TRES\005\11\2015: THEMATIC RESOLUTION ON PRISONS CONDITIONS OF DETENTION AND POLICING IN AFRICA
TRES\005\11\2015: THEMATIC RESOLUTION ON PRISONS CONDITIONS OF DETENTION AND POLICING IN AFRICA
We, the participants of the Forum on the Participation of NGOs in the 57thOrdinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 31st African Human Rights Book fair held in Banjul, The Gambia from 31st October–2nd November 2015;
In the context of 2016 as African Year of Human Rights with a focus on women,
The NGOs Forum call on the African Commission to adopt a Resolution urging all AU Member States to:
- Review and declassify outdated and petty offences
- Review counterterrorism legislation and strategies to bring them in line with accepted International and Regional Human rights.
- Implement the African Commission guidelines of pre-trial detention and right to fair trial, including through encouraging states to use the tools that the Commission has developed to support their implementation, specifically with regard to building the capacity of the state and civil society.
- Increase efforts to document and visit incommunicado and secret places of detention.
- Consider the development of a special fund to assist people unlawfully deprived of their liberty.
- Find ways of working with specific lobby groups, such as engagement with CSOs representing marginalised groups, especially LGBTI groups.
- Give consideration to the extent to which these interventions can inform African indicators for goal 16 of the SDGs which relates to access to justice.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia – 2nd November, 2015
