Pretoria University Law Press (PULP)

PULP is an open-access publisher based at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

Compendium of key human rights documents of the African Union: Third Edition - 2007
Edited by Christof Heyns and Magnus Killander
2007
ISBN: 0-9585097-7-8
Pages: 340
Print version: Available
Electronic version: Free PDF available

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About the publication

This Compendium contains key documents relating to human rights adopted by the African Union (including NEPAD) and its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity. It also includes a selection of decisions and resolutions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

For the third edition the Compendium has been updated to May 2007. The earlier editions have been widely used by judges, lawyers, civil servants, NGOs and academics alike, in Africa and abroad who have an interest in the African human rights system. It has been published in French and Arabic, and will also be published in Portuguese.

This publication of the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, aims at making the human rights documents of the African Union more accessible and as such increase their impact.

About the editors:

Christof Heyns is Professor of Human Rights Law and Director of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. 
Magnus Killander is a researcher at the Centre for Huma Rights, University of Pretoria and is also the co-editor of African Human Rights Law Reports.


Table of Contents

FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
INSTRUMENTS OF THE AFRICAN UNION

  • Charter of the Organization of African Unity (1963/1963)
  • Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (1991/1994)
  • Constitutive Act of the African Union (2000/2001)
  • Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act (2003/ )
  • Protocol on the Pan African Parliament (2001/2003)
  • Protocol on the Peace and Security Council (2002/2003)
  • Statutes of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (2004)
  • African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981/1986)
  • Protocol on the African Human Rights Court (1998/2004)
  • Protocol on the Rights of Women (2003/2005)
  • OAU Refugee Convention (1969/1974)
  • Cultural Charter (1976/1990)
  • African Children’s Charter (1990/1999)
  • Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (1999/2002)
  • Protocol on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (2004/)
  • African Convention on the Conservation of Nature (Revised) (2003/)
  • Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (2003/)
  • Non-Aggression and Common Defence Pact (2005/)
  • African Youth Charter (2006/)
  • African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007/)
  • Grand Bay (Mauritius) Declaration (1999)
  • Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (2000)
  • Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation (2000)
  • Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002)
  • Kigali Declaration (2003)
  • Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004)
  • Guidelines for Electoral Observation Missions (2004)
  • AU Organogram

AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS

  • Rules of Procedure of the African Commission (1995)
  • Guidelines for National Periodic Reports (1998)
  • Sample Concluding Observations on a Periodic Report (2001)

Selected Decisions of the African Commission

  • Achuthan and Another v Malawi (2000) AHRLR 144 (ACHPR 1995)
  • African Institute for Human Rights and Development v Guinea (2004) AHRLR 57 (ACHPR 2004)
  • Amnesty International v Sudan (2000) AHRLR 297 (ACHPR 1999)
  • Avocats Sans Frontières v Burundi (2000) AHRLR 48 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Bissangou v Republic of Congo communication 253/2002
  • Civil Liberties Organisation v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 186 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme et des Libertés v Chad (2000) AHRLR 66 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Another v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 191 (ACHPR 1998)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Another v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 235 (ACHPR 1999)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 180 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 227 (ACHPR 1999)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo v Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda communication 227/99
  • Doebbler v Sudan (2003) AHRLR 153 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Forum of Conscience v Sierra Leone (2000) AHRLR 293 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Huri-Laws v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 273 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Interights and Others v Botswana (2003) AHRLR 55 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Interights et al v Mauritania (2004) AHRLR 87 (ACHPR 2004)
  • International Pen and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 212 (ACHPR 1998)
  • Jawara v The Gambia (2000) AHRLR 107 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Katangese Peoples’ Congress v Zaire (2000) AHRLR 72 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Law Office of Ghazi Suleiman v Sudan (I) (2003) AHRLR 134 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Law Office of Ghazi Suleiman v Sudan (II) (2003) AHRLR 144 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Lawyers for Human Rights v Swaziland communication 251/2002 220
  • Legal Resources Foundation v Zambia (2001) AHRLR 84 (ACHPR 2001)
  • Ligue Camerounaise des Droits de l’Homme v Cameroon (2000) AHRLR 61 (ACHPR 1997)
  • Malawi African Association and Others v Mauritania (2000) AHRLR 149 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Media Rights Agenda and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 200 (ACHPR 1998)
  • Ouko v Kenya (2000) AHRLR 135 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Pagnoulle v Cameroon (2000) AHRLR 57 (ACHPR 1997)
  • Prince v South Africa communication 255/2002 239
  • Purohit and Others v The Gambia (2003) AHRLR 96 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC) and Another v Nigeria (2001) AHRLR 60 (ACHPR 2001)
  • Zegveld and Another v Eritrea (2003) AHRLR 84 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum v Zimbabwe communication 245/2002

Resolutions of the African Commission

  • Electoral Process and Participatory Governance (1996)
  • Observer Status for National Human Rights Institutions (1998)
  • Criteria for Observer Status for NGOs (1999)
  • Dakar Declaration on the Right to a Fair Trial (1999)
  • Death Penalty (1999)
  • HIV/AIDS (2001)
  • Principles on Freedom of Expression (2002)
  • Robben Island Guidelines on Torture (2002)
  • Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Fair Trial (2003)
  • Human Rights Defenders (2004)
  • Refugees (2004)
  • Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (2004)
  • Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa (2004)
  • Status of Women in Africa (2005)
  • Impunity (2005)
  • Terrorism (2005)
  • Darfur (2005) 326
  • Communication Form

NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT

  • NEPAD Declaration (2001)
  • Memorandum of Understanding on the APRM (2003)
  • Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance (2002)
  • African Peer Review Mechanism: Base Document (2002)
  • Objectives, Standards, Criteria and Indicators for the APRM (2003)

CHART OF RATIFICATIONS: AU HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES
USEFUL WEBSITES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
PROFILES
University for Peace, Africa Programme
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria


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