Dakar– 13 October 2026
Committee for Justice (CFJ) announces that it has officially been granted Observer Status before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), following the public announcement of the decision today, 13 October 2026, during the Commission’s 89th Ordinary Session in Dakar, Senegal.
The decision follows the Commission’s approval of CFJ’s application during the private session of the 89th Ordinary Session, held virtually from 21 September to 1 October 2026. CFJ was among six non-governmental organizations whose applications for Observer Status were approved.
This significant institutional milestone strengthens CFJ’s engagement with the African Union’s human rights protection system and opens new opportunities to support victims, human rights defenders, and civil society organizations, particularly in North Africa and the Sahel.
This recognition marks the culmination of a sustained process of engagement with the African Commission and its mechanisms, alongside CFJ’s continued efforts to monitor and document human rights violations, produce legal analysis and human rights reports, and promote cooperation between civil society organizations and regional and international human rights mechanisms.
A Record of Engagement and Cooperation with the African Human Rights System
Since beginning its engagement with the African Commission, CFJ has worked to strengthen the visibility of human rights concerns affecting North Africa and the Sahel within the African human rights system.
These efforts have included regular participation in Commission sessions and the NGO Forum, the organization of side events, engagement with Commissioners and Special Mechanisms, and the submission of information and reports concerning human rights violations.
CFJ has also contributed to creating spaces for dialogue and cooperation between African civil society organizations and international and regional mechanisms. This includes initiatives aimed at strengthening coordination between the African Commission and United Nations human rights mechanisms, while expanding opportunities for meaningful participation by human rights defenders and independent organizations in regional protection and accountability processes.
These efforts are particularly important in North Africa and the Sahel, where civil society organizations and human rights defenders face increasing challenges, including restrictions on fundamental freedoms, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, impunity, and shrinking civic space.
Institutional Recognition and Greater Responsibility
CFJ’s Observer Status before the African Commission represents a further step in its institutional development, following the granting of Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2023.
This development offers an important opportunity to strengthen complementarity between CFJ’s engagement with United Nations human rights mechanisms and the African human rights system, drawing upon its accumulated experience in documentation, legal analysis, and advocacy to support protection and accountability at the regional level.
Commenting on this milestone, Ahmed Mefreh, Executive Director of Committee for Justice, stated:
“The granting of Observer Status to Committee for Justice before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights is not merely an institutional recognition of our work. It also reflects the important role that independent civil society organizations can play in strengthening the African human rights protection system.Over the past years, we have worked to build bridges between victims and human rights defenders, particularly in North Africa and the Sahel, and the African and international mechanisms responsible for their protection. We regard this recognition as an additional responsibility to continue this work, expand access to justice, strengthen accountability, and combat impunity.We believe that the strength of the African human rights system depends on its ability to listen to the voices of victims and independent civil society and to ensure their meaningful participation without discrimination or exclusion.”
CFJ’s Priorities for the Next Phase
CFJ intends to use its Observer Status to strengthen its contribution to the African Commission’s work through several strategic priorities:
- Strengthening access for victims and human rights defenders to African protection mechanisms, through the submission of information, reports, and communications in accordance with applicable procedures, and by supporting the use of available accountability and remedy mechanisms.
- Enhancing civil society participation from North Africa and the Sahel in the Commission’s work and Special Mechanisms, including through legal and institutional capacity-building and stronger cooperation among independent organizations.
- Supporting efforts to combat impunity for serious human rights violations, including torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and violations of fair trial guarantees.
- Strengthening cooperation between African and United Nations human rights mechanisms, and contributing to joint initiatives aimed at improving protection, follow-up, and implementation of relevant recommendations and decisions.
- Contributing to the development and independence of the African human rights system, while strengthening civil society’s role in monitoring States’ compliance with their obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other regional instruments.
Renewed Commitment to Victims’ Rights and the Independence of Human Rights Mechanisms
CFJ emphasizes that obtaining Observer Status marks the beginning of a new phase of institutional engagement with the African Commission, grounded in constructive cooperation, independence, and adherence to international and African human rights standards.
CFJ further stresses that the effectiveness of the African human rights system depends on safeguarding the independence of its institutions and mechanisms, ensuring their openness to independent civil society organizations, and protecting human rights defenders from intimidation or reprisals related to their engagement with regional and international mechanisms.
CFJ expresses its appreciation to the African and international human rights organizations and partners who have supported its engagement with the African Commission and contributed to strengthening collective efforts to protect human rights across the continent.
CFJ reaffirms its commitment to working alongside victims, human rights defenders, and civil society organizations towards a more independent, effective, and inclusive African human rights system that places human dignity and the right to justice and remedy at the center of its priorities.