International Conference of African Charter on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR)

In recent times, the issues of human rights, peace, and leadership, good and democratic governance have occupied a significant place in the discourse on Africa’s renaissance and development. At the continental and sub-regional levels, the promotion of human rights, peace, good and governance have emerged as organisational objectives. The adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in 1981, and subsequent developments such as the establishment of the African Union (AU) in 2001, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2004, and the adoption of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which entered into force on 15 February 2012, have all reinforced the centrality of human rights and democratic governance to Africa’s development and renaissance.

Against this background, this Conference will provide a forum for robust retrospective and prospective debate on human rights in Africa since the adoption and entry into force of the ACHPR and the AU Constitutive Act. How these two instruments have contributed to the promotion and the protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa will be the main question addressed during the conference. In this respect, the Conference will critically revisit the conventional discourse on human rights in Africa and the African human rights system. It will examine the ACHPR, its significance, originality and shortcomings. Importantly, it will assess the contribution of the ACHPR and its enforcement mechanisms to the promotion of human rights in Africa, the progress, setbacks, challenges and prospects. It will at the same time reflect on the AU Constitutive Act and the various initiatives and instruments adopted by the AU better to protect human and peoples’ rights.

The Conference is expected to attract officials and experts from the AU, African sub-regional organisations and AU member states, law-makers, ministers, judges, members of the African Court and Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, human rights scholars, lawyers, students and other activists. The members of national human rights institutions and civil society organisations, United Nations (UN) officials, human rights experts and students from other corners of the world, as well as representatives of different organisations interested in the promotion of human rights, democracy, constitutionalism, good governance and leadership,  peace, security and development in Africa and in the improvement of the living conditions of the African people will also benefit from the interaction afforded by this opportunity.

It is expected that the Conference will help develop policy-based interventions aimed at improving human rights, which are inextricably linked to democracy, peace and development.

Although the information on the website is in English only, the Conference will be multilingual (English/French/Portuguese) and interpretation will be provided.