African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, on Monday, concluded a three-day forum on the participation of NGOs in the 46th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and the 20th African Human Rights Book Fair, held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, in Senegambia.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Corlett Letlosane, NGO forum steering committee member, said that the past three days were full of enthusiasm and dynamic deliberations. She commended the members of the steering committee for their efforts in popularising the mission and objectives of the NGO forum and for their engagement in diverse networks and platforms that contribute positively to the programme of the NGO forum.

She noted the impact of the NGO forum on the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the African Union, civil society organisations and other stakeholders at grassroots levels. The committee, she added is growing from strength to strength in making the NGO forum a central platform in the region that continues to raise critical issues of human rights affecting the region. Nyanduga, acting chairperson of the African Commission on Human and PeoplesÂ' Rights, disclosed that the NGO forum is where the various human rights issues of the day on the continent are addressed. He noted that the NGOs from across the continent and beyond, meet in the NGO forum and exchange ideas on how to overcome these problems, and most importantly bring them to the attention of the African Commission.

According to him, the forum was able to deliberate not only on the regional human rights situation in Africa and on the various human rights situations in conflict zones; such as Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Darfur, but also reviewed critical human rights issues in Guinea, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Niger, as well as various thematic issues.He added that the forum also reviewed the outcome of the document on the Durban Review Conference against racism, xenophobia and racial discrimination as well as the processes made towards a comprehensive human rights strategy in Africa.

He commended the staff of the African Centre on Democracy and Human Rights Studies for organising such an important forum. For his part, Alhaji Gumbo Ali Touray, director of Information and International Affairs at the University of The Gambia, deputising for Professor Muhammed Jah, vice chancellor of the University of The Gambia, said these rights certainly are not only restricted to the more familiar political rights but to the lesser known rights affecting people; such as poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, rights of the child, sexual crime and so forth.

"It is timely that this forum has discussed networking and close collaboration with community groups as an important partnership for the Human Rights Centre in achieving its goals," he remarkedTouray further delved into the relevant topics such as country updates, situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, situation of human right defenders, prevention and prohibition of torture and penal reform, indigenous populations and communities in Africa, the death penalty in Africa among others. "Human rights violations continue to take its course with impunity around the African continent," he concluded.