Resolution on the Governance of the Commission and its Secretariat - ACHPR/Res.294(EXT.OS/XVII)2015

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 17^th Extraordinary Session held from 19 to 28 February 2015 in Banjul, The Gambia;

Recalling its mandate to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in Africa under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter);

Recalling the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, in particular Rules 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18, and the various Decisions of the Executive Council of the African Union;

Conscious of the need for the African Union to make available to the Commission the resources it needs to accomplish the mandate entrusted to it under Article 45 of the Charter;

Bearing in mind Resolution ACHPR/Res.77(XXXVII)05 on the establishment of the Working Group on Specific Issues related to the work of the Commission adopted at its 37^th Ordinary Session held from 27 April to 11 May 2005 in Banjul, The Gambia;

Bearing in mind its resolution ACHPR/Res. 142 (XXXXV) 09 on the establishment of an Advisory Committee on budgetary and staff matters, adopted at its 45^th Ordinary Session held from 13 to 27 May 2009 in Banjul, The Gambia;

Conscious of the vital role played by the Secretariat in effectively carrying out the mandate of the Commission and the importance of having an effective Secretariat;

Conscious also of the difficulties encountered by the Members of the Commission in the execution of their respective mandates and the need to ensure that the Secretariat provides it with full support in the execution of its mandate in conformity with the relevant provisions of its Rules of Procedure; 

Conscious of its responsibilities as the principal organ responsible for promoting and protecting human rights in Africa;

The Commission decides as follows:

1. The Commission’s Rules of Procedure shall apply to all the staff of the Secretariat without prejudice to the general rules of the African Union relating to administrative and financial matters;

2. The Bureau of the Commission shall monitor, supervise and assess the performance of the Secretariat in accordance with the provisions of Article 13 (1 and 3) of the Rules of Procedure;

3. The Secretariat shall, with the support of the Bureau of the Commission, collaborate with the host Government in addressing the challenges faced by the Secretariat in its work, in terms of equipment, internet access, telecommunications and on the construction of the Commission’s head office;

4. The Secretariat shall take the necessary measures for Commissioners to be assisted by their respective legal officers in the implementation of their mandate;

5. The Secretariat shall ensure that recruitment policies and the regular management of staff and administration are conducted in total transparency with the effective involvement of the Bureau, this in accordance with established practice and the Rules of Procedure of the African Union;

6. The Secretariat shall ensure the follow up of the decisions adopted by the Commission, and ensure that all the documents adopted by the Commission are published on the Commission’s Website as soon as they are adopted;

7. The Secretariat should take all the necessary measures to foster the best possible conditions for the Sessions of the Commission and to ensure that all the working documents are available in good time;

8. The Secretariat shall provide reasonable accommodations, as necessary, to commissioners on the basis of the decisions of the Commission ;

9. The Commission commits to deploy all efforts to enhance its visibility;

10. The Advisory Committee on Budgetary and Staff Matters is involved in the execution of the Budget and should monitor the assessment of the Secretariat staff.

11. The Bureau shall monitor the implementation of this resolution and report to the Commission at each session.

Done in Banjul, The Gambia on 28 February 2015