13th NANHRI Biennial Conference, November 3-5, 2021

The Network of African national Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) will host the 13^th NANHRI Biennial Conference virtually from November 3-5, 2021. The conference will deliberate on the contribution of the National Human Rights Institutions to recovery beyond Covid-19.

The meeting is expected to bring together more than 100 participants drawn from the membership of NANHRI, regional and international State and inter-State institutions, as well as nongovernmental organizations. This year’s conference will be organized under the theme:

Impact of Covid-19 on Human Rights in Africa:

The role of National Human Rights Institutions in offering a human rights-based approach to better and sustainable recovery towards development beyond Covid-19.

The theme was informed by the fact that close to two years since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Wuhan, China, measures to control and contain the pandemic have led to violations of economic, social political, civil and cultural rights at national across Africa. This has largely been attributed to the lack of consideration of NHRIs as essential services, hence the limited monitoring of the enforcement of the measures.

As the vaccination drive takes shape across the continent, States and other actors are developing strategies for recovery from the negative impact of the pandemic. For the NHRIs to effectively contribute to the recovery under the national strategies and plans, NANHRI and the ZHRC are organising this event to develop and adopt a common reference framework: The Harare Declaration and Action Plan of the Network of African NHRIs.

The Declaration and Action Plan will be as a result of discussions, presentations led by panellists and speakers, and testimonies from select groups. The Harare Declaration and Action Plan will guide the NHRIs in working with other State and non-State actors in supporting a human rights-based approach to better and sustainable recovery beyond the pandemic.

This will be the first time that a biennial conference is held virtually following the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to scaling down of physical activities to limit the spread of the virus.

The 12^th Biennial Conference was hosted by the National Council for Human Rights of Egypt in Cairo from November 5-6 2019 on the role of NHRIs in the Implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). It culminated in the adoption of the Cairo Declaration and Action Plan on GCM. Among other issues, the Declaration stated that the 13^th NANHRI Biennial Conference will be held in Harare, Zimbabwe, hosted by the ZHRC-the next chairperson.

Dr. Hilarious Mugwadi, the Chairperson of the ZHRC, was elected by the General Assembly on November 4, 2019 as the Vice Chairperson of NANHRI.

Preceding the 13^th Biennial Conference, the General Assembly will also elect the next vice chairperson to serve until 2023