African Human Rights Court to Boost Africa [document]

The Leader of the Ugandan Delegation and Chairperson of the Justice and Human Rights Committee in the Pan African Parliament (PAP), Hon. Onyango Kakoba (NRM, Buikwe North) has urged Members of Parliament from the different African Union (AU) states to ensure that their countries ratify and make a declaration on the Protocol of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.
This was during a PAP committee session on Monday 16th March 2015, in Midrand South Africa, where Justice Augustino Ramadhani the President of the African Court, informed members that of the 54 member states of the AU only 28states and of which Uganda was among those that have ratified.
He further informed the committee that since the adoption of the Protocol of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights in 1998, of the 28 states which have ratified, only 7 have deposited a declaration which allows individuals and NGOs to have access to the Court as provided for by the Protocol. He informed the Chairperson that although Uganda has ratified, it has not deposited a declaration.
“The Court looks at Pan African Parliament as its partner in promoting it so as to discharge its mandate effectively. Africa needs to be sensitized about the African Court for it to benefit from it,” he added.
The African Court on Human Rights was established by the Protocol to the African Charter in January 2004. It consists of eleven judges who are nationals of the Member states of the AU, and are elected on individual capacity from among the jurists or academic competence and experience in the field of Human Rights.
Other members of Uganda’s delegation attending other committee meetings are Hon. Beatrice Barumba, Hon. Sam Otada, Hon. Elijah Okupa and Hon. Jacquline Amongin.
Source:http://www.parliament.go.ug/new/index.php/about-parliament/parliamentary-news/557-africa-human-rights-court-to-boost-africa

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