza and Lawrence Mute, and Expert Members Clement Voule, Sheila Keetharuth and Eric Kassongo.
The East Africa sub-regional consultation involved several panel presentations focusing on the different country contexts, and included views on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Rwanda. Thematic issues that were discussed over the course of the sub-regional consultation included the role of national human rights institutions in promoting a human rights-based approach to extractive industry governance, the accountability of state and non-state actors with regard to corporate human rights abuse, the experiences of human rights defenders working in the field, experiences of affected communities, benefit sharing practices, and the environmental impacts of extractive industries in East Africa.
The consultation brought together an excellent group of participants, and very insightful and interesting presentations were delivered. The consultation took place in an environment of constructive engagement, and the Working Group managed to engage with the participants throughout the process. The information gathered during the consultation will be contained in a sub-regional consultation report, currently in development and to be published as soon as possible.
It should be noted that invitations were extended to a number of interest groups, and the organisers were disappointed with the lack of participation from governments and the business community. The next sub-regional consultation is scheduled to take place in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, from 6 - 8 July 2015. This consultation will focus on Central Africa and again hopes to bring together representatives from government, national human rights institutions, civil society, affected communities and the business sector.
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The symposium on mining and agriculture was hosted by the Australian Government in Kampala, Uganda, from 8 – 10 October 2014. The purpose of the symposium was to look at research and other projects on the African continent focusing on issues around mining and agriculture.
All projects included in the symposium are funded by the Australian Government. The Centre for Human Rights received a grant under the Australian Development Research Awards Scheme (ADRAS) in 2012. The collaborative project of the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and the African Commission Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights is funded by the ADRAS grant.
Over the course of three days, participants presented the research projects they are working on, explored potential areas for collaboration, and developed project plans and proposals based on existing experiences.
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The African Union Commission together with the United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights convened the first Africa Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from. This event followed in the steps of the Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights. The 2014 Annual Forum will be the 3rd one of its kind, and takes place from 1 – 3 December 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Africa Forum focused on human rights issues that are relevant to the African region and included stakeholders from government, national human rights institutions, the corporate sector, civil society organisations, and academia. The Centre for Human Rights supported Ms Sheila Keetharuth, an expert member of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights, in her capacity as a representative of the Working Group.
The underlying focus of the conference was the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights, which constitutes the basis of the mandate of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. At the conference, the African Union Commission (AUC) announced the development of an ‘African framework for implementing the UNGPs’, which should be the first of its kind. The AUC has not issued any further detail but is expected to work in close collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on this project.
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The African Commission Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights, with assistance from the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), hosted a sub-regional consultation focusing on Southern Africa from 29 – 31 August 2014. The purpose of the consultation was to bring together stakeholders and representatives from all constituencies involved in the extractive industries sector. The event was attended by representatives from South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
Representatives from different Southern African countries gave presentations on the human rights and environmental challenges they face within their respective lines of work. Some of the substantive issues that were discussed at the Consultation included land rights, mining law and policy, the environmental impact assessment procedures and frameworks, and the different roles and responsibilities of government, private actors, civil society, and affected community members.
The findings of the sub-regional consultations will be captured in a report, and made public by the Working Group.
