The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) in collaboration with the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development hosted a capacity building workshop on state compliance with reporting obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). The workshop took place from 9 to 10 November 2021 and participants attended in a hybrid format. Some participants attended in person in Hatfield, Pretoria while others attended virtually from different provinces which include the Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
The main goal of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of the South African Government, National Human Rights Institutes and civil society representatives to adequately play their role in the state reporting process in terms of the African Charter and the Maputo Protocol. Initially, South Africa received its training from the Centre in 2013 and they submitted a state report thereafter.
Madam Ranji Reddy, the acting deputy director for the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in her opening remarks emphasised the importance of reporting under the Maputo protocol so as to protect the rights of women in the country. South Africa is one of the leading countries on the continent in terms of reporting on the implementation of different treaties. The Centre was represented by Dr Itumeleng Shale, Ms Matilda Lasseko-Phooko, Ms Oluwaseyitan Solademi-Ibrahim and Ms Lydia Chibwe
The participants reflected on the practical challenges and opportunities for stakeholders in the state reporting process to advance human rights in the country. Particularly, participants considered the extent of implementation of the concluding observations and recommendations received from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights proffering suggestions on how this aspect can be strengthened in their context. South Africa is due to file a report to the African Commission on the African Charter and the Maputo Protocol. The workshop ended with all participants having attained clarity on their role in developing the state report and hopeful that the exercise will result in a report being filed that was developed with adequate involvement of all stakeholders.
For more information, please contact:
Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4306
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
matilda.lasseko-phooko@up.ac.za
Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4197
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
lydia.chibwe@up.ac.za
