7 Part I: Civil and Political Rights Civil and political rights are considered among the oldest in the human rights system, being the rights relevant to humans' life and relationship with the society and the State. Hence was the communities' concern with their protection as natural rights and accordingly their visualization of a set of legal principles and rules, with institutions in place to ensure their respect and maintenance against breaches. This 5th periodic report thus was presented by the Great Jamhirya to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights within the context of discharging its obligations vis-à-vis civil and political rights enshrined in the African Charter of Human and People's Rights for 1981. Below is a presentation of the efforts made by the Great Jamhirya towards protecting and promoting these rights during the following period of the 4th periodic report. First: Right to Life The right to life is one of the basic rights and underlying parameters of human rights. No declaration, law, charter, or divine religion is devoid of special reference to the right to life. It had been mentioned in Article 4 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples' rights for 1981, and earlier in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights for 1948 as well as in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for 1966 (Article 6). As we put this report to you, it is important in this context to stop at the right to life and how it is dealt with in Libyan legislation to figure out to what extent it is in agreement with the African Charter of Human Rights for 1981 as well as with the provision cited in its Article 62 on the member states' commitment to give effect to its provisions.