PRESS BRIEFING ON  89TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS 

THE LAUNCH OF THE ACHPR COMMEMORATIVE ANNIVERSARIES

AFRICAN UNION		UNION AFRICAINE
African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights		UNIÃO AFRICANA Commission Africaine des Droits de l’Homme & des Peuples
31 Bijilo Annex Layout, Kombo North District, Western Region, P. O. Box 673, Banjul, The GambiaTel: (220) 4410505 / 4410506; Fax: (220) 4410504   E-mail: au-banjul@africa-union.org; Web: www.achpr.org

PRESS BRIEFING ON  

89^TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS 

AND 

THE LAUNCH OF THE ACHPR COMMEMORATIVE ANNIVERSARIES

1. ABOUT THE COMMISSION

1. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights was established in terms of Article 30 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter), which came into force on 21 October 1981. The Commission is composed of eleven (11) Members, nationals of Member States of the African Union (AU), who all serve in their individual capacities, on a part-time basis, in an independent and impartial manner. The Members are elected by the Executive Council and appointed by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU. The Members serve for a period of six (6) years and are eligible for re-election. The Commission, which has its Headquarters in Banjul, The Gambia, became operational in 1987. The Commission holds two (2) Ordinary Sessions a year; it also holds Extra-Ordinary Sessions as the need arises. The Commission has held eighty-four (88) ordinary sessions  with October 2025 marking the 89^th Ordinary Session and thirty-eight (38) extra-ordinary sessions since its inception.

Mandate of the Commission

2. The mandate of the Commission as set out in Article 45 of the African Charter is four-fold: to promote human and peoples’ rights on the continent; to protect human and people’s rights on the continent; to interpret the provisions of the African Charter at the request of a State Party, an institution of the OAU/AU or an African Organization recognized by the OAU/AU; and to perform any other functions as may be entrusted to it by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU/AU.

          Operational Modalities

3. The Commission has devised a number of strategies to effectively discharge this very extensive mandate, as follows:

(i) Promotional Missions – the Commission undertakes official missions to AU Member States to promote human rights.

(ii) Special Mechanisms – The Commission has established 12 Thematic Special Mechanisms to address human rights issues that are of particular concern to the Commission: 5 Special Rapporteurs, 2 Follow-up Committees and 5 Working Groups.

(iii) Consideration of complaints – In line with the African Charter, the Commission receives and considers allegations of human rights violations submitted to it by Member States. Among other things, the Commission undertakes research into the complaints and prepares decisions at each of the 3 stages of its consideration of a complaint, namely: – seizure, admissibility and merits. The Commission, through its Secretariat also keeps the Member States and the complainants abreast of what is happening regarding their cases, and also follows up on the implementation of its decisions. Since its establishment, the Commission has entertained eight hundred and eighty-two (882) human rights complaints, and at the moment, there are one hundred and seventy-seven (177) human rights complaints currently pending before the Commission, generally referred to as Communications.

In cases with demonstrated potentials for irreparable damage, the Commission issues Provisional Measures, in order to preserve the status quo, pending the determination of the Communication.

(iv) Urgent appeals – the Commission receives complaints and appeals that require urgent action to be taken to prevent irreparable harm being caused to the alleged victims.

(v) Fact-finding missions – the Commission undertakes an average of one fact-finding mission a year to investigate allegations of serious, massive violations of human rights or any other investigations as directed by Policy Organs. For the year 2025, the ACHPR undertook a Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan. 

(vi) State Reports – Article 62 of the African Charter requires Member States to submit Initial as well as Periodic Reports to the Commission every 2 years, indicating the measures they have taken to give effect to the rights contained in the Charter. At the 87^th Ordinary held in May 2025, the Commission considered the State Report for the Republic of Kenya and The Democratic Republic Sahrawi. The Secretariat of the Commission uploads the Reports onto the website of the Commission, studies them, drafts summaries, undertakes research into the human rights situation in the country, and prepares the questions to be posed by the Commission to the Member States during the examination of the State Report. In engaging with the State Report, the Commission also considers shadow reports and any information provided by National Human Rights Institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and other stakeholders. At the end of the examination, the Commission makes Concluding Observations and Recommendations for implementation by Member States and follows up on their implementation.  

(vii) Collaborative activities – the Commission undertakes collaborative activities with Member States, National Human Rights Institutions/Commissions and NGOs, as well as international institutions concerned with the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights, in accordance with Article 45 of the Charter. 

Jurisdiction

4. All Member States of the AU, apart from the Kingdom of Morocco, have ratified the Charter. Anybody can bring a claim before the Commission alleging human rights violations against any Member State of the AU; and the Commission can also entertain inter-State complaints, as well as complaints by NGOs and by individuals – as long as the complaints allege a violation of rights enshrined in the African Charter, domestic remedies have been exhausted, and the same matter has not already been settled by another international forum, or is not currently before another international forum.

5. The Commission is quasi-judicial in nature. Consequently, while Member States have a duty to comply with its decisions and recommendations in line with their obligations under Article 1 of the African Charter, the decisions and recommendations of the Commission do not have the same legal binding nature as Court’s decisions.

6. It is this last consideration that led to the establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Court), with a specific mandate to complement and reinforce the protective mandate of the Commission. In this regard, the Commission may refer cases to the African Court in line with its Rules of Procedure. 

ACHPR 40^th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIONS:

SUGGESTED HEADLINES FOR MEDIA ARTICLES & STORY ANGLES:

1. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session commemorates 40 years of the African Charter’s entry into force
2. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session marks 40 years of the African Charter with renewed commitment to human rights in Africa
3. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session to commemorate 40th anniversary of the African Charter’s entry into force
4. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session highlights four decades of the African Charter and charts the future of human rights in Africa
5. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session celebrates 40 years of the African Charter and reflects on the future of the African human rights system
6. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session places 40th anniversary of the African Charter at the centre of continental human rights reflection
7. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session commemorates four decades of the African Charter and renews commitment to justice and dignity
8. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session marks a milestone: 40 years of the African Charter in force
9. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session reflects on 40 years of the African Charter and the road ahead for human rights in Africa
10. ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session to feature commemoration of 40 years of the African Charter and its enduring legacy

Theme: “40 Years of the  African Charter: Celebrating Africa’s Human Rights Journey, Legacy, and Future”

1. Background

The month of October 2026, marks the 40th anniversary of the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, one of Africa’s most significant human rights instruments. Adopted on 27 June 1981 in Nairobi, Kenya, by the then Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Charter entered into force on 21 October 1986, establishing a landmark framework for the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights across the continent.

Over the past four decades, the African Charter has served as the foundation of the African human rights system and has guided the work of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). It has contributed significantly to the advancement of human rights, democracy, justice, accountability, equality and human dignity across Africa, while providing an enduring framework for addressing emerging and evolving human rights challenges on the continent.

The 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights will provide an important platform to commemorate this historic 40th anniversary. The commemorative event will reflect on the historical journey that led to the drafting, adoption and entry into force of the African Charter; honour the vision and contributions of its drafters and former Commissioners; highlight key milestones and achievements in the implementation and interpretation of the Charter; and examine its continuing relevance to contemporary human rights challenges.

The commemoration will also provide an opportunity to celebrate the African Charter’s enduring legacy and to reaffirm a renewed continental commitment to the effective promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights. It will look towards the next chapter of the African human rights system, inspiring continued efforts to advance justice, equality, dignity and accountability across the continent.