Vance Center Participates in 85th African Commission Session in Banjul

The Vance Center’s Adaobi Egboka, center, with speakers at the African Commission side event, “The role of African Human Rights Institutions in Responding to the Intensifying Crackdown on Civil Liberties and Human Rights Defenders ahead of Elections in East Africa,” in Banjul, The Gambia, October 23, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center

Adaobi Egboka, the Vance Center’s Director, Africa Initiatives, arrived in Banjul several days before the session began to engage with various forums preceding the session. These early events included the NGO Forum, from October 17-19, which brings together representatives of local and international NGOs to share updates on their work on diverse issues and their implications for promoting and protecting human rights in Africa.

Egboka also participated in the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions’ Forum for National Human Rights Institutions, a three-day forum that brought together participants from national human rights institutions (NHRIs), civil society, and other stakeholders.

On October 19, Egboka moderated a two-part session, organized in partnership with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on enhancing the capacity of NHRIs to engage with international human rights mechanisms.

The first session delved deeper into the use of specific mechanisms within the UN system, including the Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review, Special Procedures, and treaty bodies. The discussion featured insights from Karin Frosio and Christina Saunders, Human Rights Officers at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Roland Chauville, Director of the Centre for Civil and Political Rights.

The panelists offered practical guidance on how national human rights institutions can participate effectively in reporting processes, follow up on recommendation – particularly with treaty bodies –, and utilize tools like the Universal Human Rights Index (UHRI) for monitoring and advocacy.

In the second session, three expert members from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Chair Michal Balcerzak, Vice Chair Regine Esseneme, and member Ibrahima Guisse – discussed opportunities and strategies for NHRIs to engage with the Committee. Egboka concluded the session with key action points for enhancing NHRI involvement in international mechanisms, such as encouraging countries to submit their reports to the Committee.

Adaobi Egboka (second from right), with panelists Karin Frosio (right) and Christina Saunders (third from right) of the UN UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, during a panel on engaging national human rights institutions in Banjul, The Gambia, October 19, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center

Elections and Civic Space in East Africa

While in Banjul, the Vance Center also co-hosted a side event in partnership with Pan African Lawyers Union, DefendDefenders, the American Bar Association’s Center for Human Rights, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.

The session examined the role of African human rights institutions in responding to an intensifying crackdown on civil liberties and human rights defenders ahead of elections in East Africa. With elections slated for the coming months in a number of African countries, particularly in East Africa, there are urgent concerns about human rights violations and restrictions on civic space in many of these countries. through conversations like this one, the Vance Center is continuing to identify ways to support CSOs and engage human rights institutions in Africa on critical issues.

The well-attended session highlighted some of these pre-electoral challenges and their impacts on civic space, the rule of law, and human rights, with a particular focus on risks for and protection of human rights defenders.

Andrew Karamagi, a human rights defender and activist, moderated the conversation. Panelists discussed opportunities for civil society organizations to collaborate with the African Commission to document and provide timely responses to widespread human rights violations that pose serious threats to regional democratic and civic space before elections. They called for urgent, coordinated responses from the African Commission, including proactive monitoring, urgent appeals, and stronger engagement with the African Union, the United Nations system, and state actors. 

Japhet Biegon, Africa Regional Advocacy Coordinator at Amnesty International, discussed the organization’s October 2025 report on widespread human rights abuses, enforced disappearances, restrictions on fundamental freedoms, and the use of laws to suppress and control political expression ahead of Tanzania’s upcoming election. He compared the situation to the 2020 Tanzania elections, for which Amnesty also produced a report.

Estella Kansiime, Advocacy, Research and Communications Manager at Defend Defenders, discussed her organization’s report on laws used to restrict civil and political rights and civic space in East Africa. Examples included the misuse of cybercrime, media, and public order legislation to silence critics and suppress dissent. She also addressed the regional issue of internet shutdowns during elections and the impact of corruption on electoral processes, including the role of the judiciary.

Aua Baldé, Member and Former Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, explained how the Working Group has documented numerous cases of enforced disappearances in various countries across East Africa. She discussed how CSOs have helped raise awareness of the working group’s efforts, what regional and international mechanisms can do, and how to strengthen preventive measures.

The panel concluded with speakers urging the African Commission to take more proactive measures to address these issues. They called on the Commission to move beyond issuing resolutions to engage in active monitoring and issuing urgent appeals and statements on election-related abuses.

The panel emphasized the need for the Commission to strengthen cooperation with the UN human rights system through the Addis Ababa Framework, which would enable joint communications, country visits, and awareness campaigns. Panelists also encouraged the Commission to support human rights defenders in these countries with documenting abuses, engaging with its special mechanisms, and risk mitigation.