The Regional Conference on Impunity, Justice and Human Rights in West Africa took place from 2 to 4 December 2011 in Bamako (Mali).
The objective of the conference was to support the effort of The Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS) to promote justice and human rights and to fight impunity in the sub-region.
The conference took place within the framework of the 10th anniversary of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. It was organized under the auspices of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) in close collaboration with the United Nations System in particular, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and with the support of the Government of Mali, ECOWAS, the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) and the African Union (AU).
Over 200 participants attended the conference including Ministers of Justice in the sub-region and representatives of Supreme Courts, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, sub-regional and regional organizations, notably the African Union, ECOWAS and the Mano River Union (MRU); United Nations peace missions and Agencies; the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and the media.
The conference concluded with the adoption of a Declaration and a Regional Roadmap, to support the efforts of ECOWAS and States of the sub-region towards justice, peace and stability.
The Declaration provides concrete and innovative recommendations to strengthen good governance, and the rule of law, with a view to prevent conflicts. The thematic recommendations include the consolidation of the rule of law, measure to reinforce national justice systems in complementarity of international justice, the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the promotion of human rights, the role of the media and the fights against organized crime, illicit trafficking and piracy.
- Declaration de Bamako sur l'impunite, la justice et les droits de l'homme en Afrique de l'Ouest (FR)
- Bamako Declaration on Impunity, Justice and Human rights in West Africa (Engl)
- Communique de presse cloture - Press Release closing (FR- ENGL- PORT)
- Communique de presse ouverture (FR)
Discours de la seance d'Ouverture:
- Son Excellence Monsieur Amadou Toumani TOURE, Président de la République,
- Said Djinnit, Representant special du Secretaire general des Nations Unies pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest
- Ms. Kyung Wha Kang, Haute Commisaire adjointe aux Droits de l’Homme