MOU signed between the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, The Pan African Parliament, the Economic, Social and Cultural and Council and the African Committee of Experts on The Rights and Welfare of The Child
15 July 2023, Nairobi Kenya - The Secretariat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) wishes to inform the general public that, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has entered into bilateral Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the Pan African Parliament (PAP); the Economic, Social and Cultural and Council (ECOSOCC); and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), respectively. The Joint Signing Ceremony of the MOU was held on 15 July 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya, on the margins of the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union.
The Signing Ceremony is in accordance with the ACHPR mandate under Article 45 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter), and within the framework of the African Governance Architecture (AGA), which seeks to forge synergies and collaboration amongst Organs of the African Union with a human rights mandate.
The overall objectives of the respective bilateral MOUs are to strengthen collaboration and coordination in the furtherance of the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights on the African continent. The Ceremony marked a historic moment in the ACHPR’s efforts to deepen promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights by leveraging the respective mandates and capacities of its three sister Organs, for better and more durable results.
The respective MOUs are the outcome of a series of bilateral technical meetings held with the respective Organs in 2022 to identify areas of synergy and collaboration, and agree on indicative activities that could potentially be explored as part of its annual flagship projects.
The first Technical Meeting was held between the ACHPR and ECOSOCC from 7 to 9 October 2022, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss a draft engagement and collaboration strategy and an implementation roadmap towards streamlining a criteria for civil society engagement with the two Organs. The second Technical Meeting was held between the ACHPR and the PAP from 28 November to 2 December 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to strengthen collaboration between the ACHPR and the PAP in the promotion and protection of human rights and develop a joint strategy framework to guide the institutionalized engagement and cooperation between the ACHPR and PAP. The third Technical Meeting was held between the ACHPR and ACERWC from 6 to 9 December 2022, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to identify potential synergies to advance human and children's rights and develop a joint strategy as a collaboration framework to guide institutionalized engagement and cooperation between the ACHPR and the ACERWC in programme implementation.
Through these various meetings and the signing of the bilateral MOUs, it is envisaged that the commitment of the respective institutions will lead to improved efficiencies and effectiveness in the planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of human rights in Africa. This direction is consistent with the core directive of policy organs of the AU to streamline mandates and efforts for an enhanced institutional and programmatic coherence.
The Signing Ceremony was attended by the Chairperson of the ACHPR, Hon. Remy Ngoy Lumbu, the President of PAP, Honourable Chief Fortune Charumbira Zephania; the Presiding Officer of the ECOSOCC; Honourable Khalid Boudali; Chairperson of the ACERWC, Honourable Joseph Ndayisenga; Honourable Commissioners of the ACHPR, AGA Secretariat, and Technical Heads and staff of the Secretariats of the ACHPR, PAP, ECOSOCC and ACERWC.
The President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud also graced the occasion and delivered a message of solidarity and support to this laudable initiative.
For further information, please contact:
Secretariat, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
31 Bijilo Annex Lay-out, Kombo North District Western Region.
PO Box 673
Banjul, The Gambia
Tel: 220 4410505/6
Fax: 220 4410504
E-mail:au-banjul@africa-union.org
