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 African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights
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أظن أن هذه خطوة متقدمة!
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News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International
AI INDEX: AFR 01/004/2004 22 January 2004
African Union: Entry into force of the Protocol Establishing an
African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights - a significant
development
Amnesty International welcomes the entry into force of the
Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (the
Protocol) after the Union of Comoros became the 15th state to
ratify the Protocol on 26th December 2003.
According to the provision of Article 34(3), "the Protocol shall
come into force thirty days after fifteen instruments of
ratification or accession have been deposited." The ratification
by Comoros has thus paved the way for the entry into force of
the Protocol on 25 January 2004 and for the establishment of the
Court. Other states that have ratified the Protocol are:
Algeria; Burkina-Faso; Burundi; Côte d'Ivoire; Gambia; Lesotho;
Libya; Mali; Mauritius; Rwanda; Senegal; South Africa; Togo; and
Uganda.
Once it has been established, the Court will consider cases of
human rights violations referred to it by the African Commission
on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Commission) established
pursuant to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
(African Charter) and states parties to the Protocol and, where
a state party accepts such a jurisdiction, by individuals and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Unlike the African
Commission, the African Court possesses the authority to issue a
binding and enforceable decision on cases brought before it.
The entry into force of the Protocol is an extremely positive
step towards demonstrating African governments' commitment to
realise the spirit and letter of the African Charter and ensure
the protection of human rights in Africa. The establishment of
an independent, effective, and efficient African Court would
make a vital contribution to the efforts to strengthen the
African regional human rights system, and could stimulate
positive change throughout Africa. Furthermore, the Court would
provide the platform for the articulation of international legal
principles at the regional level, as well as direction and
precedents for domestic courts. It would allow victims of human
rights violations or their representatives access to a robust
institution that is capable of holding states parties
accountable to their obligations both under the African Charter
and the Protocol as well.
Now that the Protocol has entered into force, the next critical
stage is the nomination and election of judges and the
establishment of a fully functional Court. Amnesty International
calls on states nominating a candidate for judge to take
measures to ensure the nomination of the highest qualified
candidates by fulfilling the criteria set out in the Protocol,
including that of individual competence, independence, and
impartiality and "adequate gender representation." States
parties should conduct transparent processes, including
consultation with civil society. Similarly, the drafting of the
Court's rules of procedure by the judges should be transparent
and open to participation of civil society. Consultations with
competent NGOs should be held on these issues as well as any
other operational aspects regarding the establishment of the
Court. Amnesty International further calls on:
· African governments that have not yet done so to ratify the
Protocol without further delay. In addition, states - including
those that have already ratified - should make declarations
allowing individuals and NGOs direct access to the Court.
· African governments to review their legislation and practice,
to ensure that these are in full conformity with the Protocol
and the African Charter.
· African governments to ensure that the Court is allowed to
function independently, impartially and effectively, and to
develop its own case law. African governments should cooperate
fully with the Court, including by according high priority to
the prompt compliance with the judgments and decisions of the
Court.
· African governments to ensure that interested people are given
the opportunity to be heard and to be represented by legal
counsel of their choice. Also, parties and witnesses who appear
before the Court should be protected and not face retribution.
· African governments to provide the essential resources,
including funding to the Court once established. African
governments should also provide adequate resources to the
African Commission and ensure that a practical framework be
instituted that effectively enable the Court and the African
Commission to establish a constructive and complementary
relationship.
· African governments to take into account other practical
requirements to achieve an effective and efficient Court,
including by ensuring that the Court is located in a place that
will meet its operational and infrastructural needs.
Background
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights was
adopted by the Assembly of ######### of State and Government of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union, at
its 34th Ordinary Session, June 1998, in Ouagadougou,
Burkina-Faso. The African Court's principal function is to
consider allegations of violations of the human rights,
including civil and political rights and economic, social and
cultural rights guaranteed under the African Charter, the
Protocol and relevant human rights instruments. Only the
following entities have the right of direct access to the Court:
the African Commission; the state party which has lodged a
complaint to the Commission; the state party against which a
complaint has been lodged at the Commission; the state whose
citizen is a victim of human rights violations; and African
Intergovernmental Organizations. Individuals and NGOs can only
have direct access to the Court if a state party to the Protocol
also makes a declaration accepting the competence of the Court
to receive such cases.
The African Court will operate side by side with the African
Commission, and not replace the Commission. Indeed, as the
Preamble to the Protocol makes clear, "the attainment of the
objectives of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
requires the establishment of an African Court on Human and
Peoples' Rights to complement and reinforce the functions of the
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights."
The African Charter which came into force on 21 October 1986 has
been ratified by all the OAU (AU) member states. The only
mechanism created under the Charter to supervise state parties'
compliance is the African Commission. While the African
Commission has an elaborate promotional mandate under the
African Charter, it does not possess sufficient protective
powers. In fact, neither the Charter nor the Commission provides
for enforceable remedies, or a mechanism for encouraging and
tracking state compliance with decisions that the Commission
makes. Despite some positive development in the Commission's
individual complaint mechanism, the decisions it renders are
non-binding, and still attract little, if any, attention from
governments of member states. For several years Amnesty
International has campaigned for ratification of the Protocol
and believes its entry into force is a significant development
in the protection of human rights in the continent. Amnesty
International will continue to push for a regional wide
ratification of the Protocol and for the establishment of a
fully effective and efficient Court. Since the success of the
African Court will to a large extent depend upon the operational
efficiency of the African Commission, Amnesty International will
continue to seek for the strengthening of the Commission as
well.
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| العنوان |
الكاتب |
Date |
| African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights | إيمان أحمد | 01-25-04, 04:13 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | Roada | 01-25-04, 04:33 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-25-04, 04:46 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | Tumadir | 01-25-04, 04:55 AM |
 Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-28-04, 09:22 PM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | haleem | 01-25-04, 08:52 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | Muhib | 01-25-04, 09:10 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-28-04, 09:26 PM |
 Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-28-04, 09:24 PM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | abdelrahim abayazid | 01-28-04, 10:02 PM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-29-04, 06:47 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | esam gabralla | 01-28-04, 10:28 PM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-29-04, 04:53 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | جورج بنيوتي | 01-29-04, 11:27 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | خالد الحاج | 01-29-04, 12:36 PM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-30-04, 06:42 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 01-30-04, 06:40 AM |
| Re: African Union: Establishing an African Court on Human and Peoples' Righ | إيمان أحمد | 03-02-04, 03:15 AM |
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إيمان أحمد
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