Press Release on the Human Rights Promotion Mission to the Republic of Seychelles
The Secretariat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Secretariat) wishes to inform the general public that the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Commission), upon authorization of the Government by the Republic of Seychelles (Seychelles), is scheduled to undertake a Promotion Mission to Seychelles from 10 to 14 March 2025.
This Mission, which is part of the Commission's promotion mandate, is being undertaken in accordance with Article 45(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Charter) and Rule 76(1) of the Commission's Rules of Procedure. The objectives of the mission are, inter alia, to promote the African Charter, its protocols and other regional and international human rights instruments, engage with relevant stakeholders on the human rights situation and exchange views on enhancing the enjoyment of human rights in the country.
The Delegation will be composed of:
Honourable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso, Commissioner Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in the Republic of Seychelles and Chairperson of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights Violations in Africa (Head of Delegation); and
Honourable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, Chairperson of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa.
The delegation will be supported by staff from the Secretariat.
During the Mission, the delegation will meet with a cross-section of human rights actors in the country, especially those working in the field of human rights: including in particular, relevant Government officials, Members of Parliament, Members of the Judiciary, the Police, National Institutions and representatives of Civil Society Organizations, and other individuals or institutions capable of enlightening the Commission on the human rights situation in Seychelles.
At the end of the mission, the preliminary findings will be discussed with the relevant Government authorities. A Press Conference will also be held to brief the press and the general public on these findings.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
13-05-2025
- Al Etihad
Guterres announces 'UN80 Initiative' to strengthen UN system
13 May 2025 09:44 NEW YORK (WAM) UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that the world body is developing a roadmap to unify its structures, streamline operations and expand its digital Member States in New York on Monday on the UN80 Initiative, Guterres outlined a wide-ranging effort to revamp how the UN system operates – cutting costs, streamlining operations, and modernising its approach to peace and security, development and human in March, the UN80 Initiative centres on three priorities: enhancing operational efficiency, assessing how mandates – or key tasks – from Member States are implemented, and exploring structural reforms across the UN conclusions will be reflected in revised estimates for the 2026 budget in September this year, with additional changes that require more detailed analysis presented in the proposal for the 2027 said the changes are expected to yield 'meaningful reductions' in the overall UN Secretary-General briefs on the UN80 Initiative, saying, 'The measure of success is not the volume of reports we generate or the number of meetings we convene. The measure of success — the value, purpose and aim of our work — is in the real-world difference we make in the lives of people.''The UN80 Initiative is a significant opportunity to strengthen the UN system and deliver for those who depend on us. It is central for implementing the Pact for the Future. It is crucial for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The needs of the people we serve must remain our guiding star.'He added, 'We must always stick to principles. We must never compromise core values. We must forever uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We will advance all this work so that our three pillars — peace and security, development and human rights — are mutually reinforced, and the geographical balance of our workforce and our gender and disability strategies will be preserved.'Guterres outlined the first workstream of the UN80 Initiative, aimed at improving efficiencies through service consolidation, relocation to cheaper locations, and greater use of automation and digital said departments at the UN's headquarters in New York and Geneva have been asked to review whether some teams can be relocated to lower-cost duty stations, reduced or second workstream involves a review of how existing mandates are being carried out – not the mandates themselves, which are the purview of Member States only.A preliminary review identified more than 3,600 unique mandates for the Secretariat alone. A full and more detailed analysis is now emphasised that the sheer number of mandates – and the bureaucracy needed to implement them – places a particular burden on smaller Member States with limited resources.'The third workstream – focused on structural reform – is already underway,' Guterres said. Nearly 50 initial submissions have already been received from senior UN officials, reflecting what Guterres described as 'a high level of ambition and creativity.' Key work areas have been identified for review, including peace and security, development, human rights, humanitarian, training and research and specialised agencies.
Zawya
09-05-2025
- Zawya
African Leaders meet in Uganda to Push Back Against Foreign Influence on Family
Top political leaders, parliamentarians and faith-based actors from across Africa and beyond have this week convened at State House, Entebbe for the Third African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family and Sovereignty, issuing a strong call for an African Charter that defends traditional values, strengthens national sovereignty and resists external ideological pressure. The high-level meeting, hosted by State House and the Parliament of Uganda in partnership with several African and global organisations, was opened by President Yoweri Museveni and Uganda's First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni on Friday, 09 May 2025. In the meeting, Janet Museveni warned of growing global influences that threaten to erode African cultural identity and family structures under the guise of aid and development. 'Too often, aid is not offered freely, it now comes with conditions that threaten to redefine our societies according to foreign standards, thereby eroding the values we hold sacred and undermining our right to govern ourselves,' she said. Mrs. Museveni, speaking with the conviction of a wife, mother, and grandmother, emphasised the urgency of reclaiming the continent's educational, cultural and spiritual foundations from foreign interests. 'Africa stands today at a crossroads. We face unprecedented global pressures that challenge not just our economies but our beliefs and institutions that hold our nations together, especially the family,' she said. AUDIO: Mrs. Museveni She cited ongoing reforms in Uganda's education sector aimed at instilling patriotism, moral grounding and reverence for family and God, noting that these initiatives are fully government-funded to avoid external ideological strings. She also highlighted Uganda's commitment to the 2020 Geneva Consensus Declaration, which affirms national sovereignty in policy decisions on life, family and gender. President Yoweri Museveni, addressing the gathering, voiced strong support for the cause, warning against what he called 'disorientation' being pushed on African societies. 'Now, for some of the people to want to spread this disorientation to the whole world is really criminal. But it will not work. It will fail,' he said. President Museveni also dismissed comprehensive sexual education for children as 'madness,' arguing that African traditions offer appropriate, age-based moral instruction. He warned that Uganda may withdraw from the Samoa Agreement if it is found to contain ideologically coercive clauses under the label of reproductive rights. 'I appeal to you, now that you are here, all of you, and our lawyers are here, study that Samoa document. If it really contains all those things you are talking about, the reproductive rights, what have you, then we shall have to pull out from that nonsense, and tell the European Union that we cannot be part of that criminality. Because comprehensive sexual education, in the Bible, it says there is time for everything,' he said. AUDIO: President Museveni Speaker Anita Among reaffirmed Uganda's commitment to protecting family values, citing the country's recent anti-homosexuality legislation as an example of standing firm under international pressure. She equally warned of increasing threats to African family structures from both local and foreign forces. 'The struggle towards preservation of family is not without challenges. The forces against the foundational values of family have agents both locally and internationally. They will try to divide us so as to defeat us,' she said. Among hailed Parliament's resolve during the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, saying Uganda resisted blackmail and sanctions to defend traditional values. 'The combination of blackmail, sanctions and manipulations did not deter our spirit. We legislated in the best interests of our families and society' she said. AUDIO: Speaker Anita Among Among praised the President, the first lady and Members of Parliament for their courage and role in protecting Uganda's cultural foundations. Other notable voices at the conference included Mohamed Ghayate, Deputy Speaker of Morocco, who reaffirmed his country's commitment to an African renaissance grounded in sovereignty and shared cultural heritage. 'Sovereignty is the living expression of the will of our peoples to freely define their destiny, protect their resources, and preserve their culture,' he said, pledging Morocco's support for a continental charter. Henk Jan van Schothorst of Christian Council International, a Dutch-based advocacy group, praised Africa as the 'last man standing' in the global battle for family values. 'You are threatened by the policies of the West, especially from the part of the world where I come from. But I want to encourage you to stay strong — not only for your children but also for ours,' he said. The conference, organized by the Inter-parliamentary Network on Family Values, Family Watch Africa, African Bar Association, and the Foundation for African Heritage, marked the continuation of a growing African-led initiative to frame a Charter of Values and Sovereignty. As deliberations continue, participants called for the outcomes of the gathering to be mainstreamed through African legislatures, the African Union, and the Organization of African First Ladies. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Zawya
01-05-2025
- Zawya
Towards the implementation of an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) youth networking strategy with African entrepreneurs through the creation of a mentoring and learning network in West Africa
H.E. Damtien Tchintchibidja, Vice-President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, on April 29, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, said that ECOWAS is considering the creation of a mentoring and apprenticeship network in West Africa to connect young people in the region with African entrepreneurs as part of Human Capital Development and youth underemployment. In the address by the Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, read by Mr. Ruben Johnson, Coordinator of the ECOWAS 'Human Capital Development' program, at the opening of the Youth Conference on the Development of an Economically Inclusive and Peaceful West Africa, taking place from April 29 to 30, 2025, in the Ghanaian capital, it was mentioned that the Regional Organization is exploring various strategies to address the challenge of unemployment and underemployment faced by young people in the West African sub-region. ' We cannot turn a blind eye to the pressing reality that many young people in our region are struggling to find meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities, so it is incumbent on us to devise comprehensive strategies to create pathways for our young people to enter the job market, contribute their talents and realize their full potential, ' she said. ' ECOWAS is ready to engage with its partners in pursuing the human capital development agenda, with increased resources allocated to youth support activities,' she added. For the Ghana Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, H.E. George Opare Addo, stakeholders must strengthen their collaboration to foster an ecosystem that promotes youth empowerment and human capital development in the ECOWAS sub-region. He stressed that collective effort would help find sustainable and inclusive solutions to support youth development, ensuring that no young person is left behind. The conference, organized by ECOWAS in collaboration with Ghana's Ministry of Youth and Development as part of the sub-regional organization's 50th anniversary celebrations, is a cornerstone of the broader ECOWAS Human Capital Development Strategy launched in 2021, which supports member states in designing national human capital development plans. It reinforces ECOWAS's vision of moving from an 'ECOWAS of States' to an 'ECOWAS of Peoples'. Over 250 participants are taking part, including representatives of the Ghanaian government, educators, business leaders, young people from ECOWAS member states, specialized ECOWAS agencies such as the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Program, as well as participants from the Directorates and Programs of the Office of the Vice-President, and observers from the Early Warning System. The aim of this major regional conference is to discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding the active participation of young people in the region's development, with particular reference to unemployment and underemployment in West Africa. Several relevant themes will be addressed, including (i) identifying the causes and factors of youth unemployment and the impact of their instrumentalization, (ii) showcasing successful youth initiatives and enterprises, (iii) exploring financing and innovation opportunities such as the ECOWAS Human Capital Development (HCD) Catalytic Investment Fund initiative. In addition, participants will discuss (a) the role of technology in creating job opportunities and solving employment problems, (b) advocacy strategy for reforms to align education with labor market needs and highlight effective continuing education programs, (c) encouraging youth participation in civic activities and promoting active citizenship. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
