The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, meeting in its 44th Ordinary Session held in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria from 10 to 24 November 2008:
Considering the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the mandate of promotion and protection which it has entrusted to the African Commission;
Recalling the Declaration on the political and socio-economic situation in Africa and the fundamental changes taking place in the world, adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU in 1990;
Recalling the Declaration establishing, within the OAU, the Mechanism for the prevention, management and settlement of conflicts adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU in June 1993 in Cairo, ( Egypt);
Re-Affirming the principles dedicated in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, in particular the prohibition of genocide, of war crimes and crimes against humanity and determined to combat the ideology of genocide and all its symptoms;
Acknowledging that observance of human rights is a key tool for promoting collective security, durable peace and sustainable development as enunciated in the Cairo Agenda for Action on re-launching Africa's socio‑economic formation adopted by the extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers held in Cairo, Egypt, from 25 to 28 March, 1995;
Recalling the Grand Bay Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the OAU Ministerial Conference on Human Rights in Africa held in Grand Bay, Mauritius, from 12 to 16 April 1999, and reaffirming its commitment to the purposes and principles therein;
Recalling the Kigali Declaration made at the end of the first Ministerial Conference of the African Union on Human Rights in Africa meeting on the 8th May 2003 in Kigali (Rwanda);
Considering that in the execution of the mission of promotion and protection of human rights, the African Charter imposes on the African Commission in its Article 45 to « Cooperate with the other African or International Institutions which are involved in the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights ».
Decides that there is need to adopt a multi-pronged approach for the elimination of the causes of human rights violations in Africa through joint missions with other African or International Institutions working in the area of promotion and protection of human rights;
Decides to develop guidelines on the conduct of joint missions between African organizations, regional and international organs;
Decides that pending the drawing up of the guidelines, the joint missions can be fielded under the conditions agreed by the members of the Bureau.
Requests that the terms of reference drawn by the African Union Commission be developed in the strict respect of the A.U rules.
Done in Abuja, in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 24 November 2008.
