The 45th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel ended, yesterday May 27th 2009.

The two-week session which brought together member states of the African Union to assess and report on the continent's human rights situation within the past six months wrapped up with a final communiqué that highlights the complaints brought forward to the commission by the special repertoires and the recommendations adopted by the commission with regards to those complaints before them.

Addressing the delegates at the closing ceremony, the attorney general and secretary of state for Justice, Honourable Marie Saine-firdaus, expressed optimism that the primary objective of the forum had been met "for the benefit of the people whose hopes and aspirations rest in our collective efforts to ensure the promotion and protection of their human and people's right," as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, and other human rights instruments. "As human rights promoters and protectors", she went on, "a forum of this nature, I believe, has provided an opportunity to genuinely discuss issues of human and people's rights concerns, progress made and challenges encountered in the continent by member states in implementing the African Charter on Human and People's Right.

I believe it has equally provided the opportunity to once again review the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and identify the existing implementation gaps in our respective countries with a view to improving on the human rights record in the continent", she remarked. SoS Saine-Firdaus also noted that to achieve such an objective requires the collaborative partnership of member states, civil society and the international community with the African commission. "It is only through these collaborative efforts that we can hope for an end to unjustified waste of human lives and degraded living engendered by human rights violations. As a government, we have committed ourselves to this cause and we will ensure that we realise it to the end for the benefit of our people in particular and humanity at large." She also spoke at length about the need to protect and promote the rights of women in the continent.

For his part, the acting chairperson of the commission, Bahame Tom Mukirya Nyanduga, commended the government and people of The Gambia for the warm hospitality they were accorded upon entrance in the country and throughout the session. Thus, reminding delegates that the struggle for protection and realisation of human rights is a hard and long one. "Year 2009 has posed major challenges to African states, their governments and people as conflicts and instability continue to bedevil a number of countries," he remarked.

Presenting what could be described as a catalogue of crises  befalling the continent, ranging from wars to HIV/AIDS, the acting commissioner noted that these challenges are testimony to the fact that there is a great deal of work which remains to be done before human and people's rights are fully realised on the continent." He however noted that Africa cannot continue to remain indifferent any longer, nor can it continue to bear witness to wars and the violations of the rights of its people. "Our mothers, sisters, the girl child, the child soldier, all of whom bear the brunt of conflict, poverty, ignorance, disease and illiteracy,"  he said.

He went on: "There is a new dawn of a brighter day blowing fresh winds across the continent, from Sierra Leone to Ghana, South Africa and the valleys and the mountains of Malawi, we heard the people speak. At the outset of the 45th ordinary session, we witnessed the successful conclusion of elections in South Africa. As we sat right here in Banjul, the Republic of Malawi successfully held presidential and general elections, and only a day ago the constitutional court in the Republic of Niger has confirmed the sanctity of the constitutional transfer of power."

He also spoke at length about the commitment of the commission in ensuring that the rights of the people on the continent are guaranteed. Yesterday's closing ceremony was also punctuated by a press briefing where the acting chairman of the commission summed up to journalists the activities that transpired at the two weeks session and also what the final communiqué entails.