The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), will on Monday 28 June 2021, launch the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter also known as the Banjul Charter).
The African Charter was adopted in Nairobi, Kenya on 27 June 1981 by the Assembly of Heads of State of the then Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU). It came into force on 21 October 1986 upon ratification by a simple majority of the Member States of the then OAU. Currently, 54 out of the 55 Member States of the African Union are parties to the African Charter. To access the Ratification Table Click here: https://www.achpr.org/ratificationtable?id=49
The African Charter is the backbone of the African human rights system. It contributes to the corpus of international human rights in its recognition of the universality, interdependence and indivisibility of human rights, on one hand, and the juxtaposition of individual and collective rights, and duties, on the other hand.
In corroboration with the aspirations in Agenda 2063 of the African Union, especially Aspiration 3 that envisages An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law, which reflects the spirit and purport of the African Charter, and the ongoing reform of the African Union (AU), the theme of the 40th Anniversary celebration launch is: “Realities of 40 years of implementation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the journey towards the Africa We Want.
The Anniversary launch will feature keynote address and statements from some of the leading proponents in the drafting and adoption of the Charter, and high-level panel discussions by various stakeholders and key actors working in the promotion and protection of human rights.
The launch will provide a unique opportunity to brainstorm on main achievements, and challenges of implementation of the African Charter, as well as innovations that could facilitate better functioning of the African human rights system for the Africa we want. Following the launch, various commemorative events will take place throughout the rest of the year.
The Commission invites all stakeholders to participate in the launch of the commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the African Charter using the following Zoom link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ohurjYP-Q7Wsp2EmCMCLuA
For further information please contact the following:
Ms. Lindiwe Khumalo, Ag. Secretary to the Commission
Tel: +220 4410 505 /506; E-mail: au-banjul@africa-union.org
Ms. Anita Bagona
E-mail: BagonaA@africa-union.org
