Tema, Jan. 26, GNA – The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is at the crossroads of institutional development, which reinforces the Judges’ resolution that self-led reform is the way to preserve the fundamentals of the African human rights justice system.
“It is beyond dispute that meaningful reform of the African Court cannot be achieved without the overall institutional overhaul of the African Union (AU) as the intergovernmental umbrella organization.
“This speaks to a critical ingredient in framing the justice discourse this year to bring States back at the heart of human rights justice in Africa,” Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud African Court President has stated in a document to the Ghana News Agency in Tema.
In the document which stated the broad direction of the African Court this year, the African Court President commended the AU and Member States for the unwavering commitment expressed last year.
African Court President, Justice Aboud explained that last year’s dialogue would materialise this year to serve as a common platform to build and strengthen a cordial relationship between the African Court and the Member States and eventually, improve the human rights justice landscape on the continent.
Lady Justice Aboud noted: “It is also important to note that the protection of human rights cannot be fully realised without the active participation of African citizens.
“The support of non-governmental actors, who represent the people of Africa for whom and on whose behalf Member States established the African Court”.
She said: “What the current leadership of the African Court, therefore, hopes for is that African civil society joins the Court’s reform process by actively engaging with the AU, individual States, and the Court.
“As much as we should favour changes that reposition States as the key stakeholders, African citizens should proactively engage the Court directly and through the African civil society to ensure the effective protection of their rights and fundamental freedoms”.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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