48th ordinary session of the African commission

(ACHPR)--Forum on the Participation of NGOs in the 48th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and 22nd African Human Rights Book Fair, 7-9 November, 2010Banjul, The Gambia

Project

The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) is an independent non-governmental pan-African organisation, established in The Gambia since 1989. Since its inception, the Centre has been playing a central role in promoting and protecting human rights and democracy in Africa, through the media of capacity building, networking, action-oriented research, publication and documentation.

The Forum on the Participation of NGOs in the Ordinary Sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights is one of the main advocacy tools that the Centre uses to promote networking among Human Rights NGOs, for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa. In collaboration with the African Commission and other human rights organisations, the African Centre has facilitated the participation of civil society organisations, academicians and other professionals from Africa and beyond in the African Commission’s sessions.

The last Forum held in Banjul, The Gambia in May, 2010 was a resounding success with over 180 participants, coming from civil society organisation and NGOs in Africa and beyond, inter-state organisations, the academia, and so on.

As is traditional, the African Centre will host the Forum on the participation of NGOs in the 48th Ordinary session of the African Commission. The Forum will deliberate generally on the human rights situation in Africa in general and attempt to bring to the fore specific situations that need to be highlighted in order to attract the attention of the African Commission in particular and the international community and other concerned bodies.

The ACDHRS will also organise the 22nd African Human Rights Book Fair during the Forum and the public sessions of the Commission, to enable NGOs network and initiate or renew, the exchange of materials and information, as well as to publicise their activities.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Forum are:

To foster closer collaboration and co-operation among NGOs, and with the African Commission for promotion and protection human rights in Africa;

To provide a discussion platform for organisations working on democracy and human rights issues in the continent;

To promote inter-regional/organisational networking for the implementation of decisions of the Forum as contained in the ACHPR Communiqué;

Languages

The Forum will be conducted in both English and French with simultaneous interpretation facilities.

Participation

All participants to the Forum are expected to meet the full cost of their participation, including a registration fee of US$100.00 (one hundred United States Dollars) or its equivalent in Gambian Dalasis. Please note that this amount is subsidised by the African Centre to meet the cost of tea and coffee breaks, lunch, documentation, stationery and other administrative logistics for the duration of the Forum only.

Furthermore, note that the said amount should be paid by ALL participants in cash at the registration desk on Sunday, 7th November, 2010

Resource persons

Resource persons for the Forum are usually eminent activists and experts dealing with democracy and human rights issues in Africa.

Place and Duration of the Forum

The three-day Forum would take place from 7th – 9th November, 2010 in Banjul, The Gambia while the Sessions of the African Commission would hold from 10th to 24th November, 2010.

Book Fair

Display of publications at the Book Fair is encouraged for greater participation at the Forum. We encourage participants to hand carry all publications they wish to display at the Forum

Further information will be communicated to interested individuals and organisations upon receipt of the reply form.

Proposed Agenda

The following topics are proposed as the main themes for discussion at the NGO Forum:

Human Rights and Democracy Situation in Africa

African Women’s Decade, Protocol on Women’s Rights in Africa

30th Anniversary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Human Rights Strategy for Africa

African Charter on Elections, Democracy and Governance

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Criminal Court

Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Human Rights Defenders in Africa

Networking for Human Rights

Should you have any comments, proposal to the proposed agenda, please forward to the ACDHRS.

However, please note that proposal(s) to include a new theme or topic to the afore-said agenda should take cognizance of the fact that the NGO Forum Agenda is determined by the agenda of the proceedings of the African Commission Session.

Furthermore, proposals by organisations or individuals must be accompanied by proposed names of Resource Persons or Facilitators and an expression of their willingness to support the participation of Resource Persons or Facilitators in the Forum, if necessary, as well as to provide the relevant documentation needed to facilitate the presentations on the given theme or topic.

Visa

Participants are encouraged to make the necessary visa arrangements, where required, before departing from their respective countries for The Gambia. Where participants do not have Gambian diplomatic representation in their countries of residence, the ACDHRS would endeavour to facilitate the issuance of visa on arrival to such participants, provided the ACDHRS is informed well in advance.

Accommodation

With regards to accommodation, the African Centre would negotiate rates of rooms on behalf of participants and forward such information to participants.

Application Deadline

Participants must complete the attached reply form and return to the African Centre no later than Friday, 8th October, 2010 by either Tel: 00 44 62 341-2 or Fax: 00 220- 44 62 338-9 or email: / / in order to facilitate administrative and logistic arrangements. The African Centre is not obliged to process reply forms received after the deadline.

Please disseminate this information to your networks as widely as

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