RES.233(EXT.OS/XIII)2013: RESOLUTION ON THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE WORKING GROUP ON SPECIFIC ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION AND MODIFYING ITS MANDATE AND COMPOSITION
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) meeting at its 13th Extra-Ordinary Session held in Banjul, The Gambia, from 18 to 25 February 2013;
Recalling its mandate to promote human and peoples’ rights and ensure their protection in Africa under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter);
Recalling Resolution Ref. ACHPR/Res.77 (XXXVII)05 on the creation of a Working Group on Specific Issues Relevant to the Work of the Commission (WGSI), adopted at its 37th session which took place from 27 April - 11 May 2005 in Banjul, The Gambia;
Recalling further Resolutions ACHPR/Res.124 (XXXXII) 07 adopted at its 42nd Ordinary Session held from 14 – 28 November 2007, in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo, and Resolution ACHPR/Res.150 (XLV1) 09 adopted at its 46th Ordinary Session held from 11 – 25 November 2009, in Banjul, The Gambia; renewing the mandate of the Working Group;
Noting with appreciation the accomplishments of the Working Group since its establishment, and that it has since accomplished most of the tasks falling within its mandate;
Further Noting that the mandate of the WGSI came to an end in November 2011;
Bearing in mind Resolution ACHPR/Res.255 on the Expansion of the Mandate of the Working Group on Communications and modifying its composition adopted at its 52nd Ordinary Session held from 9 – 22 October 2012, in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, which expanded the mandate of the Working Group on Communications to include the coordination of follow-up on decisions of the Commission on Communications which hitherto fell within the mandate of the WGSI;
Considering the need for certain recent matters relevant to the work of the Commission to be dealt with expeditiously and the necessity to allow the WGSI to address these urgent pending issues;
Decides to renew the mandate of the WGSI for twelve (12) months;
Further Decides that the mandate of the WGSI be modified as follows:
i. to deal as a matter of priority with the monitoring and supervision of the development of the Strategic Plan of the Commission for the years 2014 – 2017 and the associated resource mobilization strategy;
ii. to deal with the mechanism and procedure for the follow-up on the recommendations and decisions of the Commission other than those relating to Communications or those provided for under the Commission’s Rules of Procedure;
iii. continue to work together with other stakeholders to deal with the modalities for the establishment of a Voluntary Fund for Human Rights in Africa; and
iv. perform any other tasks which may be entrusted to it by the Commission.
Appoints the following Commissioners as the members of the WGSI:
i. Commission Faith Pansy Tlakula
ii. Commissioner Med Kaggwa
iii. Commissioner Soyata Maiga
iv. Commissioner Lucy Asuagbor
Also Appoints Commissioner Faith Pansy Tlakula as the Chairperson of the WGSI;
Requests the WGSI to report accordingly to each Ordinary Session of the Commission;
Further Requests the Secretariat of the African Commission to employ all necessary efforts to mobilize resources that would assist the WGSI to carry out its mandate.
Done at the13th Extra-Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, held from 18 to 25 February 2013, in Banjul, The Gambia, 23 February, 2013