By Aby Agina
-Five-day Addis Ababa convening seeks regional priorities as democratic governance, civic freedoms and economic inequality come under pressure
The Open Society Foundations is bringing together Human Rights Institutions, governments and Civil Society leaders in Eastern Africa to develop a regional agenda for protecting freedoms and strengthening accountability, as political, economic and technological changes put pressure on the continent’s human rights framework.
The gathering, titled “Reimagining the Future of Human Rights in Africa”: Eastern Africa Convening, is taking place in Addis Ababa from Oct. 26 to 30, with substantive discussions scheduled for Oct. 27 to 29. The initiative is led by the Open Society Foundations and co-convened with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions, the United Nations human rights office and Feminists in Kenya.
The meeting forms part of a broader continental effort to develop an African-led vision for the future of human rights, linking regional priorities with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Organizers say the process is intended to identify emerging risks and opportunities while developing practical priorities for governance, protection, prevention and accountability.
The discussions come as Eastern Africa confronts a complex mix of challenges, including democratic governance concerns, restrictions on civic space, regional conflicts, forced displacement, inequality and the growing influence of digital technologies on public life.
For OSF, the convening represents an effort to move beyond defending existing human rights protections toward building institutions and systems capable of responding to emerging threats.
“The future of human rights in Eastern Africa must safeguard the enduring legacies and hard-won gains of the past, protect people from today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, and ensure that human rights deliver meaningful and lasting change in the lives of all people across the region,” the organizers said in the convening’s framing narrative.
Five priorities for the region
The discussions are structured around five interconnected themes, reflecting the region’s political, economic and social realities.
Democratic governance, civic space and human rights institutions will be a central focus, with participants examining ways to strengthen constitutional governance, democratic participation and accountability while protecting human rights defenders and freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
The agenda also places conflict, peacebuilding and displacement at the center of the discussion, reflecting the region’s exposure to humanitarian crises and the need for rights-based approaches to conflict prevention and transitional justice.
Economic, social, climate and environmental justice will form another major pillar, bringing attention to inequality, climate change, land and natural-resource governance, and development models that prioritize communities and human dignity.
The digital transformation of the region presents another challenge. Participants will examine the implications of artificial intelligence, digital governance, data protection, surveillance and disinformation, while considering how technology can strengthen participation and human rights protection.
The fifth theme focuses on inclusion, African narratives and safeguarding existing gains, including gender equality, youth participation and the rights of marginalized communities.
An African-led approach
The convening seeks to ensure that Eastern African perspectives contribute directly to the broader continental discussion on human rights, rather than relying on externally defined priorities.
The region’s definition for the process extends beyond the East African Community to include the Horn of Africa, reflecting the interconnected nature of political, economic and humanitarian challenges across the wider region.
OSF and its partners intend to use the discussions to identify regionally grounded responses and strengthen cooperation among governments, civil society, national human rights institutions and regional bodies.
The process is also linked to the African Union’s wider ambitions for a peaceful, democratic, inclusive and people-driven continent, with the African Charter and Agenda 2063 providing the institutional framework.
The meeting’s emphasis on economic and environmental justice also places human rights within the broader debate about development, resource governance and the distribution of economic opportunities.
In a region where communities face pressures from climate change, displacement and inequality, the organizers are seeking to connect human rights protections with the conditions that shape people’s daily lives.
The Addis Ababa discussions are expected to contribute to a wider continental vision for a human rights system that is more responsive, preventive and accountable.
For OSF, the challenge is to translate the regional dialogue into practical priorities that can strengthen institutions, protect communities and ensure that human rights remain central to Africa’s development ambitions.
About the Author: Aby Agina is a former CNBC journalist with extensive experience covering business, finance and economic affairs”
