2021 Annual Report

Paris, 17 May 2021

2021 Annual Report

In 2021, despite many multidimensional crises in certain African countries, we were able to extend our activities and strengthen our partnerships with fantastic NGOs, including in Togo, Benin and Senegal, thanks to the support of our institutional and individual donors.

2021 has been a tipping point for our organisation. After seven years of operation, our General Assembly has adopted a new strategic plan to respond to present-day challenges: Water resources are threatened by private actors and climate change, while health services and infrastructures are weak and still inaccessible for many, especially during crises. Until 2025, we will therefore focus our activities on the human rights to water and health.

To do so, we have resumed our fact-finding missions to document progress and obstacles to the enjoyment of the rights to water and health and social protection. While positive measures have been taken to progressively realise these rights by States, much more needs to be done, and worrisomely economic and social rights remain neglected despite expressing human dignity. There is very little public awareness about these rights and fewer actions are taken by civil society actors in that regard.

Human Dignity has therefore continued to strengthen the capacity of civil society actors to promote and advocate for economic, social and cultural rights. For the first time, we added journalists to our training programmes, which led to stimulating exchanges. In addition, we worked with French development actors such as the CCFD Terre solidaire and the French Development Agency to increase the integration of a human rights-based approach in their operations by elaborating a guide on peasants’ rights and training modules.

We have also strengthened the platform's work and published our first joint report on the proper social protection of informal workers.

Finally, to better communicate what we do and how we do it, we have updated our website and hope you will like it.

We take this opportunity to thank our partners, donors and our wonderful and hardworking interns and volunteers.

Thank you for your support.

Karine Appy and Seynabou Benga - President and Director