Seychelles’ civil society pushes for more state reporting |22 November 2014

A three-member delegation from the Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (CEPS) attended a workshop in Pretoria, South Africa between November 11-13, 2014 on increasing states’ capacity for reporting under the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) on the Rights of Women in Africa.
 
CEPS was represented by Gender, Rights and Governance Commissioner Monica Servina, CEPS secretary Marie-Nella Azemia and CEPS communication & membership manager Tessa Henderson.

Seychelles was also being represented by representatives from the Attorney General’s office, Gender Secretariat, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports and the National Assembly.

The workshop was an activity of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa. The main facilitators were the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa and member of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Gender Unit Coordinator, Centre for Human Rights.

The objectives of the workshop was to develop skills of delegates on state reporting on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

Present at the workshop was Commissioner Soyata Maiga, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa and Member, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
 
Aside from Seychelles, other delegates came from Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 2009 the ACHPR adopted Guidelines on State Reporting under the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. These Guidelines were disseminated at the workshop and is also being reviewed in order that the delegates may familiarise themselves with the Guidelines in order to take steps to meet their reporting obligations under the Protocol.

State reporting serves a number of important functions including but not limited to: stock-taking of measures undertaken by States parties towards compliance with their obligations under the Protocol; identifying problems and obstacles to full implementation of the Protocol and providing an opportunity for constructive engagement with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in order that States parties may benefit from their concrete recommendations.

Seychelles has signed and ratified the Protocol to Women’s rights but up till now has not yet submitted a report. It has though submitted one report on Human Rights Charter but that of women’s right was missing. The guideline for state reporting makes provision for both reports to be submitted at the same time.

The major challenge for Seychelles these past 10 years have been the unavailability of resources for respected ministries or national agencies to take the lead.

Civil society’s recommendations therefore include the need to advocate, in the hope that the respective ministries or sectors start the process for state reporting.

One of the activities to be undertaken by the Gender, Rights and Governance Commission of CEPS is the raising of awareness in the community on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.