RFLD Welcomes Landmark ACHPR Resolution on Access to Environmental Information and the Protection of Journalists

The Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD) strongly welcomes the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ (ACHPR) historic adoption of a landmark resolution calling on all African states to actively uphold public access to climate and environmental information. Most critically, the resolution demands the absolute safeguarding of the rights, safety, and operational freedom of journalists and human rights defenders who are reporting on environmental harm, climate impacts, and the exploitation of natural resources across the continent.

Adopted on March 9, the Resolution on Access to Information and the Right to a Healthy Environment (ACHPR/Res.657(LXXXVI) 2026) serves as a vital legal and moral compass. It underscores unequivocally that access to transparent, accurate environmental information is not merely an administrative courtesy, but an indispensable prerequisite for the realization of fundamental human rights—specifically the right to health, the right to equitable natural resources, and the right to a generally satisfactory and sustainable environment.

Crucially, the resolution explicitly recognizes the growing, multi-dimensional threats faced by environmental journalists, civic actors, and community defenders across Africa. In recent years, the pursuit of environmental truth has become increasingly perilous. Individuals and organizations investigating the ecological impact of extractive industries, illegal logging, toxic waste dumping, and systemic climate inaction face severe retaliation. This retaliation takes many forms, ranging from state-sponsored censorship, arbitrary detention, and punitive legal harassment, to digital surveillance, coordinated online smear campaigns, and tragic physical violence.

By formally acknowledging these severe risks, the ACHPR has sent a resounding message that the suppression of environmental journalism is a direct violation of human rights and an enabler of ecological destruction.

For RFLD, this resolution arrives at a critical juncture. The intersection of environmental degradation, media freedom, and gender justice cannot be overstated. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, women and marginalized youth bear the disproportionate brunt of the climate crisis. They are often the primary stewards of natural resources in rural communities, responsible for securing water, food, and energy for their families. When ecosystems are destroyed by unregulated corporate exploitation or state-backed extractive projects, it is women whose livelihoods and safety are immediately compromised.

Furthermore, when female journalists and frontline women defenders speak out against these environmental injustices, they frequently encounter a dual burden of retaliation. They are targeted not only for their environmental advocacy but also through gender-specific attacks, including Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), coordinated cyber-harassment, and sexist hate speech designed to silence their voices in the public sphere. Resolution 657 provides a essential normative framework to combat this intersectional silencing, reinforcing the undeniable reality that protecting the environment requires protecting those who speak for it.

Mrs. Mariam MOUKAKI, RFLD Secretary General, issued the following statement regarding the resolution’s adoption:

“The adoption of Resolution 657 by the ACHPR is a watershed moment for environmental justice and press freedom in Africa. We cannot fight a climate crisis in the dark. Transparency, data access, and freedom of expression are the bedrock of environmental accountability. For too long, powerful extractive interests and complicit state actors have operated behind a veil of secrecy, criminalizing the very journalists and community leaders who dare to expose the devastating realities of resource exploitation. This resolution affirms what civil society has long argued: environmental defenders are human rights defenders. Protecting their lives, their digital security, and their right to report freely is non-negotiable for the sustainable future of our continent.”

Read the full text of the resolution here: ACHPR/Res.657(LXXXVI) 2026