November 2007 marks twenty years of the establishment of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission). On October 21, 2007, the African Commission will also be commemorating the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter) adopted in June 1981.
The adoption of the African Charter in 1981 and the establishment of the African Commission in 1987 signaled a new era in the promotion and protection of human rights on the continent.
The commemoration of Africa Human Rights Day, recommended by the African Commission at its Fifth Ordinary Session in April 1989, in Benghazi, Libya, is an occasion for recommitment to the cause of human rights and fundamental freedoms on the continent and to tackle the human rights problems that are affecting the lives of millions of men, women and children, including the challenges of poverty, conflicts, HIV/AIDS, gender based discrimination, and violence against women.
In observance of these monumental occasions, the African Commission is planning the following events:
- A soccer tournament for students in Gambian lower basic schools (October 16 – 21, 2007);
- A lecture on human rights (October 19, 2007);
- A workshop for West African journalists (October 19 – 20, 2007);
- A road race for students in lower basic schools and the public (October 21, 2007);
- A march-past for the public (October 21, 2007).
These events provide an opportunity to engage the people of the Gambia and the world at large in the activities of the African Commission. The general public, States Parties to the Charter, national human rights institutions, non governmental organizations and all organizations working in various domains of human rights are invited to join the African Commission to celebrate these events and are also encouraged to celebrate these events in various ways in their various communities in order to promote a culture of human rights on the continent.
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