African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

Description

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, or ACHPR, is a quasi-judicial body of the African Union. It was established by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, also known as the Banjul Charter. The Commission was inaugurated on 2 November 1987 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and its secretariat is now based in Banjul, the Gambia.

The Commission works to protect and promote human and peoples’ rights across Africa and to interpret the African Charter. It considers individual complaints of human rights violations and investigates them. It also collects documents, carries out research, organises seminars and conferences, and reports its findings and recommendations to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

The Commission has eleven members, chosen for their high reputation and expertise in human rights, who serve renewable six-year terms. Members act independently and do not represent their home states. The Commission meets twice a year, usually once in Banjul and once elsewhere in Africa.

The Commission runs special mechanisms, including rapporteurs, working groups and committees, on issues such as freedom of expression, women’s rights, indigenous peoples and torture. It relies on a network of non-governmental organizations, which it grants observer status and which report to it every two years. Since the creation of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Commission also prepares cases for the Court’s consideration.