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Rabat– Morocco officially inaugurated today the permanent secretariat of the African Network of National Preventive Mechanisms at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), marking a major step in strengthening human rights monitoring across Africa.
The ceremony was chaired by Amina Bouyach, President of the CNDH, and brought together members of the network’s steering committee from Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Cape Verde, Madagascar, Mauritania, and Mozambique.
The network unites national institutions and independent NPMs to monitor the treatment of individuals locked up in prisons, police stations, and other detention facilities across the continent. Since its launch in 2019, the network has expanded to include all national preventive mechanisms in 16 African countries.
Speaking to Morocco World News (MWN), Bouayach highlighted the network’s significance, tracing its evolution from the Marrakech announcement in June 2023 — after adopting the Marrakech Declaration on the Prevention of Torture in Africa — to the approval of its key structures, including its logo and communication tools.
She emphasized that the NPM promotes cooperation, knowledge exchange, and the protection of human dignity in detention facilities throughout Africa.
“This African network is highly significant for Africans. It reflects a desire to rely on their own expertise, skills, and knowledge to first strengthen cooperation between institutions and NPMs, and second, to be informed and equipped to develop solutions and strategies that ensure the dignity of African people in places of deprivation of liberty across the continent,” stated Bouayach.
Chris Nissen, from the South African Human Rights Commission, told MWN that the network began as a joint initiative between South Africa and Morocco and was formally launched four years ago after delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He praised the NPM for facilitating collaboration, sharing best practices, and improving oversight mechanisms for individuals in detention.
The network provides a platform for sharing best practices, exchanging knowledge, and strengthening human rights oversight across Africa. Through this collaboration, the NPM aims to improve detention monitoring and protect the rights of individuals held in places of deprivation of liberty.
By establishing the NPM secretariat in Rabat, Morocco reinforces its commitment to supporting continental efforts to prevent torture and enhance human rights protections, advancing the network’s ambitious goal of achieving zero tolerance for torture across Africa.
