Accra, Feb. 6, – The African
Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights on Tuesday said the protection of human
rights is a collective responsibility, “whether we are Judges, Litigants,
Applicants, Respondent States, Civil Society or friends of African human rights
system.
“The responsibility of an Africa
that is respectful of human rights and endowed with a rule of law culture is
incumbent on us all. Such responsibility behoves however in a very special way
on civil society and media professionals.
“One cannot think of
life-changing human rights advocacy without an innovative involvement of civil
society and the media,” Justice Sylvain Ore stated in an interview with the
Ghana News Agency.
Justice Ore who outlined the
African Court’s 2018 activity calendar said within the African human rights
community, civil society and the media were quick to be satisfied with the
establishment of the African Court, which they had relentlessly called for.
“This state of affairs leads me
to call on civil society and the media to support the African Court after
contributing successfully to its establishment.
“Civil society and the media’s
contribution to the development of the African Court’s relevant jurisprudence
has unfortunately remained at its embryonic state,” Justice Ore stated.
The African Court President noted
and acknowledged the critical role that bears on civil society and the media in
supporting submission of cases to the African Court by the Banjul Commission.
He tasked civil society and the
media to assist in disseminating the African Court’s judgments at the national
level, and provide States with the assistance needed to effectively enforce the
decisions.
Justice Ore also urged States to
take innovative litigation stands needed by the Maputo Protocol on the rights
of women to change the face of human rights litigation on the continent.
He noted that it is “our common
responsibility for an Africa, which places human rights at the heart of the
African Union reforms and as the key to socio-economic and human development.
“This is the concerted action
that I call on you to join during the year 2018 for the sake of fostering human
rights in Africa and for an independent, strong and effective African
Court”.
The African Court President said
it could be stated with no doubt that; the year 2018 began under a promising
note of political commitment in favour of human rights.
In light of that the African
Union would devote the year to re-state commitment in fighting corruption
towards an African continent that would overcome under-development.
He said it was key to stress the
critical link between corruption and human rights: the former constitutes a
serious and massive violation of the latter, especially economic and social
rights.
Justice Ore said the African
Court would this year harness efforts towards synergy in the African human
rights system on the one hand and in strengthening judicial efficiency on the
other.
“With respect to synergy, the
African Court’s logical aim is to work for more concerted and efficient action
as required under the reform process conducted by the African Union. We must
all bear in mind, all year long, the dire need to promote complementarity
between the African Court and the Banjul Commission,” he said.
“We should seek to overcome the
hurdle of the limiting eight declarations in the African Court to capitalise
ingeniously on the immense potential of the 30 ratifications in the Commission.
“The least to observe in that
regard is that individual applicants and civil society in Africa are yet to put
to test judicial complementality as inaugurated by the Ouagadougou Protocol
with extraordinary hope,” he said.
The African Court has adopted an
annual work plan, which encourages a catalytic engagement with all the
stakeholders of the African human rights community.
In the African Court’s motto, in
addition to pulling for synergy, the year 2018 will be one of judicial
productivity and efficiency.
Its 2018 activities also include;
finalisation of its formal Legal Aid Programme, proceed with the training of
registered counsel, introduce a Code of Conduct for Counsel, and finalise the
review of its Rules of Procedure.
The African Court would also
pursue the release of its Guidelines on Reparations and complete the process of
setting up a Compliance Monitoring Mechanism for the enforcement of its
judgments.
It would improve judicial
activity, which requires constant awareness of fast changing legal
thinking.
The African Court would also
uninterruptedly publish the African Human Rights Year book.
The African Court would also
publish the first decade jurisprudence in an accessible format and would be
placed at the disposal of the entire community for the overall interest of
litigants, victims, in short of Parties before the African Court.
GNA
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