Trainings – NANHRI

NANHRI hosts Conflict Management, Resolution and Peace Building workshop for East African Community NHRIs on their role in electoral process

The Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) in partnership with Raoul Wallenberg Institute conducted a three day training in Kenya for NHRIs from East African Community on electoral process management, conflict management, resolution and peace building.

The main objective of the training was to empower NHRIs with knowledge and practical tools on fair and peaceful elections. Furthermore, the participants shared best practices on conflict early warning and subsequently be equipped with knowledge to apply early warning systems in their own settings and feel empowered to act in accordance with the role of NHRIs in electoral processes.

The training further educated and enhanced the capacity of the NHRIs in ‘the fundamentals of elections in peace processes and on elections standards’ ahead of the general elections in Burundi and Tanzania in 2015, Uganda in 2016, Rwanda and Kenya in 2017.

The NANHRI is the regional representative body that brings together about 44 African NHRIs. The Network seeks to support and strengthen NHRIs in Africa. It is for this reason that the NANHRI in partnership with Raoul Wallenberg Institute hosted a roundtable discussion focusing on this matter.

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Chairperson, Kagwiria Mbogori led the discussion together with NANHRI Executive Director Gilbert Sebihogo. The meeting was attended by representatives from all East African NHRIs.

The implementation of the Action Plan on The Role of National Human Rights Institutions in Conflict Resolution, Management and Peace-building report has been published on our website. Click here to download the report.

The Joint Nanhri/APT Training for African NHRIs proceeded by a face-to-face workshop which kicked off from 19-22 May 2014 in Lomé, Togo. This is the second thematic training to be conducted in line with the three year NANHRI/APT joint project entitled “A Continent United Against Torture”whose main objective is to strengthen the institutional capacities

The participants have been drawn from French speaking NHRIs namely: Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Tunisia and Togo.

This workshop is organized in collaboration with the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), the Network of African National Human Rights and the National Commission of Human Rights of Togo as the host institution with the financial support from the European Union.

In his opening speech, NANHRI Executive Director Mr. Gilbert Sebihogo noted that NANHRI mission is to strengthen the capacity of African NHRIs in various areas of their work to enable them to effectively fulfill their mandate in accordance with the Paris Principles, the TPA is an organization dedicated to the fight against torture in all its forms. It is this specialization that makes APT more competent in all aspects of the prevention of torture. Broad expertise she has made her an ideal partner to provide training for NHRIs effectively to strengthen their mandate to promote and protect the rights of people at risk of torture.He further stated that, “the partnership between the two organizations is based on what everyone can do to maximize and increase the chances of combat torture.”There are eleven national institutions of human rights involved in this workshop and we hope that at the end of the workshop they will have strengthened their capacity to combat torture in their respective countries”.

From right Mr. Gilbert Sebihogo (executive director nanhri), Representative of the EU Embassy in Togo, Mr. Koffi Esaw (Minister for Justice of Togo), Mr. Cisse Samdja Alilou (Chair of the Togo Human Rights Commission) and far left is Mr. Jean Baptiste Niyizurugero (In charge of the African Programme -APT)

Mr. Koffi Esaw, Minister for Justice of Togo added that in Togo, the government’s commitment to implement the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading and its Optional Protocol (OPCAT), to meet its international commitments on prohibition and prevention torture in particular, is well established.

In his speech he noted that, “After ratifying the Convention against Torture in 1987 and its Additional Protocol July 20, 2010, Togo is preparing to set up a National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MNP) will be responsible, through regular and unannounced visits places of detention to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”.

In view of the implementation of this mechanism arranged to be housed at the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), several actions were taken to secure the effect of the relevant provisions of the Additional Protocol to the law organic governing the Commission. This is among other things, the establishment of a monitoring committee on the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (NPM), the accession of the Togo project “Atlas of Torture,” the training of members and staff of the NHRC on the MNP, the development and validation of a proposed bill to amend the organic law of the CNDH.

This means that the issue of this meeting is significant both for Togo as other African countries, especially as it is to strengthen the capacity of African National Human Rights Institutions of the man to be able to implement their mandate of monitoring places of detention to prevent torture and ill-treatment in these areas .

The Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) held the 9th Biennial Conference based on Business and Human Rights: Opportunities, Challenges and the Role of African NHRIs. The 3 day conference kicked off from 27 – 29 November 2013, and was hosted by the Commission on Human Rights and Administration of Justice (CHRAJ) in Accra, Capital of Ghana.The theme of the Biennial Conference was selected by NANHRI members as a follow up to the NANHRI Yaoundé Plan of Action on Business and Human Rights that was adopted at the Regional Workshop on Business and Human Rights in Yaoundé.

The Yaoundé workshop was held within the framework of the implementation of the Edinburgh Declaration of October 2010.

Training NHRIs on Conflict Management Resolution and Peace Building

The Joint Nanhri/APT Training for African NHRIs

9th Biennial Conference of the NANHRI

The Joint Nanhri/APT Training for African NHRIs

Mombasa Subregional Workshop for NHRIS