Final Communiqué of the 70th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Virtual Session

23 February to 9 March 2022

1. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) held its 70th Ordinary Session (the Session) from 23 February to 9 March 2022 virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. The Session was chaired by Honourable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson of the Commission, assisted by Honourable Commissioner Maya Sahli Fadel, Vice-Chairperson of the Commission.

1. The Session was attended by the following members of the Commission:

i. Honourable Commissioner Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson; ii. Honourable Commissioner Maya Sahli-Fadel, Vice Chairperson; iii. Honourable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso; iv. Honourable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem; v. Honourable Commissioner Maria Teresa Manuela; vi. Honourable Commissioner Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga; vii. Honourable Commissioner Marie Louise Abomo; viii. Honourable Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie; ix. Honourable Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo; and x. Honourable Commissioner Idrissa Sow.

1. The Commission considered and adopted its agenda, after amendments.

1. The Commission considered and adopted the following documents:

i. Report of the Chairperson on AU Policy Organs Meetings of January/February 2022; ii. Paper on Calculation of the Periodicity of State Reporting; and iii. Paper on Template for Concluding Observations.

1. The Commission considered and adopted Concluding Observations on the following Periodic Reports:

i. Periodic Report of the Republic of Malawi; ii. Periodic Report of the Republic of Mauritius; and iii. Periodic Report of the Kingdom of eSwatini.

1. The Commission considered and made observations on the Paper on Monetary Compensation.

1. The Commission considered and adopted the Report of the Working Group on Communications and the Audit of Communications.

1. The Commission considered and adopted decisions on Communications as follows:

i. Three (3) Communications on the Merits; ii. Four (4) Communications on Admissibility, of which one (1) was declared admissible and three (3) inadmissible; iii. Eleven (11) Communications on Seizure including one (01) with a request for Provisional Measures; iv. Four (4) Communications for strike-out; and v. One (1) request for withdrawal.

1. The Commission held a closed meeting during which issues relating to the Commission of Inquiry on the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia were discussed.

1. The Commission considered and adopted six (6) Resolutions as follows:

i. Resolution on the Renewal of the Mandate of the Commission of Inquiry into the situation in the Tigray Region in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; ii. Resolution on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa; iii. Resolution on the Continued and Worsening Deadly Crackdown on Protests against the Regime following the 25 October coup d'état in Sudan; iv. Resolution on the Protection of Internally Displaced Person Camps and Sites from Attacks; v. Resolution on Reporting Cycles; vi. Resolution on the Right to Food, Nutrition and Resilience Building in Africa.

1. These Resolutions shall be published on the Commission's website: www.achpr.org.

1. Finally, the Commission adopted a Press release on the situation of Africans (diaspora) residing in Ukraine.

1. The 71st Ordinary Session of the Commission shall be held from 21 April to 13 May 2022.