The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission) and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Court), organs of the African Union, with a complementary mandate to protect human and peoples’ rights in Africa, met in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, from 14 to 17 July 2009, in order to harmonise their respective Interim Rules of Procedure. The meeting examined the Interim Rules of Procedure of the two organs, focusing on those Rules relating to complementarity, with a view to harmonising them and ensuring the establishment of a procedure and an effective mechanism for the protection of human and peoples’ rights in the African continent.
After three days of constructive deliberations and having looked at the procedures relating to the principle of complementarity, access to the Court by the Commission, the States Parties to the Protocol and to the Charter, individuals and by NGOs, and how the Court will give effect to the African Commission’s recommendations, the joint meeting decided to continue their consultations at a later date, in order to further elaborate and finalise the Rules.
The two organs noted the need to conclude their Interim Rules, and urged the African Union Commission to provide them the necessary support in order to finalise their respective Rules at the earliest time possible.
In their closing statements, Honourable Judge Jean Mutsinzi, President of the Court, and Honourable Commissioner, Bahame Tom Mukirya Nyanduga, Acting Chairperson of the African Commission, thanked the Honourable Judges and Commissioners for finding time to attend the meeting.
The two organs agreed to hold the next joint meeting from 12 to 16 October 2009 in Dakar.
Done in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania 16 th July 2009
