𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲- 𝟐𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫.
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights [https://ow.ly/C2pu50TPzTt] is one of the human rights instrument that is widely cited not only in large number of continental legal and policy documents, but also in national and sub-regional instruments. #AfricaHumanRights
Along with other human rights instruments it inspired, the African Charter continues to serve as source of inspiration in the 𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬 giving effect to specific human rights. It is equally iconic in its contribution to the corpus of international human rights.
Reaffirming the principles enshrined in the African Charter, member states have over the years adopted several other legal documents to supplement it in building the legal framework of the Organization. The Protocols cover a broad spectrum of human rights including civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights including the right to development, they include;
1. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
2. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
3. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa.
4. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of People with Disability.
Moreover, to expand the scope of its instruments to complement the Human rights Charter and tackling political dimensions that indeed affect human rights, the following instruments have been adopted;
1. The African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.
2. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).
3. The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (the Kampala Convention)
4. The Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment.
5. The Statute on the Establishment of Legal Aid Fund for the African Union Human Rights Organs. The Legal Aid Fund is yet to be operationalized.
Despite these elaborate policies and efforts by the African Union and its Organs, the challenges on the continent around human and peoples’ rights still exist.
The challenges stem from the aftermath of colonial exploitation; issues of state sovereignty; weak enforcement and accountability measures, limited resources for effective implementation of the human rights standards exacerbated by conflicts, corruption, competing priorities at the domestic level, among others.
🌐Learn more about #HumanRights in Africa on https://ow.ly/3taq50TPzTs
