Podcasts about african commission

In celebration of International Women's Day, the Human Rights and Immigration Subcommittee of the International Law Community is spotlighting exciting recent developments in international women's rights. Among other topics, our conversation will explore historic efforts to hold the Taliban, the de facto authorities in Afghanistan, accountable under international law in connection with the extreme and pervasive infringement of Afghan women's and girls' fundamental rights and freedoms. Guest: Natasha Arnpriester, Senior Legal Counsel at the Open Society Foundations and a specialist in the use of strategic litigation to protect and affirm women's rights, civil and political rights, and democratic practices. Ms. Arnpriester litigates transnational human rights cases across numerous jurisdictions, including United Nations treaty bodies, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the European Court of Human Rights, and various U.S. courts.

Human Rights Watch is calling out the government of Burkina Faso for failing to include human rights violations taking place in the country in a report to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. Burkinabe authorities, security forces and terror groups are all accused of widespread abuses against civilians and restrictions on people's rights and freedoms. Mohammed Yusuf report

In conversation with Elsabe Boshoff, Samrawit Getaneh and Nastasia Thebaud-Bouillon-Njenga This is a podcast series brought to you by the HRDA Alumni Task Force on Climate Justice and Rights of Future Generations in Africa, hosted under the Africa Rights Talk – Centre for Human Rights podcast. The initial aim is to produce a limited series of six podcasts that form a coherent whole, introducing some of the main challenges related to climate change and human rights in Africa. We take this opportunity to acknowledge the financial support of the European Union through the Global Campus for Human Rights. In this podcast episode, the two speakers, Elsabe Boshoff and Samrawit Getaneh, discuss on how climate change disproportionately affects children in Africa, and the interlinkages between multiple systematic inequalities affecting girls and boys in their diversity. They also touch on the responsibilities of African states as duty bearers with regard to ensuring the whole range of children's human rights in the context of a changing climate. Samrawit elaborates on the negative impacts of climate change due to their physical and cognitive levels of development. She highlights how children bear the brunt of the impact of anthropogenic GHC emissions. Samrawit further stresses that girls are particularly impacted by the effects of climate change, given the gender norms that affect their roles, such as helping with household chores. Elsabe reflects on the urgency to tackle climate-related challenges in Africa based on the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that has projected that around 125 million children could be subjected to the consequences of climate change by 2030, through displacement, water scarcity and malnutrition, which all impact on the health of the child. In addition, Elsabe points out the impacts of heatwaves on pregnant women and their fetuses, which include delayed brain development in unborn children, resulting in educational attainment and work outcomes later in life. Finally, both speakers zoom in on some recommendations such as children empowerment and more engagement from state members. Children can be empowered to share their views on climate-related issues that directly affect them. These are through child parliaments where children get the opportunity to debate on important issues on the national agenda. It is also important that African state parties engage more with the Working Group on Children's Rights and Climate Change under the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Committee). In this podcast episode, the two speakers, Elsabe Boshoff and Samrawit Getaneh, discuss on how climate change disproportionately affects children in Africa, and the interlinkages between multiple systematic inequalities affecting girls and boys in their diversity. They also touch on the responsibilities of African states as duty bearers with regard to ensuring the whole range of children's human rights in the context of a changing climate. Samrawit elaborates on the negative impacts of climate change due to their physical and cognitive levels of development. She highlights how children bear the brunt of the impact of anthropogenic GHC emissions. Samrawit further stresses that girls are particularly impacted by the effects of climate change, given the gender norms that affect their roles, such as helping with household chores. Elsabe reflects on the urgency to tackle climate-related challenges in Africa based on the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that has projected that around 125 million children could be subjected to the consequences of climate change by 2030, through displacement, waterscarcity and malnutrition, which all impact on the health of the child. In addition, Elsabe points out the impacts of heatwaves on pregnant women and their fetuses, which include delayed brain development in unborn children, resulting in educational attainment and work outcomes later in life. Finally, both speakers zoom in on some recommendations such as children empowerment and more engagement from state members. Children can be empowered to share their views on climate-related issues that directly affect them. These are through child parliaments where children get the opportunity to debate on important issues on the national agenda. It is also important that African state parties engage more with the Working Group on Children's Rights and Climate Change under the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Committee).   Elsabe Boshoff (HRDA Class of 2017, South Africa) is a Doctoral Fellow at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR). Her PhD research focuses on the right to development in the African human rights system, particularly in the context of the extractive industries. Prior to joining the NCHR, Elsabe has worked with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights between 2017 to 2020.   Samrawit Getaneh (HRDA Class of 2016, Ethiopia) is a Senior Child Rights Protection Officer at the African Committee. She is particularly interested in mechanisms of human rights protection, the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups and minority groups, the nexus between human rights and development as well as climate change and human rights. She is also a current PhD researcher at the University of the Western Cape.   Nastasia Thebaud-Bouillon-Njenga (HRDA Class of 2015, France/Kenya) is a human rights attorney and a consultant in climate justice, gender equality, the right to food and children's rights. She is the founder of Ujasiri Human Rights consultancy, an NGO providing advocacy, training and research consultancy services to civil society actors.   This conversation was recorded on 22 March 2024.      

  In conversation with Dr David Nnanna Ikpo On Thursday, February 22, 2024, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria hosted a film screening of a documentary commemorating two decades of legal recognition of same-sex marriages in Belgium, France, and South Africa. This documentary titled “Hold” directed by Dr. David Ikpo and produced by Tshepang Mamaregane, is a project developed in celebration of this milestone.  Africa Rights Talk sits with the director, Dr David Ikpo. He notes that this documentary elevates the stories and voices of same-sex couples and serves as a powerful tool to track the current realities of same-sex couples in the context of legal recognition in the three nations. The project successfully captured the lived experiences of same-sex couples. The documentary sheds light on the social, political, and economic factors influencing marriage and civil unions. By documenting these realities beyond legal recognition, it holds society and states accountable for protecting the rights of same-sex couples. The film contributes to increased visibility for LGBTI persons globally, regionally, and nationally. As we reflect of the past 20 years, let us continue advocating for love, equality, and human rights for all. This episode celebrates progress, amplifies voices, and inspires continued advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.    Dr. David Nnanna Ikpo, a Nigerian lawyer and storyteller. Dr Ikpo graduated from the LLM/MPHIL in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa program at the University of Pretoria in 2016. His debut novel, “Fimi Sile Forever”, garnered critical acclaim and was even shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Prize for Best Gay Fiction in 2018. He co-founded the Queer Space Collective, a platform that fosters dialogue, visibility, and empowerment within the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023, Dr. Ikpo obtained his honours degree in ‘motion pictures' from AFDA (South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) as well as a  doctoral degree qualification. His thesis, titled “Using indigenous storytelling and African Commission soft law in Nigerian law classrooms to advance queer rights,” explores the legal and pedagogical potential of African Commission Resolution 275. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow and communications officer at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.   This conversation was recorded on 7 March 2024.     Music and news extracts: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc  limitless https://stock.adobe.com/za/search/audio?k=452592386

The recent ICJ interim order has been interpreted in many ways by its proponents, who hail it a victory and its opponents, who denounce it as an Israeli conspiracy. However, many have questioned the efficacy of the interim order, pointing to the ICJ's lack of enforcement and the absence of an explicit mention of a ceasefire. To help us understand the complexities surrounding the judgement, we have invited, at short notice, Tayab Ali in once again. Tayab Ali, is a lawyer specialising in international law. He is a partner at the legal firm Bindmans. He has represented clients in the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights and at international political and legal institutions, including the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and the African Commission of Human and Peoples' Rights.Listen to the audio version of the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636aApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimYou can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comPurchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merch Find us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim Host: https://twitter.com/jalalaynWebsite Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

** This interview was recorded a few hours before South Africa initiated its ICJ case - the Genocide Convention is discussed in detail here. When we consider the disgraceful actions of the Israeli state, it becomes evident that they operate in a system of impunity. But what, if anything, can we do about this? My guest today, Tayab Ali, is a lawyer specialising in criminal trials. He is a partner at the legal firm Bindmans. He has been described as “an irresistible force – he's fearless.” He is rated as a Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters and recognised in Civil Liberties by The Legal 500. He has represented clients in the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights and at international political and legal institutions, including the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and the African Commission of Human and Peoples' Rights.Listen to the audio version of the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjV...https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMu...You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comFind us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/thinking_muslim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In conversation with Advocate Pansy Tlakula and Hlengiwe Dube   On 11 September 2023, the Centre for Human Rights Africa Rights Talk Podcast hosted Advocate  Pansy Tlakula for a discussion on the 10th anniversary of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa. The session was moderated by Hlengiwe Dube from the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit.  The podcast is based on Advocate Pansy Tlakula's role as the former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa and her current role as the Chairperson of the South African Information Regulator. She outlines the significance of the right of access to information and the normative standards that the African Commission developed to enhance the protection and promotion of the right of access to information in Africa. Specifically on the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa, she discusses the African Commission's rationale for developing such a normative instrument, its impact, and major developments, including challenges in the access to information landscape in Africa. Regarding her current role,  Advocate Tlakula explains the establishment and role of the Information Regulator, including its advocacy strategies, challenges, successes and collaborations with like-minded institutions in Africa and beyond.    Advocate Pansy Tlakula is the Chairperson of the Information Regulator of South Africa. She has held several other influential positions throughout her career. She was a member of the South African Human Rights Commission between 1995 until 2002. From 2002 until 2011, she was the Chief Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa and later served as its Chairperson between 2011 and 2014. In 2005 she was appointed as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), until November 2017. During her tenure at the ACHPR, she served as the Chairperson (2015 and 2017), Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, and Chairperson of the Working Group on Specific Issues related to the work of the African Commission. In January 2020 she started her four-year tenure as a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. She holds a Bachelor of Law (B.Proc) from the University of the North (now University of Limpopo), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from the University of the Witwatersrand, Masters in Law (LL.M) from Harvard University and a Doctorate in Legal Studies (Honoris Causa) from the Vaal University of Technology. She was the Chancellor of the Vaal University of Technology from 2010 until 2014.   Hlengiwe Dube is the Project Manager of the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.    This conversation was recorded on 11 September 2023. Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc 

In conversation with Hon Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo and Hlengiwe Dube On 29 September 2023, the Centre for Human Rights Africa Rights Talk Podcast featured the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Hon Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo. This podcast is part of the Centre's commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa (Model Law). In this episode, Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo delves into the significance of access to information, emphasising its role in upholding democracy and being an enabler of other  human rights.  The Special Rapporteur outlined the African Commission's normative standards on the right to access to information in Africa, emanating from article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights which provides for the right to receive information. These are: the Guidelines on Access to information and Elections in Africa, the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa and the Model Law. On the Model Law, she discussed its adoption and implementation, highlighting notable successes and challenges. The discussion also included the contribution of digital technologies to the information ecosystem and the obstacles that vulnerable and marginalised groups encounter in navigating the digital space and using digital technologies. The podcast concludes with a call for States to create a conducive environment for the exercise of the right to access information in Africa, taking into account the digital age.   Honourable Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, was elected as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights in October 2021. She is the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa; Vice-Chairperson of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights Violations in Africa; Member of the Working Group on the Death Penalty, Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings and Enforced Disappearances in Africa; and member of the Resolutions Committee. She is a lawyer with great expertise in International Maritime Law. She currently works as a Parliamentary Counsel in the Attorney General's Office in Mauritius.  Hlengiwe Dube is the Project Manager of the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.   This conversation was recorded on 29 September 2023.   Music and news extracts: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc  limitless https://stock.adobe.com/za/search/audio?k=452592386

A conversation with Commissioner Lawrence Mute and Adv Jared Gekombe On 22 September 2023, the Centre for Human Rights' Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit (EIDR) hosted Lawrence Murugu Mute in its podcast series, the Africa Rights Talk. Mr Mute was the Research Consultant for the report: ​​Proactive Disclosure of Information During Elections in Kenya (2021 General Elections). This report is part of the Centre for Human Rights assessment of state compliance with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights 2017 Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa (the Guidelines). The Kenyan assessment was undertaken in partnership with ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa.  In this episode, Mr. Mute and Jared Gekombe discussed the rationale behind the development of the Guidelines by the African Commission and the main findings and recommendations of the report. Mr. Mute outlined the general legal framework on access to information in Kenya and provided an overview of Kenya's compliance with the Guidelines in the 2021 general elections, through the performance of various stakeholders such as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), the media and the civil society. He also elaborated on the recommendations of the report and lessons that other African countries can learn from Kenya's experience.  The discussion also took place during the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the African Commission's Model Law on Access to Information for Africa and Mute outlined some of the milestones and challenges in the access to information landscape in Africa since its adoption. Lawrence Mute is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi's Faculty of Law. He is a former Vice Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa. He also served as a Commissioner of Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Laws from the University of Warwick.  Jared Gekombe is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from Moi University, a Postgraduate Diploma from Kenya School of Law, and a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria. He is a PhD Candidate and Project Officer at the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. The conversation was recorded on 22 September 2023.   Music and news extracts: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc  limitless https://stock.adobe.com/za/search/audio?k=452592386

In conversation with Mr Lloyd Kuveya Africa Day is celebrated annually on May 25th to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU) created on May 25th, 1963. Today marks the 60th anniversary of the OAU-AU and the day is intended to celebrate and acknowledge the successes of the African Union in the fight against colonialism and apartheid, as well as the progress that Africa has made while reflecting upon the common challenges that the continent faces in a global environment. Celebrations on May 25th recite the annual commemorations of Africa's independence, freedom and liberation. On this episode, in celebration of Africa Day 2023, Africa Rights Talk chats with Mr Lloyd Kuveya on the significance of Africa Day for unity, peace, security, and development in Africa. He highlights that Africa Day is a day to celebrate the principles of African unity, the evolution of the principles of the African Union and the key achievements of the African Union. He iterates that the African Union provides mechanisms such as African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) as well as the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) to resolve conflicts and bring states together to hold each other accountable on human rights protection and adherence to the rule of law. He expresses excitement for the acceleration of economic unity and integration through the Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation, a theme for this year's celebration to promote intra-Africa trade, investments and accessible borders to the African people towards the achievement of Agenda 2063.   Lloyd Kuveya is the Assistant Director at the Centre for Human Rights, at the University of Pretoria. He obtained his LLB from the University of Zimbabwe and LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria. Mr Kuveya is an avid human rights advocate with research interests in international law, human rights law, rule of law, litigation and advocacy.  He was the Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum from October 2015 to May 2017. Before taking up his position at the Centre, Lloyd was Regional Researcher and Advocacy Manager with Amnesty International. Also, he was the Senior Legal Advisor for the International Commission of Jurists from 2013-2015 and Regional Advocacy Manager for the Southern Africa Litigation Centre from 2007-2013. Mr Kuveya is passionate about advocacy for human rights in Africa and developing human rights mechanisms for human rights promotion and protection in Africa.    Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.                This conversation was recorded on 22 May 2023.   Music and news extracts: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc  limitless https://stock.adobe.com/za/search/audio?k=452592386  

In conversation with Fatou Jagne Senghore On 4 May 2023, the Expression, Information & Digital Rights (EIDR) Unit conducted a spotlight interview on the Africa Rights Talk Podcast featuring Ms Fatou Jagne Senghore. The conversation is part of the Centre for Human Rights' commemoration of the 10 Years of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa. This podcast episode was moderated by the EIDR clinic students from the LLM/MPhil in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa programme.   Ms Jagne introduced the current regional framework that provides normative guidance on the exercise of the right of access to information in Africa. She stated that the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa, the 2019 Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa and the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa are of great value to African States and emphasised the adoption and implementation of standards encapsulated in these instruments. Ms Jagne further addressed some of the challenges such as bureaucracies, resource constraints, existing laws on secrecy, and technological constraints that hinder access to information in Africa. However, she indicated that there are some notable positive steps towards implementing access to information frameworks at national level. For instance, she noted that The Gambia recently enacted the Access to Information Act, 2021 and anticipates utilising institutional mechanisms to implement the Act. In her conclusion, she underscored the importance of the media and civil society and implored these stakeholders to continue promoting the right to access information.     Fatou Jagne Senghore is a Gambian human rights advocate with over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector. She founded Article 19 West Africa office in Senegal in 2010 after joining the organisation in 2002 as an Africa Programme Officer. She holds an LLM in Economic and Communication Law, a Master's degree in International and European Law, and a Bachelor of Law (Civil Law) from the University of Toulouse. She also holds a Bachelor of English Language / Specialty Law and a degree in international relations and development studies. She led Article 19's work with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) on access to information and Freedom of Expression, including the establishment of the mechanism of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa in 2004 and the development of normative standards. She has received many distinctions for her human rights work. These include the French National Order of Merit (Chevalier dans l'Ordre National du Mérite) in 2018, the

In conversation with Viola Ochola Every year, students at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria on the LLM/MPhil programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) are assigned to human rights clinics which contribute to the work of the Centre's research units and give the students practical experience and advance the Centre's mission towards the realisation of human rights in Africa.  On 25 April 2023, the Centre for Human Rights' Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit (EIDR) hosted the Office of the Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Kenya in its podcast series Africa Rights Talk commemorating 10 Years of the Model Law on Access to Information in Africa. The episode featured Ms. Viola Ochola as the guest speaker and Chrispin Bosire, Smith Naseri Edumebong and Idirashe Amanda Chikomba, from the EIDR clinic as moderators. This episode focused on steps that have been taken towards effective implementation of the Kenyan access to information framework as guided by the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa framework developed in 2013 by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. This framework seeks to provide legislation guidance to member states of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' on the implementation of article 9 of the African Charter which provides for the right of access to information. Ms. Ochola indicated that Kenyan representatives actively participated in the deliberations that led to the development of the Model Law and subsequent to its adoption, there is reliance on the Model Law in the implementation of the Kenyan framework. Ms. Ochola reiterated that the CAJ has also made strides in ensuring adequate access to information by introducing the 2022 Guidelines on Access to Information to ensure availability of information on elections to the citizens of Kenya in the 2022 elections and that the CAJ is undertaking  advocacy measures and awareness raising exercises to ensure access to information to everyone including marginalised groups. Ms. Viola Ochola is the Director of the Office of the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ). She is a lawyer, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a legal practitioner with administrative law, commercial law, human rights, and law reforms experience spanning over 15 years. She holds an MBA in Strategic Management and has extensive experience both in the public and private sector. She is the immediate former Manager in the Complaints, Investigation and Legal Services Department at the Commission on Administrative Justice. Ms. Ochola is an Open Governmental Leadership Fellow and a member of the Technical Committee on Open Government Partnership (Kenya Chapter) in her capacity as the Cluster Lead for the Access to Information Commitment. The conversation was recorded on 25 April 2023. Music and news extracts: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc  limitless https://stock.adobe.com/za/search/audio?k=452592386  

According to the website of the International Service for Human Rights, the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders defines a human rights defender as anyone working for the promotion and protection of human rights. This broad definition encompasses professional as well as non-professional human rights workers, volunteers, journalists, lawyers and anyone else carrying out, even on an occasional basis, a human rights activist. The Declaration further articulates existing human rights in a way that makes it easier to apply them to the situation of human rights defenders. It specifies how the rights contained in the major human rights instruments, including the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, apply to defenders. It also outlines the specific duties of States and the responsibility of everyone with regard to defending human rights. With this said, one is reminded that the the frame work to protect and advance the work of human rights defenders is recognised and its importance and relevance are tantamount to protecting people. This is clear. So what of the African Court on the Human and Peoples Rights? On their website, the Court was established by virtue of Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (hereon referred to as the Protocol). The Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights was adopted on 9 June 1998 in Burkina Faso and came into force on 25 January 2004 after it was ratified by more than 15 countries. The mandate of this Court is to complement and reinforce the functions of the African Commission – often referred to as the Banjul Commission), which is a quasi-judicial body charged with monitoring the implementation of the Charter. The Court applies the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other human rights instruments ratified by the States concerned. It does not have criminal jurisdiction like the International Criminal Court. So where are we with this today? In this episode we are joined by Dr Chidi Odinkalu. Dr Chidi Anselm Odinkalu is a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School. He previously chaired Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission and served on the panel of eminent persons that negotiated the return of The Gambia to the Commonwealth in 2017. Friedrich Naumann Foundation Africa · FNF Africa · S3. Ep 6. The Malabo Protocol on the African Court. Can justice really be served.pdf — PDF (144.3 KB)

According to the website of the International Service for Human Rights, the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders defines a human rights defender as anyone working for the promotion and protection of human rights. This broad definition encompasses professional as well as non-professional human rights workers, volunteers, journalists, lawyers and anyone else carrying out, even on an occasional basis, a human rights activist. The Declaration further articulates existing human rights in a way that makes it easier to apply them to the situation of human rights defenders. It specifies how the rights contained in the major human rights instruments, including the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, apply to defenders. It also outlines the specific duties of States and the responsibility of everyone with regard to defending human rights. With this said, one is reminded that the the frame work to protect and advance the work of human rights defenders is recognised and its importance and relevance are tantamount to protecting people. This is clear. So what of the African Court on the Human and Peoples Rights? On their website, the Court was established by virtue of Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (hereon referred to as the Protocol). The Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights was adopted on 9 June 1998 in Burkina Faso and came into force on 25 January 2004 after it was ratified by more than 15 countries. The mandate of this Court is to complement and reinforce the functions of the African Commission – often referred to as the Banjul Commission), which is a quasi-judicial body charged with monitoring the implementation of the Charter. The Court applies the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other human rights instruments ratified by the States concerned. It does not have criminal jurisdiction like the International Criminal Court. So where are we with this today? In this episode we are joined by Dr Chidi Odinkalu. Dr Chidi Anselm Odinkalu is a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School. He previously chaired Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission and served on the panel of eminent persons that negotiated the return of The Gambia to the Commonwealth in 2017. Friedrich Naumann Foundation Africa · S3. Ep 6. The Malabo Protocol on the African Court. Can justice really be served.pdf — PDF (144.3 KB)

In conversation with Dr Yolanda Munoz "You cannot talk of climate change when inclusion is an afterthought". The Centre for Human Rights is embarking on a campaign, #GreenJusticeAfrica to address the impact of climate change on the protection and fulfilment of human rights in Africa. Climate change is now one of the biggest threats to human rights globally. In this episode, Dr Yolanda Munoz, an academic and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and a full-time wheelchair user, discusses the impact of climate change on the rights of persons with disabilities. There is no climate justice without disability justice. Climate change is currently the central political and moral issue around the globe. It affects everyone, but not equally. For persons with disabilities, the threat is compounded by discrimination, marginalisation, and other pre-existing inequalities. From the 1990s, disability rights started to receive more attention in the African Commission. Though the African continent has made significant strides to include persons with disabilities in the society, the same cannot be said of climate justice. The even adaptation and mitigation practices, which seek to combat the effects of climate change may do harm to disability communities in Africa. In order to reduce such harms in the present and avoid them in the future, Africa must employ ethical frameworks that bring disability justice to the forefront of climate justice. Disability justice should be an integral part of conversations in climate change. Professionally, Dr Yolanda Munoz has explored the social arrangements behind the unquestioned exclusion of people with disabilities. She has also served as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank, as Program Officer with the Disability Rights Fund, as an external consultant for Global Greengrants Fund and has collaborated with the Disability-Inclusive Climate Action Research Program, with the Faculty of Law at McGill University. In the academic field, she completed a Masters and a PhD in Japanese Studies, with speciality in the Ainu women of Northern Japan. Her knowledge on feminist theory and practice has been the motivation to design and teach the course “Gender and Disability,” offered since 2006 at the McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies. This conversation was recorded on 5 July 2022. Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc   

For too long a crucial voice has been missing from the international conversation around how to face the biodiversity crisis: the communities and indigenous peoples who live together with wildlife are central to the approaches and success of conservation going forwards.This time Gordon Buchanan's talking with Lesle Jansen to discuss how resource rights are also human rights.Lesle's background working with prison inmates in South Africa post-apartheid sparked a career in international law and her continued work to defend the rights of indigenous communities to use and exploit their own resources.She shares her personal story and fascinating insights into why she believes conservation needs to shift from being militaristic in practise to becoming people-centred and rights-based. Today Lesle is CEO at the Southern Africa office of Resource Africa, a structured consortium of leaders that supports rural African communities in securing their rights and being heard in international debates that materially affect their lives. She also serves on the African Commission's Work Group and has 15 years experience in environmental and social justice, with a special focus on traditional knowledge, local communities and resource rights.Hunting can be a controversial topic. We also hear testimonials gathered by Safari Club International Foundation on the uses of proceeds from a community-managed scheme in Botswana.Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects. https://resourceafrica.nethttps://twitter.com/africa_resource Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

ACHPR as an Accountability Avenue. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Cynthia Ibale. The episode discusses the African Commission's role in assisting victims seeking accountability for violations in situations where domestic authorities are unwilling or unable to do so. The discussion focuses on the situation in Sudan and the use of the African Commission as an accountability avenue. ThinkTech Transitional Justice is coordinated together with Project Expedite Justice. Find out more about PEJ: https://www.projectexpeditejustice.org/ https://www.instagram.com/projectexpeditejustice/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/ProjectExpediteJustice https://twitter.com/ExpediteJustice https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-expedite-justice Help PEJ keep up the good work! Donate at: https://www.projectexpeditejustice.org/donate Get involved with PEJ & sign-up for their newsletter at: https://www.projectexpeditejustice.org/contact The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6nvnsCUQK__a7FKdy-crWox Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Director of Zikakalala Attorneys  Mpumelelo Zikalala joins Clement Manyathela to share his comments  on the public protector Busisiswe Mhwebane approaching the African Commission for Human Rights and People's right. Mkhwebane is accusing the South African government of violating her rights amid her impeachment process in parliament. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Defamation (also known as calumny, vilification, libel, slander, or traducement) is the oral or written communication of a false statement about another that unjustly harms their reputation and usually constitutes a tort or crime. In several countries, including South Korea, a true statement can also be considered defamation. Under common law, to constitute defamation, a claim must generally be false and must have been made to someone other than the person defamed. Some common law jurisdictions also distinguish between spoken defamation, called slander, and defamation in other media such as printed words or images, called libel. In the United States, false light laws protect against statements which are not technically false but are misleading. In some jurisdictions, defamation is also treated as a crime. The United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled in 2012 that the libel law of one country, the Philippines, was inconsistent with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as urging that "State parties should consider the decriminalization of libel". In Saudi Arabia, defamation of the state, or a past or present ruler, is punishable under terrorism legislation. Overview. As of 2017, at least 130 UNESCO member states retained criminal defamation laws. In 2017, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media issued a report on criminal defamation and anti-blasphemy laws among its member states, which found that defamation is criminalized in nearly three-quarters (42) of the 57 OSCE participating states. Many of the laws pertaining to defamation include specific provisions for harsher punishment for speech or publications critical of heads of state, public officials, state bodies and the state itself. The OSCE report also noted that blasphemy and religious insult laws exist in around one third of OSCE participating states; many of these combine blasphemy and religious insult with elements of hate speech legislation. In Africa, at least four member states decriminalized defamation between 2012 and 2017. The ruling by the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights in Lohé Issa Konaté v the Republic of Burkina Faso set a precedent in the region against imprisonment as a legitimate penalty for defamation, characterizing it as a violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Countries in every region have moved to advance the criminalization of defamation by extending legislation to online content. Cybercrime and anti-terrorism laws passed throughout the world have led to bloggers appearing before courts, with some serving time in prison. The United Nations, OSCE, Organisation of American States (OAS) and African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Special Rapporteurs for Freedom of Expression stated in a joint declaration in March 2017 that "general prohibitions on the dissemination of information based on vague and ambiguous ideas, including 'false news' or 'non-objective information', are incompatible with international standards for restrictions on freedom of expression...and should be abolished." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/law-school/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/law-school/support

In July 2021, Israel was granted observer status in the African Union, which it sought since its constitution in 2003. This followed warming ties between Tel Aviv and many African states, as Netanyahu leveraged Israeli aid and security assistance in a successful attempt to obtain diplomatic support. However, the process was opaque; there was no vote and/or discussion about granting observer status. Further, no proper processes and procedures exist to assess observer status, and its granting within the AU. However, a group of lawyers, including US-based Stanley Cohen, have sought to challenge this, filing a case at the African Commission for Human and People's Rights, arguing that aside from proper process, Israeli observer status was antithetical to the AU's goals. Speaking to Radio Islam International, Stanley Cohen argued that the process was opaque and classical Israeli behaviour. Israel waited and, during a down session of the African Union, apparently reached some consensus or conclusion with one or two leaders of the executive body who unilaterally granted Israel's Observer status. Without a vote from a united African Union, without any support from the membership of the African Union, but solely based on who knows what."

Attorney Stanley Cohen explains why a group of lawyers, activists and researchers from various countries submitted a petition to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights on September 16, demanding that the African Union revoke its recent decision to admit Israel as an observer state. Jess & Jamal discuss a standalone bill introduced by US Democrats to provide Israel with $1 billion for its Iron Dome missile system, after the funding was struck off a government spending bill amid pressure from progressive lawmakers. Also, a US veteran of the War on Iraq publicly calls out George W. Bush for lying to the American people.

In conversation with Bulanda Nkhowani, Amina Idris and Koliwe Majama The annual campaign spearheaded by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria is #Tech4Rights: Rethinking a human rights-based approach to new technologies in Africa. The #Tech4Rights campaign focuses on the impact of new technologies on different aspects of human interaction and the impact of technology on human rights. This campaign has a series of activities that look into technology in various specific areas. The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria through its  Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit, and Paradigm Initiative (PIN) entered into a partnership offering an academic course to 30 select participants of PIN's programmes and the Digital Rights and Inclusion Media Fellowship (DRIMF). DRIMF is a four-month fellowship with two intakes from 1 March to 30 June and from 1 August to 30 November each year. PIN also presents a 9-month Digital Rights and Inclusion Learning Lab from 1 March to 30 November every year. Through various learning methods, fellows are introduced to the international and regional digital rights ecosystem. The objectives of the fellowship are to expose participants to the digital rights landscape and enhance their knowledge and skills in digital rights in Africa. In light of this partnership and the annual campaign of the Centre, this episode discusses access to the internet and internet governance in Africa. The speakers, Bulanda Nkhowani, Amina Idris and Koliwe Majama, share their insights on access to the internet and internet governance, drawing their experiences from Zambia and Nigeria. The discussion explores what meaningful access means, based on Part IV of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights resolution on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information on the internet, including conversations on regulatory and operational challenges of licencing community networks in Africa. Furthermore, the discussion explores solutions for bridging the gender digital divide at national level and how to address the growing trend of network disruptions, both nationally and regionally. The podcast concludes by giving recommendations to service providers and governments on how to ensure that citizens have access to critical information during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bulanda Tapiwa Nkhowani is a writer, researcher and public policy enthusiast with a focus on internet governance, digital rights and digital inclusion, and is actively involved in internet governance policy forums and discussions at all levels. She is a co-convenor of the Zambia Internet Governance Forum (Zambia IGF) and an alumna of the Africa School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG). Bulanda currently works with Paradigm Initiative as a Digital Rights and Inclusion Program Officer and regional lead for Southern Africa. Amina Ibrahim Idris is an experienced officer in community development and capacity building with focus on connecting underserved youths with ICT enabled opportunities to improve their livelihood. Amina works with the Digital Inclusion team at Paradigm Initiative and she is the program assistance for the Northwest region. Koliwe Majama is a Zimbabwean Media, Information, Communications and Technologies Consultant with over 15 years' experience working in civil society lobby and advocacy. She has invested in networking and thought leadership on varying internet governance trends on a regional and global level, including gender and the internet, which she is passionate about. She currently works with the Association for Progressive Communications as a coordinator of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms Coalition (AfDec) and as an organiser of the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG). This conversation was recorded on 15 June 2021. Edited by Tatenda Musinahama Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc 

In this sixth episode of the podcast, our guest is Lou Aya Douabou, a lawyer-linguist and graduate of the University of Poitiers in France. Aya has been intersecting law and languages in her versatile career path, from working with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to utilizing her knowledge and skills within the language services industry. She explains the existing gaps and opportunities for this niche, especially within the African context. We invite our listeners to visit multilingual.com/AfricaLSP for a 1-year free digital subscription of Multilingual magazine. Multilingual is your go-to source for language industry news since 1987. Africa's LSP Podcast is brought to you by Bolingo Communications and Media Consult, and hosted by Ady Namaran Coulibaly. Should you have suggestions about topics we should cover or want to be a guest on the podcast, please send us an email at info@bolingoconsult.com

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has asked the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights in Banjul, The Gambia, to issue provisional measures to urgently stop the Nigerian government and National Assembly from supporting and pushing through two bills to gag the media, and impose arbitrary and harsh punishment on journalists, broadcast stations, media houses and media practitioners in Nigeria.”The right group says these anti-media bills are the latest threats to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom in the country. They said the bills are not in keeping with the provisions of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa, which supplements articles 1 and 9 of the African Charter.

On June 10, USIP hosted a conversation with several of the book's leading authors and other experts on the project's findings and its implications for the practice of peace and conflict diplomacy. Panelists debated how to adapt our diplomatic strategies to shape a more effective, agile and inclusive system of international cooperation, as well as considered how to make room for diverse voices — including regional organizations and civil society — while maintaining a sense of unity and common purpose. Speakers Lise Grande, welcoming remarks President and CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace Dr. Chester Crocker, introductory remarks James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies, Georgetown University Ambassador George Moose, moderator Vice Chair, Board of Directors, U.S. Institute of Peace Ambassador Barbara Bodine Director, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy; Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Georgetown University Ambassador Jean-Marie Guéhenno Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution Dr. Fen Hampson Chancellor's Professor, Carleton University; President, World Refugee and Migration Council Dr. See Seng Tan Professor of International Relations, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Dr. Solomon Dersso Founding Director, Amani Africa; Chairperson, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Pamela Aall, closing remarks Senior Advisor, Conflict Prevention and Management, U.S. Institute of Peace For more information about this event, please visit: https://www.usip.org/events/peace-and-conflict-diplomacy-turbulent-world

Toby is a barrister and the Co-founder and Head of Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers in London. He is an established international law specialist in the areas of international criminal and humanitarian law, international terrorism, anti-corruption, maritime security, extradition and mutual legal assistance, and human rights law. Toby has appeared and been instructed in matters before the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the European Court of Human Rights, the Bosnian War Crimes Chamber, the UN Human Rights Committee and the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. In our chat, we discuss entering the law from a non-traditional background, on-the-job risks and dangers, networking, taking Syria to the ICJ and Kung Fu!

Professor James T. Gathii, Wing-Tat Lee Chair in International Law and Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, gives a talk for the Oxford Public International Law seminar series. This talk will present the findings of an empirical study that sought to establish two primary data points. First, the nationalities of the lawyers who argued cases before the International Court of Justice between 1998 and 2019. Second, the share of time lawyers from different countries had audience before the Court. The assumption underlying this study was that the more diverse the set of nationals who appear before the Court, the more international it is and vice versa. To find out the share of time lawyers from different countries had audience before the Court, the lawyers were divided into two groups. Those with the nationality of member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, (OECD), were categorized as originating in or based in Western States. Those with non-OECD nationality were designated as originating or based in non-Western States. After presenting the findings of the empirical study, the talk will advance several hypothesis to account for the results. James T. Gathii is the Wing-Tat Lee Chair in International Law and Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law since July 2012. He is a graduate of the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and Harvard Law School. He sits on the board of editors of the American Journal of International Law, the Journal of African Law and the Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, among others. He is co-editor in Chief of the African Journal of International Economic Law. He was the Grotius Lecturer at the 2020 American Society of International Law Virtual Annual Meeting. His research and teaching interests are in Public International Law, International Trade Law, Third World Approaches to International Law, (TWAIL), Comparative Constitutional Law and Human Rights. Professor Gathii served an Independent Expert of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment, and Human Rights Violations in Africa formed by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights between 2012 to 2020. He is also an expert member of the Working Group on Agricultural Land Investment Contracts of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, (UNIDRIOT), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD). He has sat as an arbitrator in two international commercial arbitrations hosted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. He is a founding member of the TWAIL network. He is an elected member of the International Academy of International Law. He has consulted for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, (OHCHR), and the Economic Commission for Africa, (ECA), among others. Professor Gathii is a founding Editor of Afronomicslaw.org, the blog on international economic law issues relating to Africa and Global South. His books include African Regional Trade Agreements as Legal Regimes (Cambridge University Press, 2011, Paperback 2013); War, Commerce and International Law (Oxford University Press, 2010); and The Contested Empowerment of Kenya's Judiciary, 2010-2015: A Historical Institutional Analysis, (Sheria Publishing House, 2016). His latest edited book is The Performance of Africa's International Courts: Using Litigation for Political, Legal, and Social Change, (Oxford University Press in 2020). In addition to his books, Professor Gathii has authored over 90 articles and book chapters. __ The PIL Discussion Group hosts a weekly speaker event and is a key focal point for PIL@Oxford. Due to the current public health emergency, the PIL Discussion Group series will be held remotely for Hilary 2021. Speakers include distinguished international law practitioners, academics, and legal advisers from around the world. Topics involve contemporary and challenging issues in international law.

Join us in a conversation with Dr Margaretha Wewerinke Singh on the topic of writing climate justice into law. We talk about legal tool for climate justice litigation, the Paris Agreement, the Heathrow Airport Court Case in the UK, supporting indigenous communities, civil disobedience, and human rights law. Dr Margaretha Wewerinke Singh is an Assistant Professor of Public International Law at Leiden University and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Environmental Law at the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development at the University of the South Pacific. She is also an Attorney at Blue Ocean Law which is a boutique international law firm specialising in human and indigenous rights, self-determination, and environmental justice in the Pacific. Maragaretha has acted as a legal advisor to governments at international climate negotiations, represented NGOs at the UN Human Rights Council, and advised the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Regional Office for the Pacific on human rights and climate justice. This episode is a recording of the live online event at the University of St Andrews in collaboration with the Students' Association Environment Subcommittee, the Rector’s Committee and Amnesty St Andrews.

Season 2 Episode 17: #EndSARS: Practical implications of the protests on Nigerian citizens In conversation with Ayodele Sogunro The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, condemns police brutality and human rights violations in Nigeria. These violations are in response to demonstrations by Nigerians expressing concerns about gross human rights violations by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), particularly by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a tactical unit within the NPF designed to tackle incidents of armed robbery in Nigeria. In today’s episode we pick up from last week’s conversation on #EndSARS: The need to end police reform and justice for victims of police brutality in Nigeria. In this week’s episode, we discuss with Ayodele Sogunro (from the Centre for Human Rights), the contested issues surrounding the #EndSARS protests. The discussion assesses the accountability measures which have been taken by the Nigerian government to address protestors’ concerns. Furthermore, the conversation brings to light the real implications of these protests for people at the forefront of the #EndSARS movement. Calls to involve the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating the extra-judicial killings of the #LekkiMassacre have been made by Nigerian citizens and we seek to understand whether the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) might be a better option under the circumstances. Ayodele Sogunro is a Nigerian writer and lawyer and the Manager of the SOGIESC Unit at the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. He is a legal and policy analyst with over ten years of field and courtroom experience in human rights law and advocacy in the African human rights system. Before joining the Centre, he was the Senior Legal Advisor with the Initiative for Equal Rights, a LGBT+ NGO in West Africa. He is also currently undertaking his doctoral studies at the Centre. His focus is on a critical legal studies perspective of LGBTIQ+ issues in Nigeria, around political homophobia, socio-economic issues, and the need by advocates to understand wider state dynamics of homophobia and transphobia in systems of power. His books include the short stories The Wonderful Life of Senator Boniface and other Sorry Tales and the collection of essays Everything in Nigeria is Going to Kill You. His literary essay, ‘One more nation bound in freedom: Themes from the Nigerian “anti-gay” law’ was shortlisted for the 2016 Gerald Kraak Award for African Writing. He has written an article ‘Why #EndSARS won’t quit’ in relation to the protests. Ayodele Sogunro’s blog: www.ayosogunro.com This conversation was recorded on 29 October 2020. Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc 

Overview. As of 2017, at least 130 UNESCO member states retained criminal defamation laws. In 2017, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media issued a report on criminal defamation and anti-blasphemy laws among its member states, which found that defamation is criminalized in nearly three-quarters (42) of the 57 OSCE participating states. Many of the laws pertaining to defamation include specific provisions for harsher punishment for speech or publications critical of heads of state, public officials, state bodies and the state itself. The OSCE report also noted that blasphemy and religious insult laws exist in around one third of OSCE participating states; many of these combine blasphemy and religious insult with elements of hate speech legislation. In Africa, at least four member states decriminalized defamation between 2012 and 2017. The ruling by the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights in Lohé Issa Konaté v the Republic of Burkina Faso set a precedent in the region against imprisonment as a legitimate penalty for defamation, characterizing it as a violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Countries in every region have moved to advance the criminalization of defamation by extending legislation to online content. Cybercrime and anti-terrorism laws passed throughout the world have led to bloggers appearing before courts, with some serving time in prison. The United Nations, OSCE, Organization of American States (OAS) and African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Special Rapporteurs for Freedom of Expression stated in a joint declaration in March 2017 that "general prohibitions on the dissemination of information based on vague and ambiguous ideas, including 'false news' or 'non-objective information', are incompatible with international standards for restrictions on freedom of expression...and should be abolished." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/law-school/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/law-school/support

In conversation with Professor Cyndy Baskin The episode lays a foundation to understand who indigenous peoples are and the challenges they face from a global perspective. Professor Cyndy Baskin explains the similarities and differences of the plight of indigenous peoples from developing and developed nations. She discusses the contested issues of self-determination and self-governance for indigenous peoples and explains the impact of climate change on indigenous peoples. This episode was recorded in light of the Advanced Human Rights Course on Indigenous Peoples Rights presented by the Centre for Human Rights in 2019. To get a more detailed understanding of indigenous peoples in Africa, the Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights will host an online one-week intensive short course on indigenous peoples’ rights from 31 August to 4 September 2020. Professor Cyndy Baskin is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Ryerson University. She is of Mi’kmaq and Celtic descent. Her teaching mainly focuses on bringing indigenous worldviews into social work education for both indigenous and non-indigenous scholars. She is the academic coordinator of Ryerson University’s Chang School of Continuing Education Certificate in Indigenous Knowledges and Experiences in Canada and serves as the Chair of Ryerson University’s Aboriginal Education Council.  She is also a member of various boards and committees of Aboriginal agencies across Toronto. She has done considerable research around the welfare of indigenous peoples, including the rights of indigenous women and those with disabilities. Professor Baskin also has several publications to her name including books, articles and research reports.   This conversation was recorded on 26 September 2019. Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc 

In conversation with Ms Hlengiwe Dube The Centre for Human Rights campaign for 2020 is #Tech4Rights: Rethinking a human rights-based approach to new technologies in Africa. The year- long theme focuses on the impact of new technologies on different aspects of human rights. In this episode, Ms Hlengiwe Dube, unit manager for The Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit discusses the importance of technology on human rights. The Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit supports the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in the promotion and protection of Freedom of Expression and Access to information on the continent, as guaranteed by Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and further elaborated by the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa This conversation was recorded on 20 July 2020.Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc 

In conversation with Dr Solomon Dersso In 2019, the Centre for Human Rights celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Master's programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA). The Centre hosted a number of HRDA alumni at the University of Pretoria in a series of events to highlight the programmme's past achievements and to investigate how the programme can be enhanced to respond better to human rights challenges on the continent. The second season of Africa Rights Talk kicks off with an interview with an HRDA alumnus of the Centre and current Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Dr Solomon Dersso. He narrates his journey from the time he studied on the HRDA programme to the time he was appointed as the Chairperson of the African Commission. Dr Dersso describes and explains the nature of the work of the African Commission and gives an insight on his mandates and areas of priority for engagement during his tenure as Chairperson. This conversation was recorded on 9 December 2019. Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chino Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc

In conversation with Prof Frans Viljoen  The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights are key mechanisms within the regional human rights system. However, the African Union’s Executive Council’s June 2018 Decision 1015 raises concerns that the African Commission is being undermined, weakening the protection of human rights.  Looking at this moment of crisis, Professor Frans Viljoen (Director, Centre for Human Rights) provides an insight into the motivations behind the Executive Council’s decision; from the contention surrounding the African Commission’s granting of observer status to the Coalition of African Lesbians, to the historical tension between the AU’s policy organs and the African Commission. During the discussion the push and pull between the African Commission and the State Parties is contextualised, the assertion of state sovereignty explained, as well as how the replacement of the AU Assembly by the Executive Council in terms of receiving the African Commission’s report change the dynamic. We consider to what extent the autonomy and independence of the African Commission is threatened by Decision 1015 and what incorporating the African Commission as an AU institution could mean for the protection of human rights. Given Decision 1015’s challenge against the African Commission’s interpretative mandate, the discussion explores the relationship between the Commission and the Court and the potential implications of the decision. Prof Viljoen highlights how the debate surrounding the Commission’s mandate and role can be used to bring out the utility and role of the Commission, alerting states to the benefits it offers and to prevent limitations on the African human rights system. This conversation was recorded on Wednesday 27 February 2019. Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chino Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc 

In conversation with Mr Berry Nibogora One of the more contentious matters before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, has been, and continues to be centred around sexuality. Many within Africa try to keep the discussion in the private sphere, yet, Mr Berry Nibogora (Law and Human Rights Programme Manager, African Men for Sexual Health & Rights (AMSHer)) sheds light onto how civil society's engagement with the African Commission is challenging this view, increasing recognition and protection of human rights from LGBTIQ+ communities. The journey of engaging the African Commission has been long, with a mix of success and setbacks. In our discussion we delve into the multipronged approach of advocacy strategies adopted, including why taking cognisance of the individual Commissioner and their particular reasoning for opposition or support is key. The role played by the NGO Forum, and side events, has increased, helping with awareness raising. The link between sexuality matters and the June 2018 Executive Council Decision 1015 is considered, helping contextualise that the impetus goes beyond African Commission’s recognition of an NGO promoting the rights of lesbians and is instead a threat to the African human rights system as a whole.  Despite the ongoing challenge to promote sexuality matters, we touch on a few of the successes before the African Commission, including Resolution 275, explaining how they were achieved and what role CSOs played. This conversation was recorded on Friday 1 March 2019. Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chino Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc

We started this week with the defeated Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa ruling out working with ZANU-PF in a coalition or government of national unity. Chamisa insisted that President Emmerson Mnangagwa rigged the election. His MDC Alliance has decided to file a petition with the AFrican Commission on Human and People's rights. Juanita Williams, is the managing editor at All Africa News.com had this to say about this week's top stories on the African continent. Juanita Williams, is the managing editor at All Africa News.com & Busi Chimombe, Acting political Editor here at the SABC had this to say... had this to say about this week's local & top stories on the African continent

IHRB's Salil Tripathi speaks with Anneke Van Woudenberg of RAID about the African Commission's Landmark $2.5 Million Award to DR Congo Massacre Victims

This week Pontus and Jelena talks about news and have an interview with the humanist Leo Igwe, speaker at the upcoming European Skeptcis Congress in Poland. Nicola Throp of the Measeyside Skeptics also comes on to tell us all about QED in Manchester in October. Leo Igwe is a skeptic and a Nigerian human rights advocate who has played leading roles in the Nigerian Humanist Movement, Atheist Alliance International and the Center For Inquiry - Nigeria. For many years he represented IHEU (International Humanist and Ethical Union) at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and generally in Western and Southern Africa. He specialized in campaigning against child witchcraft accusations and have researched this topic at the University of Bayreuth in Germany. In the news segments we revisit an old Really Wrong winner who is now being extradited to Australia, GWUP warns about a German fake news site and in Ireland, the falling HPV vaccination rates will lead to an increase in cervical cancer.

Today marks World Press Freedom day and the United Nations has called on global leaders to defend media freedom. 3 May was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. The day seeks to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom as well as to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. Sakina Kamwendo speaks to the chairperson of African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Advocate Pansy Tlakula.

The Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (LCIL), University of Cambridge hosts a regular Friday lunchtime lecture series on key areas of International Law. Previous subjects have included UN peacekeeping operations, the advisory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, the crime of aggression, whaling, children and military tribunals, and theories and practices for proving individual responsibility criminal responsibility for genocide and crimes against humanity. This lecture, entitled 'Monitoring Implementation of the Decisions of the African Commission and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights', was delivered at the Lauterpacht Centre on Friday 6th May 2016 by Rachel Murray, Professor of International Human Rights Law at the University of Bristol and Director of its Human Rights Implementation Centre.

Where this is no viable forum to address human rights violations by African states, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights will consider such violations.

Targeted violence against journalists is on the rise and in January 2012 alone, 10 journalists were killed worldwide. But why are journalists finding it more rather than less difficult to perform their job in the modern age of information dissemination? In what ways are they repressed or targeted in their work? What is the role of the State regarding impunity for the perpetrators of violence against journalists? And how can we stop this? These questions and issues were discussed during a public event organised by the Centre of Governance and Human Rights. The panel consisted of: Christof Heyns, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Celia Davies, former Cambridge graduate and Project Development Manager at Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety in Azerbaijan; Pansy Tlakula, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights; Frank La Rue, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Joel Simon, Executive Director, Committee for the Protection of Journalists Moderator: William Horsely, former BBC correspondent and UK Chairman, Association of European Journalists Chair: Sharath Srinivasan, Director, Centre of Governance and Human Rights