During the 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa delivered a statement raising concerns over the recent Draft Declaration on the Promotion of the Role of Human Rights Defenders and their Protection in Africa. In the statement, IHRDA expressed concern about several provisions in the current draft that risk undermining, rather than strengthening, the protection of human rights defenders across the continent. These include:

• The conflation of States and security institutions with human rights defenders;
• Vague references to “African values,” “moral health,” and “respect for authority,” which may be used to justify restrictions on fundamental freedoms; and
• Restrictive duties imposed on defenders.