From 2–22 May 2025, CIVICUS participated in the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the preceding NGO Forum held in Banjul, The Gambia. Alongside partner organisations and national actors, we shared updates and evidence from our civic space research, engaged in policy advocacy, and supported the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) through campaigns and direct interventions.
Our Engagement at the NGO Forum
At the NGO Forum, CIVICUS co-organised a panel on the situation of environmental human rights defenders in Africa, particularly those impacted by extractive industries. Key reflections from this session were included in the NGO Forum’s final report to the ACHPR. Notably, recommendations submitted by CIVICUS and partners—calling for protection of environmental HRDs, strong state accountability, and ending arbitrary detention—were adopted by the Forum and presented to the Commission.
Amplifying Defender Voices
Through the Stand As My Witness campaign, we profiled defenders facing persecution for their activism. These included:
- Mandla Shongwe (Eswatini): Jailed for over a year for participating in pro-democracy protests.
- Thulani Maseko (Eswatini): Assassinated in 2023. We honoured his legacy and continued calls for justice.
- Farai Maguwu (Zimbabwe): Facing threats for highlighting environmental damage in extractive zones.
- Noura Rais (Tunisia): Arbitrarily detained and facing prosecution for online activism.
These stories were shared with relevant ACHPR special mechanisms and commissioners during bilateral meetings. We urged immediate interventions and public statements where appropriate.
Meetings with Special Mechanisms and Commissioners
CIVICUS held targeted bilateral engagements with key commissioners and special rapporteurs, including:
- Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders: To discuss increasing threats to environmental HRDs and the need for early warning interventions.
- Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression: Raising cases of online censorship, arbitrary arrests of journalists, and the need for digital rights protections.
- Country Rapporteurs for Sudan, Tunisia, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe: Providing updates and urging urgent actions on escalating civic space violations.
From 13 to 21 May, the Commissioners entered a private session, during which six resolutions were adopted — including the resolution on developing a General Comment on the protection and promotion of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment in Africa. This resolution follows sustained advocacy from CIVICUS and partners across previous sessions.
Strategic Collaboration and Solidarity
The session provided a platform to deepen coordination with African and global partners. We engaged with:
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Local civil society coalitions working on civic space and constitutional reform in Zimbabwe and Tunisia
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Environmental justice advocates and extractives campaigners across Africa
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Lawyers and pro-democracy defenders from Eswatini and Sudan
In parallel to the session, CIVICUS—together with partners under the Environmental Rights Alliance Africa (ERA) — submitted an Advisory Note to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights on 2 May 2025. The note, hosted and initially mobilised by CIVICUS, seeks an Advisory Opinion on African States’ human rights obligations in the context of climate change. This follows a side event convened during the last ACHPR session to raise awareness and build momentum around this issue.
In addition, we hosted a regional consultation for HRDs working on climate justice and just transition, in response to a call for inputs from the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. The consultative meeting, attended by 40 HRDs and representatives from the Special Rapporteur’s office, generated key insights and concrete recommendations—now captured in a report annexed to the submission.
These engagements will feed into upcoming solidarity campaigns and reporting efforts through the CIVICUS Lens.
Next Steps
We will:
- Follow up with ACHPR mandate holders on the urgent cases raised
- Coordinate joint letters and statements on civic space threats with regional partners
- Support partner submissions to the next ACHPR session and UPR reviews where relevant
- Continue using the Stand As My Witness platform to spotlight defenders needing urgent support
For more on our ACHPR advocacy, including how to engage or submit a case to Stand As My Witness, contact us at .
