The African Regional Human Rights System
The publication narrates the origins of the African regional human rights mechanisms. It elaborates the normative framework and rights recognised in the regional human rights treaties in the region. It also focuses on how to use these monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and some of the challenges faced in doing so. This is a learning tool for human rights defenders, and especially trainers from the region interested in conducting training on human rights. With a focus also on civil society engagement in the regional human rights mechanisms, the publication provides useful insights at a practical level. The publication will enhance your knowledge on African regional human rights mechanisms. Written by: Getahun Atey Kassa
As part of developments in the international human rights movement, Africa has its own regional system for promotion and protection of human rights. Following the end of the Second World War, the international community has been working towards developing an international system for the promotion and protection of human rights that is binding on member states. With a view to attaining such goal, the international human rights system has developed human rights norms that apply across regimes and transcend geographical confines. Although the international human rights system is binding at the regional and national level, it is still difficult to adequately guarantee protection of human rights only through an international system.
Overview
More aggressive tactics by authoritarian regimes and an upsurge in terrorist attacks contributed to a disturbing decline in global freedom in 2014. Freedom in the World 2015 found an overall drop in freedom for the ninth consecutive year.
Nearly twice as many countries suffered declines as registered gains—61 to 33—and the number of countries with improvements hit its lowest point since the nine-year erosion began. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a rollback of democratic gains by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s intensified campaign against press freedom and civil society, and further centralization of authority in China were evidence of a growing disdain for democratic standards that was found in nearly all regions of the world.
Global findings
The number of countries designated by Freedom in the World as Free in 2014 stood at 89, representing 46 percent of the world’s 195 polities and nearly 2.9 billion people—or 40 percent of the global population. The number of Free countries increased by one from the previous year’s report.
Civil Society Letter in Advance of the 15th Anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace & Security
To: Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, and UN Senior Leadership
20 April 2015
Excellencies,
As you prepare to mark the 15th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution (SCR) 1325 (2000) and the establishment of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, we call on you, all UN Member States and agencies, to recommit to the principles and transformative potential of WPS and develop effective and sustained implementation strategies.
Despite the repeated commitments, the WPS agenda is far from being comprehensively implemented in policy and practice. To achieve effective and sustainable mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflict, UN Member States and the UN system must take concrete action in terms of women’s meaningful participation in all peace and security processes; national and regional implementation of WPS obligations; delivering funding; implementing the prevention pillar; ensuring accountability; and leading by example.
Facts
99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries.
The main causes of maternal mortality are hemorrhage, sepsis, eclampsia, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labor.
One woman dies every six minutes from unsafe abortion.
Wealthy countries have reduced mother-to-child transmission of HIV to under 1%. The transmission rate is 25 to 45% in poor countries.
Women's Health
Every minute, one woman around the world dies from pregnancy or childbirth complications.
The pathologies that kill women during their pregnancies, deliveries, or just after giving birth are the same throughout the world. What makes the difference is access to quality health care. The vast majority of maternal deaths, 99 percent, occur in developing countries. More than half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and one third in South Asia. In wealthier countries, the availability of affordable and effective treatment prevents the conditions that continue to kill pregnant women in developing settings.
Approximately 230 million children under the age of 5 worldwide are still not registered, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Human Rights Council
Twenty-eighth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
Algeria, Angola,* Argentina, Australia,* Austria,* Belgium,* Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Bulgaria,* Canada,* Colombia,* Costa Rica,* Croatia,* Cuba, Denmark,* Djibouti,* Finland,* France, Georgia,* Germany, Guatemala,* Honduras,* Hungary,* Iceland,* Ireland, Italy,* Latvia, Luxembourg,* Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand,* Nicaragua,* Norway,* Panama,* Paraguay, Peru,* Portugal, Romania,* Slovakia,* Slovenia,* Spain,* Sweden,* Switzerland,* Turkey,* United States of America, Uruguay:* draft resolution
