African Rights Commission Raises Alarm as 41 Countries Default on Human Rights Reports

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has raised concerns over poor compliance by African countries with their obligations to submit periodic reports on human rights conditions, revealing that 41 countries have outstanding reports.

The Commission disclosed this in its final communiqué following its 89th Ordinary Session, held in Dakar, Senegal, from October 12 to 21, 2026, after a virtual private session between September 21 and October 1.

According to the communiqué, only eight countries are up to date with their reporting obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, while five countries are currently undergoing report examinations.

The Commission said six countries have one report overdue, 10 have two outstanding reports, two have three overdue reports and 18 have more than three reports yet to be submitted. Five countries have not submitted their initial reports.

The development highlights persistent gaps in compliance with the African Charter, which requires member states to periodically account for measures taken to protect and promote human rights.

At the session, the Commission also reviewed human rights reports submitted by Mauritius, Zambia and Guinea-Bissau, covering their obligations under the African Charter and related regional instruments.

Zambia presented its eighth periodic report covering 2020 to 2025, alongside its first report under the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa and its initial report under the African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa.

The Commission also examined Mauritius’s 11th periodic report and Guinea-Bissau’s initial report covering the period from 1988 to 2025.

The 89th session brought together 1,662 participants, including representatives of 39 African countries, African Union institutions, international organisations, national human rights institutions and civil society groups.

During the proceedings, representatives of 14 national human rights institutions presented assessments of human rights conditions in their respective countries.

The Commission also received submissions from United Nations human rights mechanisms, the UN refugee agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Beyond the review of country reports, the Commission considered 16 human rights complaints, comprising eight decisions on the merits, seven on admissibility and one request for a review of an earlier decision.

It also approved the referral of one communication to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, reinforcing cooperation between the continent’s two regional human rights institutions.

The Commission adopted a resolution on the biennial United Nations General Assembly vote calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

It also renewed the mandates of key human rights mechanisms, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.

The Commission further adopted resolutions renewing the mandates of its support group for human rights defenders and its Working Group on Extractive Industries, the Environment and Human Rights Violations.

In another development, six non-governmental organisations received observer status, bringing the total number of NGOs with the status to 606. Two national human rights institutions also received affiliate status, increasing the number of affiliated institutions to 41.

The Commission examined Botswana’s initial report under the Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa during its private session.

Its public proceedings also featured discussions on the protection of human rights defenders, women’s and girls’ rights, statelessness, prison conditions, water and sanitation, and the human rights implications of extractive industries.

The Commission launched four publications, including a study on the impact of climate change on human and peoples’ rights in Africa and a joint study on challenges involved in litigating the rights of women and girls before African Union human rights institutions.

The session also marked the 45th anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 40th anniversary of its entry into force.

The Commission expressed appreciation to Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and the country’s government and people for hosting the meeting. It also welcomed Mozambique’s proposal to host the next ordinary public session in the first half of 2027.

The 89th Ordinary Session ended in Dakar on October 21, following a closing address by Senegal’s Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Cheikh Niang.