I Africa
| Date | 01 June 2012 |
| Published date | 01 June 2012 |
| Author | Gina Bekker |
| DOI | 10.1177/016934411203000205 |
| Subject Matter | Part B: Human Rights News |
Netherlands Q uarterly of Human R ights, Vol. 30/2, 218–229, 2012.
218 © Netherlands I nstitute of Human Rig hts (SIM), Printed in the Net herlands.
PART B: HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS
I AFRICA
G B*
1. AFRICA N UNION
e 18th AU Summit on the theme ‘Boosting Intra-Africa n T rade’ was held in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia from 23–30 Ja nuary 2012. As part of the AU Summit, the 20th
Ordinary Session of the Executive Council was held from 26 –27Januar y followed
immediately therea er by the 18th Ordinary Session of t he Assembly of Heads of State
and Government on 29 and 30Januar y 2012.
In its Decision on the Status of Signatu re and Rati cation of OAU/AU Treaties,1 the
Executive Council appe aled to Member States to ‘prioritize and accelerate the sign ing
and rati cation/accession to all OAU/AU Treaties but particularly those directly
related to shared va lues’.2 e Counci l further encouraged states that had r ati ed the
Protocol to the Africa n Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the E stablishment
of an African C ourt on Human and Peoples’ Rights, but that had not yet made a
declaration accepting t he competence of the Court to receive cases under art icle 5(3)
to do so. Several instr uments with a bearing on human rights issues, including the
African Cha rter on Democracy, Elections and Governa nce; the Protocol on the Statute
of the African C ourt of Justice and Human Rights; t he African Union Convention for
the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Af rica (Kampala
Convention) and the African Cha rter on the Values and Principles of Public Service
and Administration, were highlighted as requi ring action in terms of rati cation by
Member States.
e Council approved and adopted the Africa n Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights combined 29th, 30th and 31st Activity Reports in which it requested
that the Commission conti nue to work closely with the Africa n Court and the AU
in respect of human rights.3 e Council requested that the African Commission
‘carry out the necessa ry consultations wit h the Member States concerned regarding
allegations of human rig hts violations, thus enabling it to present a balanced report
* Lecturer, Universit y of Ulster, Northern Irela nd.
1 EX.CL/Dec.685(XX).
2 Ibidem at para. 3.
3 See Decision on the Twenty Nint h, irtieth and irty Fi rst Activity Re ports of the Af rican
Commission on Huma n and Peoples’ Rights, E X.CL/Dec.689(X X).
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