The African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government at its June 2016 Summit in Kigali declared 2017 – 2026 as the “Human and Peoples’ Rights Decade in Africa”. The AU Assembly also instructed the key AU Human Rights Organs (the African Union Commission, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child), to develop a ten-year Action and Implementation Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa. The Action Plan 2017 – 2026 aims to give effect to the broad and specific directives given within the Declaration. The African Court is leading this drafting process on behalf of the aforementioned AU human rights organs.
Through a competitive bidding process, the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) was appointed as the external Consultant to assist in the development and formulation of the draft Ten-Year Plan.
Consultations with all relevant stakeholders
In its July 2016 Declaration, the AU Assembly made clear its intention to ensure all stakeholders in the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa are consulted in the drafting process of the Action Plan 2017 – 2026. These include Member States, AU organs and institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), academic institutions, bar associations and the media. The African Court intends to engage in wide consultations by discussing the Action Plan 2017 – 2026 at key AU human rights meetings between October 2016 and the July 2017 AU Summit. The Court has also sent out a Note Verbale to All AU member states. So far, views have been collected through online submissions, consultations with youth and CSOs as well as by dedicating the 5th AU High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa on the theme “Reflecting, Celebrating and Advancing Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa”.
For more information on the consultations that already took place, click here.
Online consultations –Get involved!
The African Human Rights Action and Implementation Plan has its own website in English and French to facilitate consultations. It gives more information on the process and progress of developing the Human and Peoples’ Rights Action Plan (background documents, milestones, stakeholder consultations) and how anyone can get involved. The African Court has also set up a dedicated email address to receive submissions.
Give your own thoughts and ideas on what should be included here:
- africanhuriplan.org
- Facebook and Twitter: @AfricanHuRiPlan #AfricanHuRiPlan
- Send your submissions at: action-plan@african-court.org
We invites all stakeholders to share their views on what should be included in the Action and Implementation Plan as well as to follow-up the progress of its development and the discussion through social media. We also encourage everyone to share widely this opportunity, in order for more stakeholders and citizens to be informed, take part in the discussions, contribute their ideas and get ready to contribute to the implementation of this Plan.
Share your ideas now! Action-plan@african-court.org ; africanhuriplan.org
