[AU-Monitor] African Union seeks raising the bar on rights in Africa: How high can Member States jump?

[AU-Monitor Analyst/Editor]

Africa's Foreign Ministers meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are today
expected to agree on a draft charter setting out new benchmarks on
democracy, good governance and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.
The draft charter outlines measures required to entrench these values and
hence foster democracy and the rule of law in Africa. The charter sets out a
new threshold against which Africa's governments can be judged through
existing mechanisms which regularly audit their performance such as the
Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) or those charged with arbitrating
violations of rights such as the Africa Court on Human Rights.

The draft charter confirms the Africa Union's continued determination to
enhance accountability and higher standards of governance by member states
often plagued by years of misrule and unaccountable government.

The Foreign Affairs Ministers are discuss the draft charter against the
backdrop of tenuous human rights violations in several countries. These
include the ongoing crackdown on opposition and trade union leaders in
Guinea; uneasy peace in Somalia and a deteriorating humanitarian situation
in Darfur.

The main test of the draft charter, though, lies on whether Africa's member
states will adopt and sign it soon enough so that it can come into force
without undue delay. It must be signed by a minimum 15 member states to take
effect and thus provide legal oversight by the African Union over the
conduct of its Member States. Thereafter, those signing would be expected to
domesticate its provisions into national law to create legally binding
obligations at national level.

*Below is a summary of some of the key highlights of the draft charter*:
· It seeks all African countries to commit and adhere to the principles of
democracy and respect for human rights.
· It calls for respect for the rule of law and constitutional order. In
reiterating respect for the constitution, it seeks sanctions against those
who remove elected governments from office through coups, use of mercenaries
or armed dissidents and rebels. It also seeks non-recognition of governments
which fail to relinquish power upon losing an election.
· It further seeks respect for democratic change of government through
holding regular free and fair elections. In this regard, the AU is seeking
an enhanced mandate for its electoral observer missions to monitor elections
in member states.
· It calls upon governments to recognize and give status to opposition
political parties in order to strengthen political pluralism.
· It reiterates the principle of non-discrimination against marginalized
and/or vulnerable social groups.
· It also seeks full and active participation of women in decision-making
processes and structures at all levels and calls upon African governments to
ensure gender parity in representation at all levels.


-- 
Gichinga Ndirangu
Consultant Policy Analyst / Editor
AU- Monitor
aumonitor.editor at gmail.com

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