The African Commission on Human and Peoples´ Rights (ACHPR) has released a newsletter published by the Commission´s Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders Reine Alapini-Gansou, right, highlighting the importance of the right to freedom of association. The newsletter includes articles on the contribution of associations in the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa, current international law on the topic of freedom of association, and examples of the implementation of this right at the national level in Africa. (13-MAY-08)
Based on World Movement for Democracy´s coverage of the release of ACHPR´s newsletter, this article has been edited and prepared for republication here by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz.
The intent of this particular edition of ACHPR´s newsletter is to raise questions and outline ideas for new lobbying and advocacy initiatives, and to contribute to the full and effective protection of the right to freedom of association.
On a related note, at a recent meeting of the NGO Forum for the African Commission (in Ezulwini, Swaziland), World Movement project manager Ryota Jonen presented the World Movement for Democracy´s ´Defending Civil Society´ report, which has been issued in several languages to address the efforts of various governments around the world to restrict the space for civil society work, and which articulates the principles, such as the right to association, that are thus being violated. The ´Defending Civil Society´ report has been presented at a number of other forums worldwide, and is quickly becoming a point of reference for many organizations seeking to respond to the imposition of new ´NGO laws´ and other means to restrict their work.
Go to: www.wmd.org/documents/May08demnews11.pdf
For the ´Defending Civil Society´ report in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, go to: www.wmd.org. For hard copies, please send a message to world@ned.org.
