Amina Bouayach, President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), has issued a powerful call for the reinforcement of human rights mechanisms across Africa.
Speaking at the African Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) conference in Yaoundé, Bouayach warned that the continent’s legal frameworks are under unprecedented strain from a “triple threat” of security instability, climate change, and health crises. As the head of Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), she emphasized that these overlapping emergencies are systematically eroding the rule of law and the capacity of states to meet their international obligations.
Bouayach highlighted a concerning global decline in multilateralism, noting that human rights are increasingly being sidelined in international discourse. She argued that international treaties and regional African mechanisms must be viewed as complementary rather than competing forces. According to her vision, while international laws provide the global benchmark, regional bodies are essential for adapting those standards to local African realities. She stressed that bridging the gap between high-level commitments and national legislation is the only way to restore citizen trust in state institutions.
The address identified several critical “blind spots” in the current continental approach, specifically pointing to the limited use of African legal mechanisms and the persistent barriers to justice for the general population. Bouayach cited the devastating conflict in Sudan—where access to basic healthcare and food has collapsed—and the chronic insecurity in Somalia as prime examples of how state fragility directly translates into human rights violations. She noted that recognizing these failures is not an admission of weakness but a necessary act of “clear-sightedness” required to move toward genuine reform.
To combat these trends, Bouayach urged African states to fully align their national institutions with the Paris Principles, the international gold standard for institutional independence and effectiveness. She concluded by calling for a surge in resources and guaranteed autonomy for human rights defenders, asserting that the rule of law must remain the non-negotiable pillar of Africa’s long-term stability and economic development.
https://apanews.net/bouayach-urges-stronger-human-rights-protection-across-africa/
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 