The Africa Governance Report
National human rights institutions also face a number of challenges: some duplicate the work of
other state institutions, thus confusing stakeholders with regard to their functions. Others either
lack the resources needed to effectively discharge their mandate or the autonomy to function
effectively since they depend on the Executive for funding.
Although most Member States have established legal frameworks and institutions to promote
and protect human and peoples’ rights, far too many people still do not enjoy the rights
enshrined in these frameworks. At continental level, the African Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights is under-resourced. Worse still, State compliance with and/or implementation
of Commission recommendations and decisions remains low.26
Table 3: Status of Submission of Periodic Reports Relevant to the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights (August 2018)
Status
State Party
Up to date: 14
Angola, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Togo.
1 Report overdue:
10
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
2 Reports overdue: Gabon, The Sudan, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
3
3 Reports overdue: Cameroon, Burundi and Libya.
3
More than 3
Reports overdue:
18
Benin, Cape Verde, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Congo, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Mauritania, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, The Gambia, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Never submitted a
Report: 5
Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, South Sudan and Somalia.
Source: African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, “Information on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights”,
submitted to the APRM in October 2018.
National Human Rights Institutions
To complement the continental structures, many Member States have institutions for the promotion and
protection of human and peoples’ rights. These include national human rights institutions (NHRIs) which monitor
the protection of human rights and assist citizens in seeking redress for violation of their rights.27 The NHRIs are
complemented at continental level by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Court on
Human and Peoples’ Rights (See Box 1). These institutions are discussed below.
26
Ssenyonjo, M. 2018. “Responding to Human Rights Violations in Africa: Assessing the Role of the African Commission and Court on
Human and Peoples’ Rights (1987-2018)”, International Human Rights Law Review 1 (2018).
27
Akokpari J, 2008. “Introduction: Human Rights Actors and Institutions in Africa”, in Akokpari J and Zimbler DS (eds.) Africa’s Human Rights
Architecture 1, Centre for Conflict Resolution.
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