TREC/003/10/2013 – Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa
We, the participants of the NGO Forum preceding the 54th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the 28th African Human Rights Book Fair held from 18th – 20th October, 2013 in Banjul, The Gambia
Recalling Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which guarantees the right to freedom of expression;
Recognising that freedom of expression is an essential attribute of human existence in all spheres of life and that the general operating environment across the continent does not adequately promote freedom of expression and access to information for human rights defenders and the media and noting that freedom of expression is a potent and indispensable instrument for the creation and maintenance of a democratic society and the consolidation of development;
Expressing grave concern on the continued arrests and persecution of journalists and human rights defenders and restrictions on the right to information and freedom of expression in the African region;
Recalling the recommendations of the previous sessions of the ACHPR,
Calls for the following action:
- The ACHPR should push African Governments to enact freedom of expression and access to information laws and where such laws exist, to respect them, and for governments to report more regularly on the state of implementation of freedom of expression and access to information laws;
- African governments should strengthen anti-discrimination laws to promote equality, as well as realignment of laws with new constitutions to improve the freedom of expression environment;
NGOs should:
- Ensure more scrutiny of bills by civil society organizations at the national level before they are passed into law to guard against anti-freedom of expression laws. More civil society and media collaboration in scrutinizing draft convention on cyber security and crime;
- Conduct more advocacy to raise awareness and train journalists to help champion human rights issues through informed reporting;
- Enhance solidarity within the NGO community for human rights defenders to work closely with credible national human rights commissions/organizations especially engagement with regulatory bodies to improve media and freedom of expression laws;
- Emphasize building of trust between the media, community, and other human rights defenders including regional networks or coalitions and broad-based approaches to enhance freedom of expression.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia on 20th October, 2013
