The Senegalese Ministry of Justice, led by Minister Me Moussa Sarr, has established an annual dialogue with civil society organizations engaged in promoting and protecting human rights. This initiative aims to create a permanent platform for consultation between the Ministry and civil society actors. The dialogue, set to take place on October 21st of each year, will focus on human rights and good governance issues.
The annual dialogue is formalized through an arrêté, or decree, issued on October 1, 2026. This decree outlines the framework for the dialogue, including the participation of civil society organizations and the role of the Ministry of Justice. The initiative is part of the Ministry's efforts to strengthen its collaboration with civil society and promote human rights in Senegal.
Civil society organizations wishing to participate in the dialogue are required to submit a memorandum of no more than 30 pages by October 7th of each year. The memorandum should present their concerns and recommendations on human rights and good governance issues. Each participating organization must also designate one to three representatives to present their memorandum and coordinate with other civil society members.
The annual dialogue will feature a mechanism for following up on recommendations made during previous meetings. At the beginning of each dialogue session, the Minister of Justice will present a report on the implementation of recommendations from the previous year's dialogue. This report will be prepared by the Secretary Permanent of the National Consultative Council for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
The organization of the annual dialogue will be funded by the budget of the National Consultative Council for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. This initiative formalizes a regular dialogue framework between the Ministry of Justice and civil society organizations, focusing on human rights and good governance.
The dialogue will be overseen by the Minister of Justice, who is also the president of the National Consultative Council for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. This council plays a crucial role in promoting and protecting human rights in Senegal. The annual dialogue is expected to enhance collaboration between the Ministry and civil society organizations.
The first annual dialogue is set to take place on October 21, 2026, coinciding with the African Day for Human Rights. This initiative demonstrates the Senegalese government's commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, and to strengthening its collaboration with civil society organizations.
Key points
- The Senegalese Ministry of Justice has established an annual dialogue with civil society organizations to promote and protect human rights.
- The dialogue will focus on human rights and good governance issues, and will feature a mechanism for following up on recommendations made during previous meetings.
- The initiative is funded by the budget of the National Consultative Council for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
