The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, on 28 October 2022 held a capacity-building workshop for South African civil society organizations (CSOs) in Pretoria. The capacity-building workshop was aimed at equipping South African CSOs with limited or no interaction with the African human rights system with capacity to be able to engage with that system.
Over 30 participants, including 17 CSOs, from across South Africa, attended the workshop. The participating CSOs were drawn from various locations in South Africa, including Cape Town, East London, Johannesburg, Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Bram Fischer and Pretoria. They were carefully selected to ensure representation of actors working on diverse human rights issues including women’s rights, children’s rights, persons deprived of their liberty, sexual minorities, persons with disabilities and refugees.
Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4397
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
oluwatomiwa.ilori@up.ac.za
Advanced Human Rights Courses (AHRC)
Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4197
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
dennis.antwi@up.ac.za
The workshop programme touched on general and specific aspects of the African human rights system in as far as it relates to CSOs engagement with three key human rights bodies established under the African Union: the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The general aspects of the workshop included an introduction to the African human rights system by the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, Prof. Frans Viljoen and a presentation by the Co-manager of the Centre’s Litigation and Implementation Unit, Foluso Adegalu who spoke on the role of CSOs in improving the effectiveness of African human rights bodies.
Regarding the specific aspects of the African human rights system, Mr. Victor Lowilla, a Legal Officer at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, spoke to the mandate of and the opportunities for CSOs to engage with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Former Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Advocate Pansy Tlakula addressed the participants on CSOs’ engagement with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. A Technical Expert at the Secretariat of the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Ms. Opal Sibanda, made a presentation on the modus operandi of the African Children’s Committee and the pathway for CSOs engagement with the African Children’s Committee.
The capacity-building workshop emphasised that improved engagement for CSOs with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child often start by obtaining ‘observer status’ with these bodies. Avenues of engagement include: submitting cases to these bodies after exhausting local remedies, and submitting ‘shadow reports’ to the ‘official’ reports submitted by states. CSOs can also contribute to enhancing the African human rights system in South Africa by advocating for the ratification by South Africa of treaties that it has not ratified, such as the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Older Persons and on Persons with Disabilities in Africa as well as making a declaration under article 34(6) of the African Court’s Protocol to ensure individual access to the African Court. Also the effectiveness and visibility of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child can be improved at the national level through the provision of technical and capacity support, awareness raising and strategic litigation around the jurisprudence of these bodies by CSOs. The participants also made presentations on human rights issues in South Africa that should be addressed through the African human rights bodies.
The Centre for Human Rights thanks the Norwegian Royal Embassy for its financial support in organising this capacity-building workshop, which was held at 137 Murray Street Guest House, Brooklyn, Pretoria. It was hosted by the Centre’s Litigation and Implementation Unit.
