Arusha, 04 December 2017: The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) will undertake sensitization mission to Praia, the Republic of Cape Verde, from 13 to 15 December 2017.
The sensitisation mission is part of the on-going efforts of the Court to interact with different stakeholders in order to deepen their understanding of the Court’s mission and importance and to encourage African Union (AU) Member States’ to ratify the Protocol establishing the AfCHPR and deposit the declaration under Article 34(6) which allows direct access to the Court by NGOs and individuals. So far, 30 out of 55 AU Member States have ratified the Protocol and only eight of them have signed and deposited the declaration recognizing the competence of the Court to receive cases from NGOs and individuals. These eight States are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Tanzania and Tunisia. During the three-day mission, the Court delegation, composed of three Judges and Registry Staff, will hold a seminar for stakeholders and also pay courtesy calls on the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, among others.
The President of the AfCHPR, Hon Justice Sylvain Oré, said that this is the fourth sensitisation visit undertaken by the Court for this year and such efforts would continue into the new year.
‘’For the Court to achieve its objectives and further strengthen the African human rights system, a greater number of countries must ratify the Protocol and make the declaration under Article 34(6),’’ he said.
The sensitisations undertaken for this year were to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Tunisia, both in April, and the Republic of Guinea Bissau in August.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. The AfCHPR was established by virtue of Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to complement the protective mandate of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights with a view to enhancing the protection of human rights on the continent.
2. The success of the Court as a human rights protection mechanism requires much wider ratification of the Protocol by Member States, as well as their acceptance of the competence of the Court by making the declaration under Article 34(6). This “universal” ratification will give the Court the legitimacy it needs to effectively discharge its mandate.
3. Since December 2010, the Court has carried out continent-wide promotion programmes which have so far seen it undertake 28 sensitization visits and held
12 regional, continental seminars and conferences.
4. The main objective of the sensitization visits is to enhance the protection of human rights in Africa. Specific objectives include raising public awareness about the Court; encouraging the ratification of the Protocol and deposit of the Declaration that allows individuals and NGOs direct access to the Court; sensitizing would-be applicants on how to access the Court and the procedures before the Court; encouraging the public to utilize the Court in settling human rights disputes and encouraging the utilization of the Court for advisory opinions.
Pour de plus amples informations sur la Cour, consulter le site Internet de la Cour à l’adresse suivante www.african-court.org.
Pour plus de précision, contactez :
Dr Robert Eno, Greffier
Tél: +255 (0)272970430 ; 272970431 ; 272970432 ; 272970433 ; 272970434 ; 272970435
Courrier électronique: Robert.Eno@african-court.org / Registrar@african-court.org
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