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Access to democratic systems key to social justice - ACHPR Chairperson
MISA-Zimbabwe
May 11, 2009

The Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) Justice Sanji Mmasenono Monageng has challenged civic society organisations to strengthen the capacity of citizens to access and effectively utilise democratic systems at local, national and international levels to enhance social justice.

Addressing delegates to the Forum on the Participation of NGOS in the 45th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR in Banjul, The Gambia, Justice Monageng challenged civic society to generate new ideas to improve the quality of life and standard of living of marginalised people in their respective countries.

"The big lesson here is that without strengthening peoples capacity to access and effectively utilise established democratic systems and processes to further the goals of social justice they (people) risk becoming simply tools of political elites," she said.

She warned that violators of human rights were refining their skills adding: "As members of civil society we need to respond. We need to be able to rise to the challenges. An effective way to do that is through capacity building for our members so that they can carry out their functions and within a clear understanding of their responsibilities."

The Commissioner's remarks dovetail with MISA-Zimbabwe's campaign for the enactment of a democratic access to information law in Zimbabwe as projected through its World Press Freedom Day theme for 2009: Info-Powered 4 Media Freedom; Access to information in a new democratic constitution.

Meanwhile, The ACHPR's Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa, Commissioner Reine Alapini Gansou, said parliamentarians should be sensitised on the critical role played by human rights defenders saying the Commission remained concerned with the situation in countries such as Zimbabwe, Burundi, Sudan, Gabon, Tunisia, Rwanda, Egypt and Ethiopia among others. Commissioner Gansou noted that the trend of violations against human rights defenders in these countries was almost the same with cases of curtailment of free speech, the right to freedom of assembly, kidnappings, harassment and physical aggression.

She, however, said the Commission had embarked on 'some work' to protect human rights defenders and will be following up on the work that has already been done in that regard.

The NGO Forum which opened in the Gambian capital on 9 May 2009 ahead of the 45th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR will, among other issues, discuss the human rights and democracy situation in Africa, convene special interest group discussions on freedom of expression, elections, social and cultural rights, death penalty and networking for human rights.

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