The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) participated in the Regional Meeting on the Establishment of an Alert and Reporting Mechanism on Torture and other Ill-treatment to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held from 27- 29 May, 2022, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
EHRC and other stakeholders provided inputs to enhance the alert system, which once operationalised is expected to expedite ACHPR’s response to allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, and national partners such as EHRC would support in raising awareness about the alert system and in following up on the implementation of recommendations by ACHPR.
In October 2002, the ACHPR at its 32nd Ordinary Session adopted the Guidelines for the Prohibition and Prevention of Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Africa (the “Robben Island Guidelines”), with a view to guaranteeing an effective right to all persons not to be subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (ill-treatment), as guaranteed by Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA) has a mandate to promote the implementation of the Robben Island Guidelines. The CPTA is specifically tasked with disseminating the Robben Island Guidelines to national and regional stakeholders, promoting and facilitating their implementation within States Parties and at the regional level, and presenting a progress report to the Commission at each Ordinary Session.
To ensure the prohibition and prevention of torture and other ill-treatment on the continent, the CPTA works in collaboration with various stakeholders. This regional meeting organised by CPTA, Special Mechanism of the ACHPR, brought together National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI), national preventive mechanisms, civil society organisations, inter-governmental organisations, regional human rights networks, and experts on torture prevention from various African countries.
