Human Rights Protection: African Commission Urges Security Officials, Others to Meet Their Obligation
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ACHPR, has urged States to ensure that they meet their human rights obligations and that law enforcement officials, when policing protests and demonstrations, use force only as a last resort and always in a lawful, proportionate and necessary manner.
The Commission at its 31st Extraordinary Session which held virtually noted that it is alarmed by the global trend towards the reduction of civic space, which calls into question the right of everyone to make their voices heard, organize and act, and the negative impact this has on development, combating poverty, inequality and injustice.
The Commission Urges states to refrain from using the State of Emergency Declarations related to COVID-19 or the fight against terrorism to justify the introduction of repressive measures to restrict the freedoms that constitute the civic space.
Stressing that all non-State actors respect all human rights and not to undermine the ability of civil society to operate safely and unhindered;
The Commission further called upon States to ensure that the right to a civic space for populations and all individuals is always protected in all situations of crisis including security, environmental, health or other natural disasters
States to scrupulously ensure, that at all times and in all places, the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa are respected.