By: Alieu Jallow
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dawda A. Jallow, has called for collaborative efforts to translate the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACPHR) mandate into reality. He spoke during the closing ceremony of the 79th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“It is worth mentioning that the African Union was established, among others, to promote the unity and solidarity of African countries while also promoting international cooperation. All these grand aspirations of the African Union require a peaceful Africa to be realized. Without the respect and enjoyment of human rights, there cannot be peace in Africa. Conversely, without peace, there cannot be respect and enjoyment of human rights. The Commission is, therefore, our hope for the realization of a continent where human rights are fully respected. However, its mere existence is not enough. Rather, the Commission’s success is dependent on the unwavering support of its stakeholders. As such, we all need to work together as stakeholders of the Commission to translate the mandate of the Commission into reality,” he outlined.
The Minister of Justice underscored the interconnectedness of stakeholders’ mandates, noting that cooperation and collaboration between the Commission and its stakeholders are not optional. He stressed that they are partners in the human rights journey and have the responsibility of ensuring that Africa creates and maintains a peaceful and conducive human rights environment.
“The Public Sessions, particularly the 79th Ordinary Session, have served to buttress our partnership in our human rights journey, and it is one of many more to come. The deliberations throughout this Session were insightful and fruitful. Among others, there were reflections on the human rights situation in Africa, consideration of State Periodic Reports, adoption of resolutions, and consideration of Communications. Worth mentioning is that the Session has served as a platform to foster strong collaboration between the Commission and the Government of The Gambia, represented by its various Ministries,” he added.
The Attorney General believes that the 79th Ordinary Public Session, like previous sessions, has been critical in the promotion and protection of human rights. He reminded the participants that the end of the Session is not the end of the human rights dialogue. Rather, it is time to begin preparations for the next session and continue the dialogue, ensuring that the momentum is maintained.
