Page 27  Conviction that human freedom and dignity can only prevail in a society that respects the rule of law and creates the appropriate conditions for social growth in accordance with its values, civilization, culture, religion and modern requirements of work;  Establishment of democratic institutions that guarantee basic human rights and freedoms, including political, economic, social and cultural rights as well as the right of the family as the nucleus of society; 75.  Article 11 of the Constitution which affirms respect for the above rights. 2. Equality Before the Law (Article 3) As a founding member of the African Union, the Sahrawi State upholds the principles of justice and democracy as consecrated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, and the provisions of the Sahrawi Constitution, especially Article 21, and Article 25 which both state that every citizen shall enjoy the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution without discrimination based on race, colour, sex, language, religion or political opinion. Similarly, Article 26 stipulates that all citizens are equal before the law in terms of protection and punishment. To further enhance this principle, the Sahrawi Constitution also stresses that every citizen has the right to vote and to be elected (Article 33) and that everyone has the right to apply for any public office in accordance with the criteria laid down by the law. 76. The principle of equality is the basis of justice in the Sahrawi Republic in accordance with the provisions of Article 126 of the Constitution where it is stated that everyone has access to litigation based on the principles of legality, equality and respect for the rule of the law; The Sahrawi Constitution categorically states that men and women are equal before the law and they both shall have access to litigation and fair trial.