Africa is a large and diverse continent that is organised under a continental body, the AU, and various regional economic communities (RECs). For several decades, African states have realised that the effective implementation of human rights implementation requires the development of common plans with adequate room for specific contexts at the national, regional and continental levels.

African states, under the aegis of the Organisation of African Unity and later the African Union have taken steps over the last two decades to organise effective implementation of the human and peoples’ rights enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

This current process to develop an African Human Rights Action and Implementation Plan 2017-26 aims to complete a long process of strategic planning at various levels and within institutions to ensure a comprehensive and coherent action by all key stakeholders.