Another primary function of IHRDA is to provide current information regarding human rights issues and policies in African to human rights workers through regular publications. IHRDA recognizes that the evolution and development of the African human rights system is severely limited by the inaccessibility of information. Therefore, IHRDA purposely designs its publications to be a useful tool for lawyers and other human rights workers.
The publications of IHRDA are vast in topic. One of their most widely recognized publications is the African Human Rights Caselaw Analyser (discussed in more detail in a previous post). Other publication topics include past human rights case decisions, the potential role of an African Court on Human Rights, specific case requirements (admissibility) of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, and the human rights commitments of specific African countries. Summaries of each of these publications are available on the IHRDA website, along with purchasing information for some of the materials.
Source:
http://www.ihrda.org/publications/
Monday, April 1, 2013
Snapshot: IHRDA Workshops
One of IHRDA's primary functions is to provide training to human rights workers. IHRDA seeks to inform human rights workers of the tools available to them when working on human rights cases, specifically the provisions of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACmHPR) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). IHRDA also seeks to educate human rights workers as to the mechanisms of the African Committee on Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC).
IHRDA's workshops service individuals developing both national and continental human rights cases. Currently IHRDA offers workshops in four categories:
- African Human Rights Procedures
- The Gambia Legal Capacity Building Project
- Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
- Children's Rights
The content of the workshops in each of these categories can be explored further via the IHRDA website. Additionally, IHRDA has published reports of the curriculum and proceedings of these workshops, in so doing giving human rights workers and lawyers yet another resource.
**As a side note, I think I'm going to need to start a list of the acronyms associated with African human rights law and organizations. The majority of the websites used for research merely give the appropriate acronyms instead of the full organization name which can be very confusing for the reader! **
Source:
http://www.ihrda.org/workshops/
IHRDA's workshops service individuals developing both national and continental human rights cases. Currently IHRDA offers workshops in four categories:
- African Human Rights Procedures
- The Gambia Legal Capacity Building Project
- Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
- Children's Rights
The content of the workshops in each of these categories can be explored further via the IHRDA website. Additionally, IHRDA has published reports of the curriculum and proceedings of these workshops, in so doing giving human rights workers and lawyers yet another resource.
**As a side note, I think I'm going to need to start a list of the acronyms associated with African human rights law and organizations. The majority of the websites used for research merely give the appropriate acronyms instead of the full organization name which can be very confusing for the reader! **
Source:
http://www.ihrda.org/workshops/
Snapshot: The Coalition for an Effective African Court
Founded in May 2003, the Coalition for an Effective African Court (ACC) is an organization comprised of NGOs, individuals, and independent domestic human rights institutions (e.g. NHRIs -- see below) seeking to promote human rights protection in Africa through the establishment of the African Court on Human and People's Rights. The main goal of ACC is to persuade African nations to ratify the establishment of the Court. Secondarily, ACC exists to ensure the fair and transparent election of judges to the Court, to encourage the participation of civil society in the Court, and to provide technical support to the Court (as well as the Court's parent institution - the African Union). To achieve its aims, ACC acts primarily through the publication of research and policy proposals, as well as the creation of programs designed to raise awareness of human rights issues.
Through the lobbying efforts of ACC, the African Court on Human and People's Rights was ratified by eight states in 2005, enabling the establishment of the Court. Shortly after, seven other states ratified the protocol creating the Court - also through the work of ACC. More recently, the African Union has sought to merge the African Court on Human and People's Rights with the AU Court of Justice. ACC is been heavily involved in drafting recommendations for the successful merger of these two entities.
ACC is managed by an executive committee consisting of nine positions: a chairperson, a secretariat, coordinator, and focal point and liaison advisers. As a member organization, IHRDA currently serve as the focal point on national human rights institutions (NHRIs). Similarly, IHRDA was the chairperson of the executive committee from 2007-2008. As the focal point for NHRIs, IHRDA is responsible for supporting the functioning of NHRIs (e.g. technical assistance), creating and maintaining a strong network between ACC members, and enabling the mission of the ACC. Through its support of NHRIs, IHRDA hopes to make the African Court on Human and People's Rights more accessible to all African citizens and increase the credibility of the Court as a continental enforcer of human rights. In this focal point role, IHRDA also works closely with the Secretariat of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions to further increase the involvement of NHRIs in the regional human rights system.
Source:
http://www.ihrda.org/our-programmes/ihrda-and-acc/
Through the lobbying efforts of ACC, the African Court on Human and People's Rights was ratified by eight states in 2005, enabling the establishment of the Court. Shortly after, seven other states ratified the protocol creating the Court - also through the work of ACC. More recently, the African Union has sought to merge the African Court on Human and People's Rights with the AU Court of Justice. ACC is been heavily involved in drafting recommendations for the successful merger of these two entities.
ACC is managed by an executive committee consisting of nine positions: a chairperson, a secretariat, coordinator, and focal point and liaison advisers. As a member organization, IHRDA currently serve as the focal point on national human rights institutions (NHRIs). Similarly, IHRDA was the chairperson of the executive committee from 2007-2008. As the focal point for NHRIs, IHRDA is responsible for supporting the functioning of NHRIs (e.g. technical assistance), creating and maintaining a strong network between ACC members, and enabling the mission of the ACC. Through its support of NHRIs, IHRDA hopes to make the African Court on Human and People's Rights more accessible to all African citizens and increase the credibility of the Court as a continental enforcer of human rights. In this focal point role, IHRDA also works closely with the Secretariat of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions to further increase the involvement of NHRIs in the regional human rights system.
Source:
http://www.ihrda.org/our-programmes/ihrda-and-acc/
Fun Facts
As my research continues into the role of the IHRDA in human rights advocacy in Africa, here a some interesting facts regarding the organization:
- IHRDA is currently engaged in human rights cases in the following countries: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Angola.
- IHRDA has previously also worked in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Swaziland, Liberia, the Gambia, and Mauritania.
- IHRDA seeks to strengthen human rights policy in Africa through 3 main functions:
- offering free legal counsel to human rights victims
- providing training seminars to human rights workers
- publishing information on current human rights issues and policies in Africa
- IHRDA is a member of the Coalition for an Effective African Court (ACC)
- In October 2012, IHRDA was recognized by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Right (ACHPR) for its efforts to promote and protect human rights, receiving the 2nd place award for human rights NGOs.
- The current African human rights framework rests on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, established on October 21, 1986. Since then, IHRDA has consistently encouraged the African Union to more effectively monitor domestic compliance with this Charter.
Sources:
http://www.ihrda.org/our-programmes/
http://www.ihrda.org/2012/10/ihrda-awarded-first-runner-up-for-achpr-human-rights-ngo-prize/
http://www.ihrda.org/2012/10/ihrda-statement-in-commemoration-of-the-african-human-rights-day/
- IHRDA is currently engaged in human rights cases in the following countries: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Angola.
- IHRDA has previously also worked in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Swaziland, Liberia, the Gambia, and Mauritania.
- IHRDA seeks to strengthen human rights policy in Africa through 3 main functions:
- offering free legal counsel to human rights victims
- providing training seminars to human rights workers
- publishing information on current human rights issues and policies in Africa
- IHRDA is a member of the Coalition for an Effective African Court (ACC)
- In October 2012, IHRDA was recognized by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Right (ACHPR) for its efforts to promote and protect human rights, receiving the 2nd place award for human rights NGOs.
- The current African human rights framework rests on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, established on October 21, 1986. Since then, IHRDA has consistently encouraged the African Union to more effectively monitor domestic compliance with this Charter.
Sources:
http://www.ihrda.org/our-programmes/
http://www.ihrda.org/2012/10/ihrda-awarded-first-runner-up-for-achpr-human-rights-ngo-prize/
http://www.ihrda.org/2012/10/ihrda-statement-in-commemoration-of-the-african-human-rights-day/
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