The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has called upon African Union (AU) member States to facilitate unimpeded access to information for journalists, human rights defenders, and communities affected by climate and environmental issues, including through proactive disclosure, the removal of undue administrative and practical barriers, and the promotion of linguistic diversity and accessible formats, particularly for local and indigenous communities.
The call is contained in Resolution 657 of 2026, tagged “Resolution on Access to Information and the Right to a Healthy Environment”, which was adopted by the Commission on March 9, 2026, at its 86th Ordinary Session, held virtually from February 23 to March 9.
In the resolution, the Commission noted the importance of accurate and reliable information, transparency, participation, and accountability as a necessary tool to address environmental harm, promote resilience, and facilitate climate adaptation.
It recognized the role of independent public watchdogs, including civil society and journalists, in facilitating access to information on issues related to the environment and climate, documenting environmental degradation, exposing harmful practices in extractive industries, amplifying community voices, promoting public participation, and holding governments and corporations accountable.
The Commission acknowledged the increasing attacks against environmental defenders and journalists covering environmental and climate issues, and restrictions on access to information, which threaten the public’s right to safeguard the environment; as well as “the abuse of Courts by powerful individuals or organizations to silence, intimidate, and financially exhaust critics, such as journalists, activists, and campaigners, regarding matters of public interest through the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation.”
It highlighted the need to address the challenges faced by environmental defenders, journalists, affected communities, including vulnerable groups such as women, children, indigenous, and minority peoples, and the implications on information integrity, participation, and environmental justice.
The Commission therefore reaffirmed the obligations of State Parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights under Articles 9 and 24 and urged States to ensure timely, accurate, accessible, and proactive disclosure of climate and environmental information, and to guarantee meaningful public participation and access to justice in environmental decision-making, as integral components of environmental protection and sustainable development.
Stressing that an open, pluralistic, and enabling information environment is essential to the effective fulfilment of States’ environmental obligations, including in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection, and the governance of natural resources, it also called on States to:
• Adopt, review, and effectively implement national access to information laws in line with the Model Law on Access to Information and the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, including by ensuring that information relating to the environment and climate change is subject to proactive disclosure.
• Prevent, investigate, and remedy acts of harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrest or detention, and other forms of reprisals against journalists, as elaborated in the Declaration, and to environmental human rights defenders arising from their efforts to seek, receive, and impart information on environmental harm, climate impacts, and the exploitation of natural resources, and to ensure accountability for such violations.
• Take, as appropriate, legislative, administrative and judicial measures to deter and address vexatious, harassing or abusive resort to litigation that unduly restrict and chill public participation in environmental matters, including, among others, by providing targeted procedural protections such as expedited handling of cases, facilitating timely access to legal aid and other appropriate assistance to victims as provided in the Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa, and by making available other remedies that deter such improper proceedings such as compensation.
• Ensure that business enterprises, particularly those operating in the extractive, energy, agribusiness, and infrastructure sectors, conduct human rights and environmental due diligence consistent with applicable regional and international standards, including by ensuring transparency, meaningful public participation, and access to relevant environmental and climate-related information.
The Commission, established by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and inaugurated on November 2, 1987, is charged primarily with the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights as well as the interpretation of the Charter.
