EGYPT

Having considered the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Arab Republic of Egypt signed the said Charter on 16 November 1981 and attached hereto is the following instrument of ratification:

Having accepted all the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights with the approval of the People's Assembly and with the reservation that article 8 and paragraph 3 of article 8 and paragraph 3 of article 18 be implemented in accordance with the Islamic Law and that, as far as the Arab Republic of Egypt is concerned, the provision of the first paragraph of article 9 should be [confined] to such information as could be obtained within the limits of the Egyptian laws and regulations;

We hereby declare acceptance and ratification of the said Charter.

 SOUTH AFRICA

While acceding to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights it is the view of the Republic of South Africa that there should be consultation between States parties to the Charter, inter alia, to:

1. consider possible measures to strengthen the enforcement mechanisms of the Charter;
2. clarify the criteria for the restrictions of rights and freedoms recognised and guaranteed in the Charter; and
3. bring the Charter into line with the United Nations' resolutions regarding the characterisation of Zionism.

 ZAMBIA

WHEREAS the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Organisation of African Unity held at Nairobi in June 1981:

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Republic of Zambia signed the Charter on 17th January 1983;

AND WHEREAS the Charter provides that the Charter is subject to ratification by the States Parties which are signatories to the Charter;

AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zambia is a State Party to the Charter on whose behalf the Charter has been signed;

NOW THEREFORE the Government of the Republic of Zambia having considered the aforesaid Charter hereby

CONFIRMS AND RATIFIES the same on behalf of the Republic of Zambia and undertakes faithfully to observe the provisions and carry out all the stipulations therein contained subject to the following amendments or reservations:

1. Article 13 paragraph 3 should read:- "Every individual shall have the right of access to any place, services or public property intended for use by the general public."

   (Explanation: The purpose of this reservation is to exclude any claim for the right to use by all citizens of all public property other than as fairly established.)

2. Article 37 should read:- "Immediately after the first election the Chairman of the Assembly of Heads of State of the Organisation of African Unity shall announce the names of those members referred to in Article 36."

   (Explanation: This is to avoid calling on the Chairman, who is after all a Head of State, carrying out the rather menial exercise of drawing lots. It being understood that the Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity would draw such lots.)

3. There should be an extra article which should read:- "After the establishment of the Commission all members of the OAU not ratifying or adhering to the Charter shall submit reports to the Commission, at appropriate intervals, on the position of their laws and practices in regard to the matters dealt with in the Charter, showing the extent to which effort has been given, or is proposed to be given, to any of the provisions of the Charter by legislation or administrative action and stating the difficulties which prevent or delay ratification or adherence to the Charter."

   (Explanation:- In the interest of early universal ratification of the Charter by the Organisation of African Unity Countries and also since all Heads of State of the OAU will together tackle the problems of administering or enforcing the Charter including, where necessary, criticising fellow Heads of State who are proved to have violated the Charter, all members of the OAU should carry some responsibility, under the Charter, for the state of human and peoples' rights in their respective countries.)

The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (also known as the Banjul Charter) is an international human rights instrument that is intended to promote and protect human rights and basic freedoms in the African continent.

Oversight and interpretation of the Charter is the task of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, which was set up in 1987 and is now headquartered in Banjul, Gambia. A protocol to the Charter was subsequently adopted in 1998 whereby an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights was to be created. The protocol came into effect on 25 January 2005.