Commonwealth Human Rights Forum

The Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) is held every 2 years at various venues in the Commonwealth. During the meeting, the 53 Heads of Government make important decisions for the direction of the Commonwealth in the next two years.

CHRI realised early the importance to engage the Commonwealth civil society in these meetings. In 2003, CHRI initiated the first ever Commonwealth Human Rights Forum (CHRF), with its co-conveners Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU) and the Association of Commonwealth Amnesty International sections (ACAIS).

CHRI's objective is to provide a platform for civil society to develop a collective voice, generate attention to human rights concerns and to convey those concerns and recommendations to the bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.

CHRI sees these forums as a waypoint in its work to promote adherence to human rights standards. During the two-year gap between the CHOGMs, CHRI convenes and provides services from its office in New Delhi to a growing network of human rights activists, including members who participate to the Forums. The electronic Commonwealth Human Rights Network (CHRN) draws attention to acute and chronic human rights concerns across the Commonwealth on a near daily basis.

CHRI's central message for the Forum is the insistence that human rights should be the backbone of all decisions made by the Commonwealth Heads of Government. CHRI also advocates that:

a) The Commonwealth must have a mechanism for peer review and a time-bound assessment of compliance with past promises, and

b) There should be a greater involvement, openness and interaction with members of civil society in the lead up to the CHOGM process and other Commonwealth events.

In addition, CHRI advocates that members of the Commonwealth should take practical issues such as right to information and police reform as a practical means of reducing human rights violations, going towards better governance and more effective development.

CHRF 2007 – 19-20 November 2007, Kampala/Uganda

Transforming societies, realising people's potential: Living up to the Commonwealth human rights commitment

Co-Convenors: CPSU – ACAIS
Partners: HURINET-U and FHRI

The 2007 Commonwealth Human Rights Forum will be held within the larger framework of the Commonwealth People’s Forum organised by the Commonwealth Foundation.

- Agenda
- CHOGM report “Stamping Out Rights: the impact of Anti-terrorism Legislation on Policing” (to be officially released at the CHRF).
- Concluding Statements and Recommendations of CHRF 2007
- 2007 Commonwealth People's Forum Statement
- 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Final Communiqué
- CHRI's submission to the Committee of the Whole
- Commonwealth Mechanisms for Compliance - Syed Sharfuddin

CHRF 2005 – 20-21 November 2005, Valetta/ Malta

Networking for human rights

Co-convenors: CPSU – ACAIS

- Programme
- Commonwealth Secretariat and implementation of Human Rights – Alison Duxburry
- Freedom of expression – Ms Pohiva
- CHRF 2005 final report
- CHRF 2005 communiqué
- CHRI 2005 CHOGM Report: ‘Police Accountability: too important to neglect, too urgent to delay’

CHRF 2003 – 3-4 December 2003, Abuja/Nigeria
Co-Convenors: CPSU – ACAIS

- Programme
- Key Human Rights Issues before the Commonwealth of Nations – Bukhari Bello
- CHRF 2003 communiqué
- CHRI 2003 CHOGM report: ‘Open Sesame: Looking for the Right to information in the Commonwealth’

For more information please contact Caroline Sharp (caroline@humanrightsinitiative.org) or R. Iniyan Ilango (iniyan@humanrightsinitiative.org).