Resolution on concrete measures for the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with albinism in Africa

Jurisdiction: African Union (AU)
Date: 17 May 2019
Language: English
Type: Resolution

African Union

Resolution on concrete measures for the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with albinism in Africa

Published on 17 May 2019
Commenced
[This is the version of this document from 17 May 2019.]

THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT,CONSIDERING Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which establishes the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to ensure the full participation of the people of Africa in the development and economic integration of the continent;CONSIDERING ALSO Article 3 of the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Pan-African Parliament, and Rule 4 (a) of the Rules of Procedure of the Pan-African Parliament, which empower the PAP to facilitate the implementation of policies, objectives and programmes of the African Union and to oversee their effective implementation;STRONGLY REAFFIRMING its support for Resolution PAP.4/PLN/RES/05/MAY on Persons with Albinism in Africa; Resolution ACHPR/Res.263 2013 on the prevention of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism; Resolution ACHPR/Res.349 2016 on the attacks on persons with albinism in Malawi; and Resolution ACHPR/Res.373 2017 on the Regional Action Plan on Albinism;FURTHER REAFFIRMING support for Resolution 23/13 of the Human Rights Council on attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism, and General Assembly Resolution A/RES/69/170 establishing International Albinism Awareness Day on 13 June;COGNISANT of the Memorandum of Understanding between this Parliament and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria and the collaborative working relationship between these entities and the United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism whose mandate is established by the Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/RES/37/5;DEEPLY DISTURBED by the ongoing systematic attacks against persons with albinism in many parts of the continent in particular against women and children with albinism, including entrenched prejudices, stigmatisation and social exclusion, as well as multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination which impede the enjoyment of human rights of persons with albinism;NOTING that only 5 African Union member states have adopted and domesticated the Regional Action Plan on Albinism in Africa; and the urgent need for more member states to undertake and implement specific measures and strategies to protect the rights of persons with albinism;UNANIMOUSLY CONVINCED of the urgent necessity of co-ordinating and intensifying concrete efforts for the effective protection and promotion of the rights of persons with albinism across the continent, including through country action plans premised upon the Regional Action Plan on Albinism that systematically addresses response to violations against persons with albinism;IN ACCORDANCE WITH Rule 5 (b), (c) and (d) of the Rules of Procedure of the Pan-African Parliament, which empowers the PAP to, inter alia, organize debate, discuss, express an opinion, make recommendations and take resolutions on the objectives and on any matters relating to the African Union and its organs, Regional Economic Communities, Member States and their organs and institutions;

NOW HEREBY RESOLVES TO:

1.URGE the African Union Member States to:

i.Adopt and fully implement, directly or through national action plans, the Regional Action Plan on Albinism in Africa which lays out specific measures for addressing attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism through prevention, protection, accountability as well as equality and non-discrimination measures;

ii.Prioritize all measures to ensure the safety and security of persons with albinism and their families; and ensure that appropriate psychosocial, medical, legal and socioeconomic support is available for victims of attacks and their surviving relatives;

iii.Fund adequately and continuously measures identified in the Regional Action Plan on Albinism, national action plans, and all relevant specific measures to promote the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism;

iv.Ensure that persons with albinism enjoy the highest attainable standard of health including by listing sunscreen as an essential medicine; producing it locally through existing modalities of best practices; and ensuring quality, availability and accessibility to these products including to sun-protective clothing, at no cost to persons with albinism;

v.Also ensure that persons with albinism as a constituent of persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation for vision impairment at school and place of work including adaptive devices such as monocular, special glasses and large print materials;

vi.Engage in continuous, long term awareness raising campaigns throughout the country on albinism, human rights and harmful practices related to manifestation of belief in witchcraft, with special emphasis on rural and border communities;

vii.Involve persons with albinism in the development and implementation of all measures affecting them, and ensure they have political participation in crucial and relevant spheres of government;

viii.Ensure the regular and systematic collection of -disaggregated national data on persons with albinism that captures, amongst others, their age, sex, ethnicity and socio-economic situation including housing conditions, health, education and employment to inform policy interventions and ensure their inclusion in appropriate social welfare schemes and poverty alleviation programs;

ix.Integrate a gender perspective in all policy-making and programmatic efforts targeting people with albinism to ensure that interventions specifically address intersecting issues relating to women with albinism.

x.Undertake through or beyond the Regional Action Plan, legal, policy and programmatic reform efforts for the protection and promotion of the human rights of persons with albinism within their respective countries;

xi.Continually undertake specific measures to improve the living conditions and overall socio-economic welfare of persons with albinism in their respective countries;

2.UNDERTAKE an advocacy campaign on the rights of persons with albinism on International Albinism Awareness Day, on 13th June;

3.FURTHER UNDERTAKE awareness raising initiatives on the rights of persons with albinism beyond International Albinism Awareness Day, leveraging on existing platforms, meetings and events convened by the PAP and the African Union as well as its regional bodies;

4.ISSUE statements to condemn violations of rights of persons with albinism across the continent continually and as they arise;

5.DEVELOP guidelines on harmful practices related to manifestation of belief in witchcraft, which shall only become operational upon adoption by the PAP, in order to entrench the guidelines into existing legal and non-legal frameworks on harmful practices as well as guide efforts aimed at mitigating their impact on all victims, including persons with albinism;

6.URGE the African Union Commission to endorse the Regional Action Plan and to include it as an annex to the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa in order to facilitate entrenchment, implementation and follow up among Member States of the AU;

7.ENCOURAGE African Union Member States to adopt, domesticate and implement the Regional Action Plan;

8.ADVOCATE for continent-wide ratification, by Member States of the African Union, of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa

9.ENHANCE cooperation between the PAP and all AU organs, particularly the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in order to integrate their efforts to promote and protect the rights of persons with albinism in Africa, including by ensuring participation of persons with albinism in relevant policy processes.

Adopted at Midrand, South Africa17 May 2019

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