Friends of the Earth – Africa (FoE-Africa) has presented an eight-point resolution to the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPRs) in the Gambia.
FoE- Africa, an International Non-Governmental Environmental Organisation operates in Africa to check on multinational companies operating on the continent and the West Africa sub-region that abuse the rights of Africans.
The Coordinator of the organisation, Rita Uwaka, who made the resolution known to newsmen said FoEA had stepped up efforts in fighting against the violation of rights of communities in the region by multinationals.
The resolutions, according to her, are geared towards finding solutions to the increasing rate of social, environmental and gender violations connected to land grabs and deforestation for industrial plantation expansion by agro-commodities companies in Africa.
The rights violations have grave impacts on local communities, forest dependent peoples, small holder farmers with aggravated consequences on women and their families.
FoE-A observed that millions of Africans experience adverse impacts by industrial monoculture plantations, consisting of crops such as oil palm, timber among others.
Uwaka stressed that those defending the rights of these impacted communities were also not left out of the brutalities as they become targets for attack for resisting injustice and speaking truth to power.
The organisation recalled that the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights mandate is to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in Africa under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (African Charter).
The coordinator said that the Charter recognised the rights of forest dependent peoples and local communities impacted by large scale agro-commodities expansion.
According to her, FoE-A in the resolution through the NGO Forum, called on the African Commission to have its institutions, such as the working group on extractive industries, environment and human rights, conduct the research.
Uwaka explained that the essence of the research was to address the adverse impacts of large scale monoculture plantations in Africa, including country visits to heavily impacted countries and communities.
”Ensure that the perpetrators of deforestation and related human rights violations, including transnational companies and their financiers, are held accountable for their inputs and do not continue their practices with impunity.
“Provide assistance to authorities to implement a moratorium on the expansion of land based concessions for monoculture plantations that lead to deforestation, biodiversity loss and related human rights violations.
“Support authorities to install programmes that promote agroecology and family farming, a community based agriculture devoid of chemical use and community forest management methods, including providing access to finance for small holders.”
She said that in the resolutions FoE-A urged the commission to halt the criminalisation and harassment of Environmental Human Rights defenders including Women Environmental rights defenders and provide access to justice for defenders and affected indigenous people and local communities.
“Also, respect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to land, including women’s access and ownership rights to land in Africa and protect and restore the environment.
“Ensure that the ACHPRs considers the annual conduct of human rights and environmental audits within member states.
“Encourage African governments and the African Union to engage proactively in the process towards a strong and effective UN Binding Treaty on transnational corporations and human rights.
“This is in order to stop corporate impunity and hold corporations accountable including agro-commodities companies for their environmental and human rights violations in Africa.” Uwaka added.(NAN)
