The 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) was held from 21–30 October 2025 in Banjul, The Gambia, bringing together African Union Member States, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organizations, and regional and international partners. As Africa’s principal human rights forum, the Ordinary Sessions of the Commission play a critical role in promoting and protecting human rights, assessing State compliance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and providing a platform for dialogue between duty bearers and rights holders.
This Session was particularly significant for the disability rights movement, coming at a time when the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol – ADP) had entered into force. The focus has therefore shifted from advocacy for adoption to urgent calls for ratification, effective implementation, and accountability at both national and regional levels.
During the 85th Ordinary Session, the African Disability Forum (ADF) actively participated in a range of strategic engagements, reaffirming its role as a leading continental voice for organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and strengthening the positioning of disability rights within Africa’s human rights architecture.
ADF played a central role in the side event titled “Making Disability Rights a Continental Pledge: A Call for Continental Ratification and Implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa.” The event brought together Commissioners, OPDs, States, and civil society actors to reflect on progress made and remaining gaps in the realization of disability rights across the continent.
Speaking during the side event, Idriss Maiga, President of the African Disability Forum, called on African States to accelerate the ratification and implementation of the African Disability Protocol. He emphasized that “the 80 million persons with disabilities in Africa should not be left behind due to lack of ratification of the Protocol,” underscoring that disability rights are human rights guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Marie Louise Abomo, Commissioner at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, reminded States that the inclusion of persons with disabilities must not be treated as an option, but as a national and regional obligation. She noted that “ratification is only the first step, and what will truly make a difference in the lives of persons with disabilities is effective implementation of the Protocol.”
Beyond the side event, ADF held a bilateral meeting between representatives of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and Hon. Marie Louise Abomo, Chairperson of the Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities. The meeting brought together OPD representatives from Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Ghana, Niger, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Mali, providing a valuable platform to share national experiences, discuss common challenges in advancing disability rights, and learn directly how OPDs can more effectively engage with the African Commission’s mechanisms. This dialogue marked an important step toward strengthening collaboration between OPDs and the Commission, while reinforcing the principle of meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in regional decision-making processes.
ADF also held bilateral discussions with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to explore opportunities for collaboration in advancing disability-inclusive human rights and development initiatives through the “Boosting Rights of Individuals with Disabilities in Africa ( BRIDGE Project). The discussions focused on strengthening OPDs capacity, implementation of the African Disability Protocol and enhancing OPD engagement at national and regional levels.
In addition, ADF participated in a consultation on a draft toolkit developed by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). The consultation provided an opportunity to contribute disability-focused perspectives and to ensure that the toolkit reflects the lived realities of persons with disabilities and supports effective use of regional human rights mechanisms for accountability and redress.
On Friday, 24 October 2025, ADF further contributed to the Session by participating in a panel discussion on the Protocol on Older Persons and the African Disability Protocol, organized by the Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities. Representing ADF, Komivi Ayassou, Executive Council Member, underscored the importance of the meaningful engagement of OPDs and called for greater accessibility across all sessions and mechanisms of the African Commission, emphasizing that inclusive participation is fundamental to the effective realization of disability rights. The panel reflected on lessons learned and future perspectives for strengthened protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and older persons, with renewed emphasis on the need for ratification and effective implementation of the Protocols across Africa.
ADF’s sustained advocacy and strategic engagement throughout the 85th Ordinary Session culminated in a historic milestone: the granting of Observer Status to the African Disability Forum by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This recognition significantly strengthens ADF’s ability to formally engage with the Commission, submit statements and reports, and amplify the voices of OPDs within Africa’s regional human rights system.
