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From Tuesday, 16 October 2018 to Thursday, 18 October 2018, the Women's Rights Unit of the Centre for Human Rights organised and conducted a regional state reporting workshop on 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) for four African countries namely, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The workshop was organised and hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, in Uganda. It was held at the Protea hotel, Entebbe. 

The primary objective of the state reporting workshop was to strengthen the capacity of representatives of these states parties (in light of Article 62 of the African Charter and Article 26 of the Maputo Protocol) to fulfil their reporting obligations to the African Commission. There were 42 participants who attended the regional workshop. These participants were drawn from Government ministries/ inter-ministerial task teams, National Human Rights Commissions, the judiciary, academia and Civil Society Organisations from these four countries.

The Centre was represented by Professor M. Hansungule, Patience Mungwari Mpani, Satang Nabaneh and Ade Johnson. The workshop began with an opening address by the Hon. Solicitor General of the Ministry of Justice, Uganda. He was represented by Mr. Bisereko Kyomuhendo, Commissioner, Legal Advisory Services, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

Presentations were given on a number of topics in relation to the African regional human rights system and its treaties specifically, the African Charter and its Protocols. In these presentations, significant emphasis was laid on the principles, themes, guidelines and measures of safeguards in the African Charter as well as the Maputo Protocol. Participants were also given the opportunity to discuss and share experiences on the human rights situation in their respective countries. This session was particularly beneficial as it gave the participants from the four countries an opportunity to share experiences from their local contexts. 

One particular highlight of the workshop was the state report drafting exercise where participants were grouped by country to begin the process of drafting and compiling a draft state report to a moot African Commission experts. The workshop was also an avenue to share the Centre’s new virtual platform on the Maputo Protocol (www.maputoprotocol.up.ac.za) as well as the Centre's year long campaign on older women with participants. 

At the end of the workshop, there was significant commitment expressed by participants from the four countries to continue the process of drafting and compiling state reports. Of particular interest was the expressed commitment by the delegation from South Sudan to ensure that the process of ratification and deposition of the Maputo Protocol is completed soon in their country. 

Finally, it is hoped that there will be continuous collaboration with the Centre and the participants from the four countries. This collaboration would mean that there would be regular follow ups with the delegates from these countries and where possible the Centre would be able to provide the technical support and guidance needed for these states to fulfil their reporting obligations to the African Commission.

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For more information, please contact

Ms Adetokunbo Johnson

Project Officer: Women’s Rights Unit

Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4306
Fax: +27 (0) 86 269 6141
ade.johnson@up.ac.za