Withdrawing a reservation to the Maputo Protocol takes a single letter from a government. Getting to that letter takes sustained work. RFLD’s report Lifting the Reservations: nine country briefs on the Maputo Protocol includes an advocacy toolkit with a twelve-month plan for civil society organisations in the nine States that still hold reservations or declarations. This article walks through it.
The role RFLD proposes for civil society
The report sets out a role for civil society as RFLD’s own proposal, alongside the African Commission’s Advocacy Framework. Civil society organisations are asked to document the impact of reservations and to submit shadow reports. They are also asked to brief parliament and Country Rapporteur Commissioners, and to recognise withdrawals publicly when they happen.
The plan, two months at a time
- Months 1 and 2: collect the exact text of the reservation from the African Union depositary and read the last concluding observations. Identify the officials responsible in the ministries concerned.
- Months 3 and 4: document the impact of the reservation with data and testimonies given with consent, and prepare a two-page brief in the national language.
- Months 5 and 6: meet ministries and send a letter to the minister. Ask a member of parliament to table a question.
- Months 7 and 8: ask the national human rights institution for an advisory opinion, and organise a meeting with women’s organisations and with religious and traditional leaders.
- Months 9 and 10: submit a shadow report paragraph before the State report is examined, and brief the Country Rapporteur Commissioner.
- Months 11 and 12: follow up the concluding observations and propose a model withdrawal notification. Recognise progress publicly.
Start with the text
The first step matters more than it seems. The report itself notes that the annex of the African Union depositary, which holds the full text of each reservation, could not be consulted for the briefs. The briefs rely on the descriptions given in the Advocacy Framework. Advocates working at national level are encouraged to obtain the exact wording before they build their case. In Uganda’s case, for example, the depositary text would settle whether the reservation extends to Article 21.
Evidence and consent
Months three and four focus on evidence. Ministries respond to data, and Commissioners ask for it. The plan specifies that testimonies should be shared with consent. The model request to a national human rights institution repeats the point, offering “civil society data and testimonies, shared with consent”. A short brief in the national language makes the evidence usable by officials and parliamentarians who may not read the treaty texts.
Bringing in other voices
The meeting in months seven and eight brings women’s organisations together with religious and traditional leaders. This step responds to a common objection, that a provision is against religion or custom. The toolkit’s answer draws on regional practice: at least eight States Parties with majority or significant Muslim populations apply the Protocol without reservations.
Timing around the State report
The plan is built around the reporting cycle of the African Commission. The shadow report paragraph should reach the Commission before the State’s report is examined, so that Commissioners can raise the reservation in the dialogue. RFLD’s manual on shadow reports under the Maputo Protocol explains how to prepare a full submission.
A checklist to track progress
The toolkit closes with a monitoring checklist. Advocates can ask themselves whether:
- the exact text of the reservation has been obtained from the depositary
- the last concluding observations have been read and the recommendation on reservations noted
- the impact of the reservation has been documented with sources
- the ministries and parliamentary committees concerned have been contacted
- the national human rights institution has been asked for an opinion
- a shadow report paragraph has been submitted before the next examination
- any withdrawal has been verified on the African Union treaty page and announced
RFLD will support its member organisations in the nine States to include the reservations in their shadow reports. It will also track withdrawals on the Maputo Protocol Hub of its DƆNÙESÈ Data Center.
About the report
This article draws on RFLD’s report Lifting the Reservations: nine country briefs on the Maputo Protocol, published on 4 October 2026. Read the summary, download the English edition or the French edition.
