African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights


The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is a quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and collective rights throughout the African continent as well as interpreting the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and considering individual complaints of violations of the Charter. This includes investigating human rights violations, creating and approving programs of action towards encouraging human rights, and set up effect communication between them and states to get first hand information on violations of human rights. Although the ACHPR is under a regional government facility, they don't have any actual power and enforcement over laws. This ends up in them drafting up proposals to send up the chain of command to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and they will act accordingly.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights was based on the Banjul Charter which is the regional human rights protectors of human rights for Africa. The charter has twenty-nine articles that go into great detail on the rights and freedoms that follow a strict code of non-discrimination. The support and excitement over the Europeans current rights system, the evolution of granting everyone human rights, is what helped streamline the creation of this commission and other courts in Africa. The Commission came into existence with the coming into force, on 21 October 1986, of the African Charter. Although its authority rests on its own treaty, the African Charter, the Commission reports to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. Its first members were elected by the OAU's 23rd Assembly of Heads of State and Government in June 1987 and the Commission was formally installed for the first time on 2 November of that year. For the first two years of its existence, the Commission was based at the OAU Secretariat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but in November 1989 it relocated to Banjul, Gambia.
The Commission meets twice a year: usually in March or April and in October or November. One of these meetings is usually in Banjul, where the Commission's secretariat is located; the other may be in any African state.

Composition

The commission opened its doors in 1987 with promises of the protection and evolution of Africa's human rights. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government, make their decisions by a vote of two-thirds the majority of all representatives from each country. The ACHPR is made up of eleven members, elected by secret ballot at the OAU Assembly of Heads of State and Government. These members, who serve six-year renewable terms, are "chosen from amongst African personalities of the highest reputation, known for their high morality, integrity, impartiality and competence in matters of human and peoples' rights" and, in selecting these personalities, particular consideration is given "to persons having legal experience".
The members are to enjoy full independence in discharging their duties and serve on a personal basis ; however, no member state may have more than one of its nationals on the Commission at any given time. The members choose, from among their own number, a chairperson and a Vice Chairperson, who each serve two-year renewable terms.
NameCountry of OriginPositionElectedTermRe-elected
Solomon Ayele Dersso EthiopiaChairperson20152021
Hatem Essaiem TunisiaMember20172023
Jamesina Essie L. King Sierra LeoneMember20152021
Lawrence Murugu Mute KenyaMember20132019-
Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi RwandaMember200720092010, 2013
Maria Teresa Manuela AngolaMember20172023
Rémy Ngoy Lumbu Democratic Republic of CongoMember20172023
Yeung Kam John Yeung Sik Yuen MauritiusMember200720192013
Lucy Asuagbor CameroonMember20132019-
Maya Sahli Fadel AlgeriaMember20112017-
Soyata MaigaMaliMember200720202014

Mandate

The Commission has three broad areas of responsibility:
The goals above may have been halted as the Commission was placed under heavy burdens, mainly financial issues in the late 80's, as they tried to complete activities for the countries. The countries of Africa, excluding Ethiopia and Liberia, are heavily influenced by colonialism, overall has a weak government, and a declining economy. In pursuit of these goals, the Commission is mandated to "collect documents, undertake studies and researches on African problems in the field of human and peoples, rights, organise seminars, symposia and conferences, disseminate information, encourage national and local institutions concerned with human and peoples' rights and, should the case arise, give its views or make recommendations to governments".
With the creation of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Commission will have the additional task of preparing cases for submission to the Court's jurisdiction. In a July 2004 decision, the AU Assembly resolved that the future Court on Human and Peoples' Rights would be integrated with the African Court of Justice. In 2011, the commission brought before the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights a case against Libya.

Special mechanisms

The commission has several special mechanisms in the form of special rapporteurs, working groups and committees that investigate and report on specific human rights issues, such as freedom of expression, women's rights, indigenous populations and torture. Each mechanism prepares and presents a report on its activities to the Commission at every ordinary session.

Network

The ACHPR relies on a network of nongovernmental organizations that are required to submit reports to the commission every two years. The commission has granted 514 NGOs with observer status.