A pivotal conference in Accra has propelled a contentious draft treaty aimed at redefining human rights across Africa, asserting that sexual and reproductive rights undermine the continent’s sovereignty. The meeting, led by Ghana’s parliamentary speaker Alban Bagbin, attracted representatives from 20 nations and has sparked fierce criticism from human rights advocates.
A Shift Towards Moralism
The draft charter, officially titled the African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values, represents a stark departure from established international human rights standards. It claims that African culture is under siege from “foreign ideologies” and urges member states to withdraw from any agreements that conflict with its principles, including the 2003 Maputo Protocol, which safeguards women’s reproductive rights and promotes gender equality.
This charter is unprecedented, aiming to establish a continent-wide legal framework that prioritises cultural values over individual rights. It provocatively asserts that sexual and reproductive health rights pose a direct threat to the traditional African family structure, labelling policies based on these rights as a means to promote abortion on demand.
Rejection of Comprehensive Sex Education
Further compounding its controversial nature, the charter explicitly rejects comprehensive sex education, alleging that it sexualises children. It also enshrines a binary understanding of gender, insisting that it is strictly male or female, and prioritises parental rights over children’s rights regarding matters of sexuality and discipline.
Gilbert Mitullah, a Kenyan lawyer and board member of the Queer African Network, has condemned the charter, describing it as a mechanism designed to undermine existing commitments to sexual and reproductive health and LGBTQ+ rights. “It is a licence to oppose or refuse to implement existing commitments,” he stated, voicing concerns about the charter’s potential to erode hard-won rights across the continent.
The Influence of Conservative Forces
The charter was developed by a core group of African lawmakers, primarily driven by Ugandan officials, during the annual inter-parliamentary conference on family values and sovereignty. This gathering, notorious for its role in shaping anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, aims to build enough support to present the charter at the African Union general assembly in February 2027, where it will face a vote.
Critics argue that the charter’s definition of family as a strictly heterosexual institution fails to reflect the diversity of familial structures across Africa’s 54 countries. An analysis by the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) warns that prioritising collective family interests over individual rights could legitimise the oppression of women and children within the home, shielding private family dynamics from necessary state accountability, particularly in cases of abuse or discrimination.
Distortion of Sovereignty and Colonialism
The language woven throughout the charter reveals a significant influence from conservative Christian organisations in the West, which oppose abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Famia Nkansa, communications lead at Purposeful, a Sierra Leone-based girls’ rights organisation, stated that the anti-rights movement in Africa has become a continuation of colonial tactics, framing the continent as a battleground for ideological and economic warfare led by the West.
Mitullah argues that this charter is not merely a local initiative but rather a “transplant” that aligns with Western anti-rights agendas. The Geneva Consensus Declaration, an anti-abortion manifesto linked to former Trump adviser Valerie Huber, was cited in the charter, raising concerns about the authenticity of its African roots.
While Family Watch International (FWI), a US-based Christian lobbying group, claims no involvement in the Accra conference, it has publicly endorsed the charter’s stance against comprehensive sex education, asserting that such programmes harm children.
Why it Matters
This development marks a significant and alarming shift in the legal landscape of human rights in Africa. If adopted, the charter threatens to dismantle existing protections for women, children, and LGBTQ+ individuals, entrenching regressive values that could reverse decades of progress. The potential for state-sanctioned discrimination and violence against vulnerable communities underscores the importance of vigilance and advocacy in safeguarding human rights on the continent. The implications extend beyond borders, as the global community must grapple with the rising tide of cultural conservatism that seeks to redefine the very essence of human dignity and equality.