Regional seminar on death penalty in French-speaking countries in Africa

The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and the Association Enùsemble Contre la Peine de Mort (ECRM) “Together Against the Death Penalty”, in partnership with the Association francophone des Commissions nationales des droits de l’Homme (AFCNDH) “Francophone Association of National Human Rights Commissions” and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), are organizing a regional seminar on the death penalty in African French-speaking countries on 4 and 5 October 2017 in Rabat, Morocco.

This seminar is entitled “National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Death Penalty”, and will be held with support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF).

As of 31 December 2016, the majority of the African Union member States have abolished the death penalty in law (20 countries), or have applied a de facto moratorium on executions (20 countries); only a minority that still maintain the death penalty (14 countries). Morocco has enshrined the right to life in article 20 of the 2011 Constitution and has implemented a moratorium on executions since 1993, which has made it a de facto abolitionist country. Nevertheless, Morocco courts continue to order judgments on death penalty.

The CNDH, as an abolitionist institution, has repeatedly called on the government to adhere to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to abolish the death penalty and to vote for the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly calling for a moratorium to suspend the execution of the death penalty with a perspective to abolish it.

Considering their mandate to protect and promote human rights, NHRIs are well placed to encourage the authorities to rethink the abolitionist arguments. Nevertheless, in practice, NHRIs are less involved or not at all involved in the abolitionist dynamic. In fact, there are several reasons why this issue is not often discussed within NHRIs, particularly in African francophone countries.

ECPM, in conjunction with the UN, cooperates with NHRIs on the issue of death penalty, particularly in the Maghreb and Central Africa. Therefore, this meeting will be an opportunity to reiterate the importance of the role of NHRIs in their fight against the death penalty and to study possible means to encourage them to advocate for the abolition of this penalty.

Representatives of 12 NHRIs from the African francophone countries are participating in this event: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Tunisia, Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Comoros, Mauritania, Cameroon, Rwanda and Algeria. ECPM and other representatives of civil society from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco will also take part in this seminar.

The first day of the meeting will be devoted to an overview of the situation of the death penalty in the world, especially in Africa. The second day will shed the light on the actions of NHRIs towards the abolition of the death penalty (review of legislation in force, recommendations and follow-up, monitoring the conditions of detention of those sentenced to death, interaction with international mechanisms).

The opening session of this seminar will take place on 4 October 2017 from 9:00 am at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI). Driss El Yazami, President of the CNDH, Mohammed Aujjar, Minister of Justice, Alexis Le Cour Grnadmaison, Minister Counselor, French Embassy in Morocco, Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, Director General of the ECMP, Nasos Makrythanasis, representative of OIF and Ahmed Elhou, former prisoner sentenced to death in Morocco, will contribute to this session.

The proceedings of this seminar will be held in two days:

4 October 2017 at the MMVI: Opening session and debate open to public.

5 October 2017 at the CNDH’s Driss Benzekri National Human Rights Training Institute (INFDH)- Driss Benzekri: Workshops for NHRIs and civil society (upon invitation).