2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................................................................2 Abbreviations and Acronyms.................................................................................................................................4 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................6 PART ONE: GENERAL INFORMATION...........................................................................................................7 I. Presentation of Burundi.......................................................................................................................................7 II. Human Rights Normative and Institutional Framework....................................................................................8 2.1. Government Mechanism for Human Rights promotion and protection.....................................................8 2.2 Institutional and Legislative Framework.....................................................................................................9 PART TWO: .......................................................................................................................................................10 OBSERVATIONS ON BURUNDI’S FIRST INITIAL REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS PRESENTED AT THE 27th ORDINARY SESSION OF THE COMMISSION IN ALGIERS FROM 27 APRIL TO 11 MAY 2000..................................................................10 PART THREE: SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON EACH PROVISION OF THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS....................................................................................................................3 Article 1: Recognition of the Rights, Responsibilities and Freedoms by Member States ...................................13 Article 2: Enjoyment of Rights and Freedoms .....................................................................................................14 Article 3: Equality before the Law .......................................................................................................................14 Article 4: Inviolability of the human being and respect for human dignity..........................................................14 Article 5: The Right to respect for human dignity ...............................................................................................15 Article 6: The Right to freedom and security of the Individual............................................................................15 Article 7: The Right to a Fair Hearing .................................................................................................................16 Article 8: The Right to the Freedom of Conscience and of Religion ...................................................................18 Article 9: The Right to the Freedom of Opinion and of Expression ....................................................................18 9.1. The Role of the National Communications Council (NCC).....................................................................19 9.2. Some historic decisions taken by the NCC...............................................................................................20 9.3. The responsibility of the Media sanctioned by Law on the Freedom of the Media .................................21 Article 10: The Right of Association ...................................................................................................................21 Article 11: The Right to the Freedom of Assembly .............................................................................................22 Article 12: The Right to the Freedom of Movement and of Residence ...............................................................23 12.1. Refugees, asylum seekers in Burundi (by the country of origin)............................................................24 Article 13: The Right of access to the State’s public functions ...........................................................................24 Article 14: The Right to own Property .................................................................................................................26 14.1. Challenges to the current system of access to landownership ...............................................................27 14.2. The solutions to property related problems of landless individuals .......................................................27 14.3. Distribution of Refugees per country......................................................................................................28 14.4. State of progress of the peace villages....................................................................................................28 Article 15: The Right of access to employment and to a fair salary.................................................................... 28

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