Committee for Justice holds first “Advocacy Day” on human rights with school and university students in Banjul during the 85th ACHPR session

Litigation & Regional Mechanisms Program – Banjul
23 October 2025

On Thursday, 23 October 2025, Committee for Justice (CFJ) organized its first “Advocacy Day on Human Rights” for high school pupils and law, international relations, and political science students in Banjul. The event took place at CFJ’s office in The Gambia as part of its ongoing engagement during the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

This interactive meeting brought together a new generation of students with human rights defenders and experts from local and regional organisations, creating a space for open dialogue on justice, equality and accountability across the African continent, and connecting classroom learning with the realities of human rights work at the regional level.

The sessions focused on introducing participants to the African human rights system and the role of civil society in engaging with the ACHPR, while addressing key issues affecting the region, including:

The “Advocacy Day” featured a rich panel of speakers, including:

Throughout the discussions, students raised questions and ideas on the role of youth in combating gender-based violence, challenging arbitrary detention, supporting victims of enforced disappearance, and defending freedom of opinion and expression. They also explored how their legal knowledge and civic awareness can be translated into concrete initiatives in their schools, universities and communities.

Committee for Justice extends its heartfelt thanks to Aua Baldé and Federica Donati for their inspiring interventions and their direct engagement with the students, as well as to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) and the UN Special Procedures, in recognition of their continued support for efforts to raise awareness about enforced disappearances and to involve the new generation in the struggle for truth and justice.

CFJ affirms that this “Advocacy Day” is a foundational step in building bridges between generations, empowering young voices in Banjul and beyond to carry forward the mission of truth, justice and human dignity, and transforming participation in ACHPR sessions from a purely technical exercise into a process of learning, mobilisation and sustained action beyond the official meetings.