African Court, ACHPR releases statement presentation presentation, transfer of cases

The African Court on Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR) and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) released the communiqué, case submission and transfer guidelines adopted at their second complementarity retreat, held June 2-3 in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania.

As part of disseminating the findings, a highlight video was also produced to visually capture the key messages, exchanges and collaborative spirits that defined the retreat.

This was stated in a statement sighted on Sunday by Blueprint in Abuja.

The documents contained in the statement capture the shared vision of the two human rights bodies of the African Union to deepen cooperation and improve the efficiency of the continental human rights system.

Among other things, they outline practical steps to implement the Complementarity Roadmap (2023-2028) and consolidate the results under their collaborative framework.

Among the highlights, the Communiqué records decisions to “extend the complementary roadmap until 2028, integrating complementarity objectives into each institution’s next strategic plans (2026-2028), among others.

The two institutions also examined the renewal of the Staff Exchange Framework, signed for the first time in 2022, to continue to promote institutional learning and collaboration.

They also want to promote the creation of the African Jurisprudence Database (AJUDATA) as a shared repository of jurisprudence and legal references.

It further reads: “Jointly mobilize support for the appointment of an AU Advocate for Human and Peoples’ Rights and for the operationalization of the AU Legal Assistance Fund; and

Develop promotional materials and shared tools to strengthen engagement with States and monitor the implementation of decisions.

“The recently adopted guidelines on the submission and transfer of cases formalize procedures agreed between the Court and the Commission, establishing clear considerations and criteria for the management and coordination of cases.

“The Guidelines also provide a framework for follow-up on the implementation of decisions, thus strengthening complementarity in practice.

“The Court and the Commission reaffirmed their commitment to work closely with Member States, AU bodies and other key actors to ensure a stronger, more coherent and effective African human rights system,”