Ordinary sessions are the main public working sessions of the African Commission and the main venues for in-person civil society engagement. They come in two kinds: public ordinary sessions and private ordinary sessions (see Rule 28 of the Rules of Procedure).
Defenders can engage with the African Commission before, during, and after sessions in a myriad of ways. See below Ngina Muyanga, from Kenya, reflecting on her advocacy work in favour of a protection mechanism against obstetric violence:
Reflection video of Ngina Muyanga, from the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network (KELIN), on HIV/AIDS
The public ordinary sessions are held twice a year, mainly in Banjul (The Gambia) - home to the African Commission’s headquarters - though they may also be held in another country, upon invitation (for example, in October 2023, the 77th ordinary session was held in Arusha, Tanzania). They typically last between 10 and 15 days (weekends included) and are held mainly in person, with live-streaming of the sessions on the African Commission’s YouTube channel and X account. They have a public portion and a private, closed-door portion. During and for some time after the COVID-19 pandemic, sessions were held online and then in a hybrid format (Commissioners in person, other participants online). According to Rule 31 of the Rules of Procedure, the date and venue of an ordinary session are to be communicated by the African Commission at least 45 days ahead of time, on its website and on social media. Public ordinary sessions are typically held once in spring (April-May) and once in autumn (October-November). In practice, this may vary.
The African Commission also meets for full private ordinary sessions twice a year, in between public ordinary sessions. These are not open to civil society participation.
Finally, the African Commission also holds extraordinary sessions in special circumstances where certain issues require the African Commission’s particular attention. For example, in January 2023, the African Commission held an extraordinary session on the situation in the Tigray. As per Rule 29 of the Rules of Procedure, extraordinary sessions may be convened by the Chairperson either (1) at the request of the majority of Commissioners or (2) at the request of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Extraordinary sessions are closed to civil society participation but you may lobby Commissioners to convene an extraordinary session on a particular issue of interest for your organisation.
For more information, please see Section 1.3: How does the African Commission work?
The public ordinary sessions of the African Commission (in person - either in Banjul or another city/country - or hybrid) can be attended by all stakeholders following their registration to attend the session. This, in addition to the Commissioners and staff of the African Commission, includes:
The date and venue of ordinary sessions are communicated by the African Commission on its website and on social media, with information being regularly updated. You must register ahead of time to participate in an ordinary session of the African Commission. Tip: Read the previous session’s final communiqué and when it was held, to get a sense of what to expect for the next session (private or public). They are available on the welcome page of the website.
All documentation and information for upcoming sessions, including the session agenda, are available on the African Commission’s website (see events tab on the landing page). For an example, see here.
When planning to attend an ordinary session of the African Commission, make sure to have a clear list of ‘asks’/‘demands’ based on your advocacy targets for the session. Consider creating a short summary document (publication, flyer, etc.) on your issues which can be printed and distributed during the ordinary session.
Ordinary sessions are when the African Commission discusses the human rights situation on the continent. It hears States, NHRIs, NGOs, and other stakeholders on the matter. The African Commission also hosts panels, conducts state periodic review, discusses new soft law instruments, thematic reports, public statements, urgent appeals, and other actions or publications, and marks important commemorative events (for example African Human Rights Day). The exact agenda of an ordinary session is determined by the Bureau of the African Commission ahead of the session in question, based on a proposal by the Secretariat, itself drawing on suggestions from stakeholders from the previous session.
Finally, an ordinary session also has a theme (usually related to the priorities of the AU). For instance, in 2020 it was ‘Silencing the guns in Africa’). It starts by an opening and ends with closing ceremonies, a private portion, and is capped off by a press conference.
For an example of a session agenda, see here.
You can get information on the outcomes of an ordinary session on the African Commission website (in the news section), on the African Commission YouTube channel and other social media accounts. Some NGOs like the International Service for Human Rights follow the sessions and provide a summary targeted mainly to civil society: you can find it on ISHR website, via the ISHR African Commission Monitor newsletter. For an example of an outcome piece on the ISHR website, see here.
Observer status allows an NGO to contribute more in the sessions of the African Commission. Please see here our short guidance if you want more information on this. It also creates obligations under Rule 72 of the Rules of Procedure.
Remember to look at the session’s agenda to determine which days are most relevant for you to attend the ordinary session. Most participants do not stay the entirety of the ordinary session (more or less two weeks) but instead focus on key items of discussion that relate to their country or thematic issues they care about.
Determine the **number of people **you want to send to the ordinary session according to your resources, considering travel, accommodation, and per diem (allowance for food and other expenses). Consider partnering with international NGOs to support your participation in the session, including financial support.
Finally, don’t forget to: look up the country, city, and venue of the ordinary session, as well as things like safety, weather, currency, plug type and local transportation in the area; plan in advance in case of any visa or vaccination requirements to enter the country (for The Gambia, you must be vaccinated against yellow fever); and print any materials you wish to bring as well as business cards.
What we really need is a critical mass – we only have 100 organizations that regularly attend the commission’s sessions, whereas Africa has more than 1.4 billion citizens. Only a few organisations work closely with the AU policy organs, not more than 10, and yet in Brussels, more than 3,000 civil society organizations engage with the European Union. We therefore need a critical mass of youth, women, private sector, etc. to advocate at the AU, ACHPR, NEPAD, Pan African Union. We need to identify the areas of excellence, establish a clear division of labor, and engage consistently and strategically. But we also need AU member states to engage with us all, openly and consistently.
Johnny Appleseed (fictional name to preserve anonymity), Human Rights Watch Report
