Facilitate the exchange of experiences and comparable lessons among AU members and stakeholders on the durable solutions to forced displacement
Discussion on shared responsibilities and the Role of the UN humanitarian and development partners as well as African actors to support AU member states towards the fulfillment assistance and protection of refugees Returnees and IDPs
Mrs. Michelle, Mrs. Nicholine, and Ms. Mirene Representing CAWOPEM Banjul –Gambia at the side event on Women’s Rights in Africa and the Case of Cameroon The 8th high level dialogue held in Kampala from the 4th to the 6th of December 2019 was convened by the African Governance Architectures .The dialogue provided a platform for reflection on the 2019 AU theme of the year of Refugees Returnees and IDPS Discussions at the dialogue emphasized on international continental regional and national policies and institutional frameworks for forced displacements. Focus was given to the OAU Refugee convention and the Kampala convention.
The dialogue centered on
Forced displacements in Africa, Implementation of durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa, Securing the rights of refugees and returnees and IDPs, Addressing the need for justice for displaced persons, Managements of Returnees Policy, Burden sharing and the role of international Actors
Policy recommendations and practical proposals for the future well being of refugees’ returnees and IDP
Divided in 3 main thematic, each of them had specific objectives
Theme I entitled: Update from sub regional focal points on Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Africa,
Finding durable solutions to displacement and xenophobia;
Ensuring human security through women’s participation and leadership in a framework of peace, security and human rights;
The rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) and migrants: Protection and provision of basic needs.
Theme II entitled: Special interest group discussion
Consultation with NGOs on the African Union-United Nations joint framework on Human Rights;
The relevance of the draft action and implementation plan for the Human and Peoples’ Rights decade in Africa (10-YAP) to the 2019 AU theme, and more specifically to the Protocol on statelessness/ nationality in Africa;
The Status of intersex and transgender refugees in Africa;
And the Special Interest Groups Discussion.
Theme III entitled: Networking for Human Rights in Africa
The role of courts in protecting the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls: decriminalization of abortion through strategic litigation- Safe but not silent: challenges, resilience strategic and protection of displaced Human Rights Defenders (HRDS)
Human rights in the digital age: Threats to freedom of expression and the impact of surveillance on the right to privacy
Consultation on the draft Shadow Reporting Guidelines under the African Charter and the Maputo Protocol
From 17th to 23rd October 2019, a team, constituted of Nicoline Wazeh, Michelle Tankoua and Mirene MALE of the Cameroon Women’s Peace Movement (CAWOPEM), took part in the 65th Ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights in Banjul-The Gambia. Prior to the ordinary session that started on October 20th and will be ending on November 10th 2019, a three days forum preparing the participation of NGOs to the said session and the 39th edition of African Human Rights Book Fair, was organized under the theme: The “year of the refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa”. Michelle Tankoua sat on the first Panel in which she presented a report on Human right situation in Central Africa sub-region. She ceased this opportunity to raise awareness by emphasizing on the current crisis and human rights violation in Cameroon, as her speech was mainly centered on the above mention country.
Seconding Michelle’s intervention, during the plenary session, Nicoline Wazeh drew attention on the women and children rights violation in the ongoing Boko Haram and Anglophone Crises in Cameroon and the type of exaction that are being committed in the said conflict zones.
Special Interest Groups Discussions
CAWOPEM’s participation in the Special Interest groups Discussions was remarkable as Nicoline chaired the working group on the rights of youth and children, Michelle contributed in the group on death penalty and extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary killings in Africa and Mirene actively participated in that on Women Rights in Africa. At the end of the NGO forum, CAWOPEM was able to submit a statement that was integrated to the statement produced by Cameroonian NGOs present at the forum. A Resolution on Cameroon was also included in the final resolutions and recommendations of the NGO forum.
Side Events
At a side event organised by South Africa on the “Promotion of Women, Peace and Security in Africa” Nicoline was invited as a panellist to share Cameroon’s experience in the development of a first-generation NAP for the implementation of UNSCR 1325.
The side event Human Rights Situation in Cameroon did not only weakness CAWOPEM’s technical support but also its participation, as two of its members were panellists. During the side event, panellist Michelle Tankoua did a presentation on Justice, arbitrary detention and fair trial and panellist Nicoline Wazeh focused on the human rights violations of women and children in the ongoing crises around Cameroon.
The CAWOPEM delegation in Banjul actively participated in the following side events:
Sexual Harassment;
Amplifying African women voices under forced displacements;
Elections;
Advocacy in francophone Africa;
Side event on Human Rights Situation in Cameroon;
South African panel on the “Promotion of Women, Peace and Security in Africa”
Identify the international conventions and protocols on gender enhancement applicable in Cameroon;
Assess the implementation of the specific instruments on women’s political, legal and economic rights;
provisions, implementation; lapses and perspectives;
Enhance the capacity of gender stakeholder on the political, legal and economic empowerment of the Cameroonian woman; and examine the national gender policy and suggest recommendations to make it more impactful.
Three Members of CAWOPEM represented the organization during the gender consultative meeting organized by FES and its partner Geed to draw a road map for women participation and engagement in 2020.Their presence was capital as they serve as consultant and rapporteur of the 2 days consultative meeting.
Commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender based violence.
Commemorate the International Human Rights Day on the 10th of November.
On the occasion of the official national launching ceremony by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family on the 16 days Activism against gender based violence on the theme ; “Orange the World ,Generation Equality Against Rape”. CAWOPEM saw three of its members in the persons of; Simone Veil prize winner Aisha Doumara, Yvonne Muma and Wazeh Nicoline actively participate as speakers and participants to raise women voice on the need to fight against all sorts of violence against girls and women.
Create and consolidate new partnership with International Institutions
A five woman delegation of Cawopem Regional Chairs and Co-chairs took part in 2 strategic meetings with two development partners. The meetings both took place in the month of November at different times of the day. During these meetings, at the Head Office of the Representative of the United Nation Human Rights Commission in Cameroon and later on the Plan International administrative officer. These permitted CAWOPEM to contact development and strategic partners to solicit their institutional and technical support to help advance the daily humanitarian challenges.
