RecommendationsV – Recommendations
The African Commission recommends that the Government of Niger should:
23. Pursue its efforts to implement the African Charter by making sure that the gender dimension is incorporated in all relevant programmes, structures and activities;
24. Encourage Niger to pursue its efforts to implement programmes on the fight against poverty;
25. Draw up suitable programmes to educate the children of the nomadic population;
26. Promptly implement reforms so as to render prison conditions humane and strengthen the capacity of the system;
27. Encourage dialogue between governmental human rights bodies and NGOs and involve the latter in the implementation of regional instruments to which Niger is a party, especially the African Charter;
28. Take measures to ratify regional human rights instruments, particularly the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa;
29. Ensure that the Family Code, which was drafted some years ago, is adopted, promulgated and implemented;
30. Take measures to ensure that women play a more significant role in the Government of Niger without prejudice to the quota system that has been introduced in favour of women;
31. Take concrete steps to protect the rights of minorities living in Niger and put in place affirmative action in their favour if the need arises;
32. Pursue actions to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and gather information on healthy practices that have helped suppress the disease in other countries and regions;
33. Present on time its next periodic report, which is due in May 2006 (39th Ordinary Session of the African Commission) by introducing updated statistical data on the progress of human rights in Niger; and
34. Inform the African Commission, in its next Periodic Report, of the steps it has taken to address the areas of concern, as well as how it has implemented the recommendations in this Concluding Observations.
Adopted at the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights held from 21 May to 4 June 2004, in Banjul, The Gambia.
This Report covers the initial as well as the other six reports that should have been presented in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000.
It contains ten Chapters dealing with
- Profile of the Republic of Niger
- Legal system, system of government and relations between institutions
- Main texts of domestic law relating to the promotion and protection of Human and Peoples’ Rights
- Main regional and international Human rights instruments
- Measures taken by Niger to ensure the effective enjoyment of the rights enshrined in the Charter
- Efforts deployed by the government with a view to improving the conditions of women, children and the disabled.
- Measures taken to protect families and encourage their cohesion
- Efforts deployed in the area of the right to human rights education
- Difficulties encountered in implementing the Charter, due to political, economic and social conditions.
- Compliance with the Charter by Niger in the conduct of its international relations.
"Given the socio-economic and political crises that the country has suffered in the recent past, Niger has found it difficult to implement the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
The return of normal constitutional life in the country, following the constitutional referendum of 18th July 1999 and the legislative and presidential elections in November and December of the same year nevertheless represents an important step towards establishing the rule of law, democracy and the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties.
To attain this objective, several programmes have been initiated, with the support of the international community. Among these are the poverty reduction strategy, the special programme of the President of the Republic and the programme of support to legal reforms."