Abuja, 26 April 2024: The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Court) is undertaking a week-long exchange visit to the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court of Justice) at its seat in Abuja – Nigeria, as part of experience sharing and strengthening the existing relationship between the two Courts.
The peer-to-peer visit comes a year after the two Courts renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two Institutions in June 2023, which endorses the continuous exchange of information and expertise while harmonizing their roles in the promotion of justice across the continent.
Leading the 13-member delegation from the African Court, Dr Sègnonna Horace Adjolohoun, Head of the Legal Division, said the visit is clear evidence that the two Courts are committed to pursuing their cooperation by sharing best practices towards the improvement of their respective roles mainly in dispensing human rights justice in Africa.
“The African Court and ECOWAS Court have established cooperation that may rightly be considered as a model of judicial dialogue in Africa. It is undeniable that the two Courts have achieved judicial dialogue at the level of judges from both bilateral and multilateral perspectives involving other regional courts such as the East African Court of Justice. It has become critical that this engagement translates at the level of the two Court’s registries to enhance the technical exchanges that are necessary to enhance institutional cooperation,” he said.
Dr Adjolohoun expressed optimism that the peer- to -peer visit will achieve that aim and urged officers of both Courts to conduct discussions in a manner that leads to outcomes which have the potential to form joint policy decisions.
Welcoming the African Court delegation, the Vice President of ECOWAS Court, Honourable Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara expressed satisfaction at the existing warm relationship between the two Courts whose roles reinforce each other in promoting human rights and the rule of law.
He said the visit would not only cement the collaboration but activate the necessary steps for implementation of all commitments made in the MoU.
Echoing the Vice President’s remarks was Chief Registrar of the ECOWAS Court, Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama, who stressed that the judicial cooperation agreement between the two Courts goes beyond improving systems as it benefits the African continent in improving and advancing delivery of justice.
“Learning from systems that are efficient and working while also drawing lessons from challenges faced by the Courts gives us an opportunity to serve the African continent with judicial diligence while being mindful of those that the Courts exists to serve,” he said.
During the week, the two Courts are scheduled to have dialogue on issues of joint interest such as the lessons learnt and challenges to adjudicating matters concerning recent developments such as political participation, elections and democracy related rights, judicial independence, as well as gross and massive human rights violations. The exchange also involved staff in charge the administrative operations of the two Courts including legal, human resources, language, procurement, information and communication, library and documentation.
The African Court delegation had an opportunity to attend a hybrid session of the Court and later paid a courtesy call to judges of the ECOWAS Court and to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
A delegation of the ECOWAS Court visited the African Court at its seat in Arusha -Tanzania in June 2023.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
- The African Court on Human and People’s Rights is a continental Court established by African countries to ensure the protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa. The Court complements the protective mandate of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and aims to enhance the protection of human rights on the African continent.
- The Court is composed of eleven Judges, nationals of Member States of the African Union elected in their individual capacity. The Court meets four times a year in Ordinary Sessions and may hold Extra-Ordinary Sessions.
- The ECOWAS Court of Justice is the legal organ of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional integration community consisting of 15 member states in West Africa. While ECOWAS was founded in 1975 by the Treaty of Lagos, the Court of Justice was established in 1991 through the adoption of the Protocol on the Community Court of Justice. The Court of Justice is an institution of ECOWAS as outlined in the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993. The Protocol was amended in 2005 expanding the Court’s jurisdiction to include human rights claims by individuals.
Further information on the Court can be obtained from www.african-court.org
For further inquiries: Dr Robert Eno, Registrar – Robert.Eno@african-court.org
For media inquiries: Chipiliro Kansilanga, Senior Information & Communication Officer
Chipiliro.Kansilanga@african-court.org or AfricanCourtMedia@african-court.org
