More than 400 participants from across Africa and beyond are expected to converge in Dakar, Senegal, from 8 to 10 October 2026, for the Forum of NGOs Participating in the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

Organised by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), the three-day forum will bring together civil society organisations, human rights defenders, lawyers, activists, researchers, academics, women and youth organisations, community-based organisations, and other stakeholders.

The forum will be held at the Pullman Dakar Teranga Hotel ahead of the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission. It is expected to provide a platform for civil society actors to assess human rights developments across the continent, exchange experiences, and develop recommendations for engagement with the African human rights system.

A major focus of this year’s forum will be the African Union’s 2026 theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

Discussions will examine the relationship between access to water and sanitation and the enjoyment of human rights, with particular attention to public health, gender equality, environmental protection, climate resilience, and inclusive development.

Participants are also expected to examine how water insecurity and inadequate sanitation affect vulnerable and marginalised communities across Africa.

The forum will further explore issues surrounding water governance, climate change, environmental protection, poverty and inequality, as well as the responsibilities of governments and other stakeholders in ensuring equitable and sustainable access to water and sanitation.

Beyond the thematic discussions, civil society organisations will have an opportunity to share country and regional experiences, identify emerging human rights concerns, and develop recommendations for strengthening accountability and the protection of human and peoples’ rights.

The recommendations emerging from the forum are expected to inform civil society engagement during the African Commission’s 89th Ordinary Session. The process will also provide an avenue for concerns and priorities raised by communities, human rights defenders, and civil society organisations to be brought before the continental human rights body.

The expected participation of more than 400 people highlights the continued involvement of civil society in the African human rights system and the role of the NGOs Forum as a space for dialogue, advocacy, networking, and collaboration.

The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, which is based in The Gambia, has been involved in promoting human rights, democracy, and civic space in Africa since its establishment in 1989. The Centre also supports civil society engagement with regional and international human rights mechanisms.

The NGOs Forum will precede the opening of the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Dakar.

Source: ACDHRS PRESS RELEASE